The University of Tokyo

ABOUT

Established in 1877 as the first imperial university, the University of Tokyo is one of Japan’s most storied and prestigious higher education establishments. In 2011, the university, which is nicknamed Todai, was ranked second in the world behind Harvard for the number of alumni in CEO positions at Fortune 500 companies. Also, 15 of Japan’s 62 prime ministers were educated at the University of Tokyo, and five alumni have gone on to become astronauts.

Tokyo consists of 10 faculties and 15 graduate schools, and has 30,000 students enrolled, of which 2,100 are from overseas. Unusually for a Japanese university, it also runs undergraduate programs taught entirely in English: the International Program on Japan in East Asia and the International Program on Environmental Sciences.

In 2014, the university’s School of Science introduced an all-English undergraduate transfer program called Global Science Course. Todai has five campuses, in the districts of Hongō, Komaba, Kashiwa, Shirokane and Nakano.

Tokyo is a vibrant metropolis with a distinct urban character and unique culture that is ideal for growing minds and youthful adventure. The main Hongo campus occupies the former estate of the Maeda family, once the feudal lords of Kaga Province. It therefore attracts tourists due to landmarks such as Akamon (the Red Gate) and the majestic Yasuda Auditorium. It’s also where UTokyo’s annual May festival is held.

The other campuses have more modern features. Komaba campus ¬– home to the College of Arts and Sciences, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and the Graduate School of Mathematical Sciences – is home to 7,000 freshmen and sophomores.

The undergraduate experience at the University of Tokyo is unique as it’s the only Japanese university with a system of two years of general education before students choose their major. The campus has been designated a \”center of excellence\” for three new areas of research by Japan’s Ministry of Education and Science.

Harvard University

ABOUT

Established in 1636, Harvard is the oldest higher education institution in the United States, and is widely regarded in terms of its influence, reputation, and academic pedigree as a leading university in not just the US but also the world.

Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, three miles north-west of Boston, Harvard’s 209-acre campus houses 10 degree-granting schools in addition to the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, two theaters, and five museums. It is also home to the largest academic library system in the world, with 18 million volumes, 180,000 serial titles, an estimated 400 million manuscript items and 10 million photographs.

Like most of the United States’ pre-Civil War colleges, Harvard was founded to train clergy, but Harvard’s curriculum and student body quickly secularized, and in the 20th century admissions policy was opened up to bring in a more diverse pool of applicants.

Now, a total of 21,000 students attend the university, each of whom at some point can be seen bustling past the famous statue of John Harvard, the university’s first benefactor and founder, which looks on benignly in the center of the campus. The bronze statue’s gleaming foot is due to almost incessant rubbing by tourists and students, who believe the act brings good luck.

Only the academic elite can claim a place at Harvard, and the nominal cost of attendance is high – though the university’s hefty endowment is such that it can offer generous financial aid packages, which around 60 per cent of students take advantage of.

As freshmen, students live in one of the dormitories in Harvard Yard, a prime location, and eat in the historic and picturesque Annenberg dining hall. Harvard students are active around and beyond campus, with over 400 official student societies including extracurricular, co-curricular and athletic opportunities. Whether playing on the field in Harvard Stadium, fostering entrepreneurial activities at the Harvard innovation lab or writing and editing at the daily newspaper the Harvard Crimson, student life is a rich and rewarding experience.

Harvard\’s alumni include eight US presidents, several foreign heads of state, 62 living billionaires, 359 Rhodes Scholars, and 242 Marshall Scholars. Whether it be Pulitzer Prizes, Nobel Prizes, or Academy Awards, Harvard graduates have won them. Students and alumni have also won 108 Olympic medals between them. The university is regularly ranked number one in the world, and the consistency of its chart-topping performances shows that success is yet to breed complacency.

EPFL – Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne

ABOUT

The École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) is a research institute and university in Lausanne, Switzerland, specializing in the natural sciences and engineering.

Its roots can be traced back to the foundation of a private school in 1853, which to start with only had 11 students. Those days are long gone though, with the modern day EPFL one of two Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology and student numbers in Lausanne now totaling over 10,000.

Located in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, EPFL is twinned with the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH Zurich). As part of its research and teaching activities, EPFL is one of the only universities to run a nuclear reactor, a fusion reactor, a Gene/Q Supercomputer, and have P3 bio-hazard facilities.

EPFL has a very singular admissions process, which, for would-be undergraduates who are Swiss nationals, is not selective at all. At the end of freshman year, however, a block exam determines whether students can continue or have to repeat the year, with many home students dropping out entirely at this point.

The EPFL campus lies on the shores of Lake Geneva and consists of 65 buildings across 136 acres. Facilities include banks, bars, two museums – the Musee Bolo and Archizoom – as well as bars, restaurants and cafeterias.

There are students of 112 different nationalities here, though as of 2014 women made up only 27 percent of the student body. Life on campus is vibrant, with many student-formed clubs and associations providing social and recreational opportunities.

A wide range of sports and leisure facilities keep students physically active while studying. EPFL also has an active student media, publishing the monthly newspaper Flash and there are daily broadcasts on the student radio station.

Another priority on campus is the arts, with the university holding several annual music festivals each year. The largest is Balélec Festival, where 15,000 visitors descend upon the university to watch 30 concerts on two outdoor and four indoor stages.

Tsinghua University

ABOUT

Students looking for great engineering and computer science programs need look no further than Tsinghua University in Beijing, which since 2015 has been ranked as one of the best in the world for both disciplines.

Tsinghua University was established in 1911 in the wake of the anti-colonialist Boxer Rebellion, which saw the US fine China $30m as punishment. In 1909, President Theodore Roosevelt negotiated with Congress a reduction in the sum, with the leftover money earmarked for university scholarships for Chinese students to study in the US. Tsinghua University was established as a preparatory school for the students’ trips abroad.

Today, Tsinghua’s motto of “self-discipline and excellence” has taken it far. Most university rankings place Tsinghua among the best universities in China, and famous alumni include President Xi Jinping himself, who graduated with a degree in chemical engineering in 1979. Tony Blair, Henry Kissinger, and Bill Clinton are among the distinguished guests who have spoken at Tsinghua.

The university is academically organized into 20 schools and 57 departments covering a broad range of subjects, including science, engineering, arts and literature, social sciences, medicine. Xinya College was established in 2014 as the school’s residential liberal arts college as part of a series of reforms to undergraduate education. Unlike other Tsinghua students who must choose a specific major upon enrollment, Xinya students can declare their majors at the end of their freshman year.

The campus of Tsinghua University is located in northwest Beijing, in the Haidian district, on the former site of the Qing Dynasty royal gardens. As such it retains Chinese-style landscaping as well as traditional buildings, although many of its buildings are also western in style, reflecting its American heritage. Like its archrival Peking, Tsinghua is known for having one of the most beautiful university campuses.

On campus, students keep themselves occupied with more than just academic study (although the heavy workloads mean studying is always a priority). There are more than 110 student clubs and associations covering interests such as science and technology, health and fitness, humanities, arts and public welfare.

Overseas students are particularly encouraged to join in the fun, with a host of extracurricular such as welcome parties, New Year’s parties, graduation parties, and visits to cultural and historical landmarks.

National University of Singapore (NUS)

ABOUT

A leading global university centred in Asia, the National University of Singapore (NUS) is Singapore’s flagship university, which offers a global approach to education and research, with a focus on Asian perspectives and expertise.

NUS has 17 faculties and schools across three campuses. Its transformative education includes a broad-based curriculum underscored by multi-disciplinary courses and cross-faculty enrichment. Over 38,000 students from 100 countries enrich the community with their diverse social and cultural perspectives. NUS also strives to create a supportive and innovative environment to promote creative enterprise within its community.

The 17 Schools in NUS include:

Arts and Social Sciences
Business
Computing
Continuing and Lifelong Education
Dentistry
Design and Environment
Duke-NUS Medical School
Engineering
Integrative Sciences and Engineering
Law
Medicine
Music
Public Health
Public Policy
Science
University Scholars Programme
Yale-NUS College

NUS takes an integrated and multi-disciplinary approach to research, working with partners from industry, government and academia, to address crucial and complex issues relevant to Asia and the world. Researchers in NUS’ Schools and Faculties, 30 university-level research institutes and centres, and Research Centres of Excellence cover a wide range of themes including: energy, environmental and urban sustainability; treatment and prevention of diseases common among Asians; active ageing; advanced materials; risk management and resilience of financial systems. The University’s latest research focus is to use data sciences, optimisation research and cyber security to support Singapore\’s Smart Nation initiative.

Imperial College London

Ranked 8th in the world in the QS World University Rankings® 2019, Imperial College London is a one-of-a-kind institution in the UK, focusing solely on science, engineering, medicine and business. Imperial offers an education that is research-led, exposing youto real world challenges with no easy answers, teaching that opens everythingup to question and opportunities to work across multi-cultural, multi-nationalteams.

Imperial is based in South Kensington in London, in an area known as ‘Albertopolis’, Prince Albert and Sir Henry Cole’s 19th century vision for an area where science and the arts would come together. As a result, Imperial’s neighbors include a number of world leading cultural organizations including the Science, Natural History and Victoria and Albert museums; the Royal Colleges of Art and Music; the English National Ballet; and the Royal Albert Hall, where all of their students also graduate.

There is plenty of green space too, including two Royal Parks (Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens) within 10 minutes’ walk of campus. Travel to and from the area is also really easy as it’s served by three Tube lines and many bus routes.

One of the most distinctive elements of an Imperial education is that students join a community of world-class researchers. The cutting edge and globally influential nature of this research is what Imperial is best known for. It’s the focus on the practical application of their research – particularly in addressing global challenges – and the high level of interdisciplinary collaboration that makes their research so effective. Read more about their research impact here.

The number of award winners, Nobel Prize holders and prestigious Fellowships (Royal Society, Royal Academy of Engineering, Academy of Medical Sciences) amongst their staff is a testament to the outstanding contributions they have made in their respective fields.

Imperial is is one of the most international universities in the world, with 59% of its student body in 2017-18 being non-UK citizens and more than 140 countries are currently represented on campus. Meanwhile, the College’s staff, like their students, are diverse in their cultural backgrounds, nationalities and experiences.

Follow Imperial on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (just search \”imperial college\”).

University of Oxford

ABOUT

The University of Oxford is the oldest university in the English-speaking world, and is actually so ancient that its founding date is unknown – though it is thought that teaching took place there as early as the 11th century.

It’s located in and around the medieval city center of Oxford, dubbed “the dreaming city of spires” by the 19th century poet Matthew Arnold, and comprises 44 colleges and halls as well as the largest library system in the UK.

There are 22,000 students at Oxford in total, around half of whom are undergraduates, while 40 per cent are international students. A quarter of the city of Oxford’s residents are students, giving the city the youngest population in the UK.

The University of Oxford does not have a main campus, its buildings and facilities instead being scattered around the medieval city center. Its colleges each have a distinctive character and traditions often dating back centuries. Colleges are self-governing institutions to which students usually apply directly. There are four academic divisions within Oxford University: Humanities, Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences; Medical Sciences; and Social Sciences. The university’s particular strength is the sciences, and it is ranked number one in the world for medicine.

Oxford is a youthful and cosmopolitan city with plenty to see and do. There are dozens of historic and iconic buildings, including the Bodleian Libraries, Ashmolean Museum, Sheldonian Theatre, the cathedral, and the colleges themselves.

Students can choose to spend their time studying or avail themselves of the many extracurricular activities available. There’s a strong musical life at Oxford, with clubs and societies spanning all genres, from jazz, through to classical and folk. Oxford is also ranked highly for sport, with its top rowers taking part every year in the world-famous boat race with the University of Cambridge on the River Thames. Drama lovers are also well catered for, with one of the largest and most vibrant university drama scenes in the country.

Oxford has an alumni network of over 250,000 individuals, including more than 120 Olympic medalists, 26 Nobel Prize winners, seven poets laureate, and over 30 modern world leaders (including Bill Clinton, Aung San Suu Kyi, Indira Ghandi and 26 UK Prime Ministers).

It has a friendly rivalry with Cambridge for the title of best university in the UK and is regularly ranked as being one of the top three universities in the world. Notable Oxford thinkers and scientists include Tim Berners-Lee, Stephen Hawking and Richard Dawkins.

Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU)

ABOUT

Young and research-intensive, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) is placed 12th globally, and 1st among the world’s best young universities for five consecutive years (QS university rankings).

Home to 33,000 students, NTU offers engineering, science, business, humanities, arts, social sciences, and education, and has a joint medical school with Imperial College London.

Ranked the top university in the world for citations in artificial intelligence (Nikkei and Elsevier 2017) for the period 2012-2016, NTU is embracing digital technologies for better learning and living as part of its Smart Campus vision. It has partnerships with the world’s leading technology companies such as Alibaba, Rolls-Royce, BMW, Volvo, Delta Electronics, and Singtel in many areas of societal importance and impact that include artificial intelligence, data science, robotics, smart transportation, computing, personalised medicine, healthcare and clean energy.

The NTU Smart Campus is not only a living testbed of tomorrow’s technologies, but it is also frequently listed among the world’s Top 15 most beautiful university campuses. It has 57 Green Mark-certified (equivalent to LEED-certified) building projects comprising more than 230 buildings, of which 95% are certified Green Mark Platinum.

Apart from its main campus, NTU also has a medical campus in Novena, Singapore’s healthcare district.

India Will Now Not Tolerate Sponsored Terrorism

Let me begin with a candid confession: Hitting terrorists right where their terror training camps were operating openly in Pakistan with full impunity was something which I could not imagine even in my wildest of dreams but this present dispensation led by Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi has made this happen in reality! India has certainly outsmarted even Israel! It has to be borne in mind that Israel has never had to deal with a nuclear armed state or with conventional armed forces of the size of Pakistan’s. This has undoubtedly boosted India’s image and has shattered the charade that India only knows how to tolerate terror attacks but never knows how to retaliate against such attacks!

To be sure, India has hit targets now across the international border that is deep inside the very heart of Pakistan in Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. PM Narendra Modi on March 1, 2019 rightly declared that the country will no longer be “helpless” in the face of terror, saying a “New India” will pay back terrorists with ‘interest’ and that their influence has been curtailed and will be curbed further. While reiterating his government’s firm resolve to hit hard against terrorism by retaliation, PM Modi slammed the previous Congress-led UPA government for not following such aggressive tactics and accused it of “blocking” surgical strikes post 26/11 Mumbai attacks in November 2008. The then Air Force Chief wanted to hit deep inside Pakistan but Centre did not then give the green signal!

Simply put, PM Narendra Modi rightly said that, “The country has been facing the menace of terrorism for years but there is a big difference now…India will no longer be helpless in the face of terror.” No one can deny that the whole world including Pakistan and terror groups operating in Pakistan are now themselves feeling terrorized by what India has done under the leadership of PM Modi and for this we all must feel proud of him! One can gauge this even if we hear Pakistani leaders themselves saying in Parliament that India had the guts to send 14 air fighter planes right inside Pakistan to hit and we could not prevent it! On the contrary, India had gunned down their F-16 airfighter which tried to enter India very swiftly! This alone explains why many Opposition members in Pakistan cried “Shame, Shame” the moment Imran Khan entered Parliament!” Who can deny this? Only the political opponents of PM Modi!

It is a national tragedy and a national shame that some major opposition parties after initially hailing the air strikes have now suddenly taken a U turn and are shamelessly questioning the capability of our air force to strike deep inside Pakistan and calling for concrete proof so that they can believe it! Nothing on earth can be more shameful! PM Modi is right in saying that, “The world is supporting India’s fight against terror but a few parties suspect our fight against terror. These are the same people whose statements are helping Pakistan and harming India.”

Telling Opposition parties to stop weakening India with their statement to strengthen their own politics, the PM rightly said, “Modi will come and go, India will remain. Don’t weaken India for your political mileage. Your politics can wait but not the nation’s security.” Air Marshal Hari Kumar who as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C) of Western Air Command oversaw the Balakot air strike on terrorist training camp of Jaish-e-Mohammad rightly said that, “What was the task set to us we have achieved it. The rest of it is for the government to decide. Nobody wants war.” But he then rightly added a rider that, “Neither can we tolerate terrorists killing our citizens. We cannot tolerate cross border terrorism. The message has to be sent that we cannot lose citizens, in uniform or otherwise. Our IAF has the capability to hit anywhere.”

Will Opposition leaders question this also? When the whole world including dreaded terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad who claimed responsibility for the Pulwama terror suicide bomb attack on CRPF is acknowledging air strikes by India in Pakistan, some of our politicians shamelessly led by the like of Mamata Banerjee are questioning whether the air strikes by the Indian Air Force (IAF) on a terror camp in Pakistan resulted in any casualties at all. Mamata said without any remorse while talking to the media at the State secretariat most brazenly and recklessly that, “From today one, we are hearing, particularly on national television channels that 300-350 persons died in the air strikes. We want to know how many people actually [have] died. Did anyone die at all? Where were the bombs dropped? Were the bombs dropped at the right place?”

If Opposition parties still continue questioning our forces, they will themselves be squarely responsible for contributing the most in ensuring Modi and BJP’s thumping majority in the upcoming elections! God cannot stop BJP from winning if Opposition leaders keep mocking at our soldiers by asking for proof so that they can believe what Government says or for what top defence officers say! Time will prove whether I am right or wrong!

Let me say this on record: I am not associated with BJP in any manner or with any of its sister organizations like RSS among others! In fact, till recently I was in fact the worst critic of BJP and my dislike started with BJP’s handling of Kargil war under stewardship of former PM late Atal Bihari Vajpayee and stupidly welcoming Pakistani invader Musharraf like a royal emperor only to get attack on Parliament, attack on Akshardham, releasing the chief of Jaish-e-Mohammad Masood Azhar along with 3 others etc, foolishly choosing not to retaliate hard even after the Defence Services Chiefs wanted to hit Pakistan hard and this continued even after PM Modi took over for foolishly declaring Ramzan ka ceasefire thus directly helping Pakistan and terrorists to attack freely our soldiers wherever they want and whenever they want or going to Pakistan all of a sudden and getting Pathankot in return and then again foolishly inviting ISI agent only to be rebuffed by Pakistan when India’s turn came for sending NIA to Pakistan or allowing withdrawal of criminal cases from about 10,000 stone pelters as we saw in Mehbooba’s term as CM who came to power with BJP’s support.”

My blind hatred for BJP diminished after surgical strikes that Indian army soldiers carried out after Uri terror attack and it now stands almost destroyed after this unexpected air strikes right inside Pakistan where terror training camps were operating with impunity! Honestly speaking, I am deeply impressed by these air strikes and I truly applaud and appreciate PM Modi for taking such a courageous decision that has shaken Pakistan to the core! No political party and no PM in last three decades ever dared to do what BJP under stewardship of PM Modi has chosen to do now! The whole world is talking about it! India cannot be taken for granted now no matter how loudly the Opposition parties may scream!

But Opposition parties led by Mamata are leaving no stone unturned to undermine it! My father till recently always used to admire her leadership qualities to which I used to nod! But now I have told even my father point blank that how can any true Indian talk like this and speak in a way that directly helps our enemy nation that is Pakistan? My father conceded then that she should not have spoken like this as she is directly questioning rather insulting not just PM Modi but even our forces who fight so valiantly!

Even Lt Gen (Retd) DR Soni while speaking in a news channel too was at pains to note that leaders question directly our forces and their capability to strike deep inside Pakistan and said that what impact will it have on the morale of young soldiers and officers with about 5 years experience these politicians don’t think while speaking! How frustrated Pakistan is can be well gauged by the fact that it has brazenly started indiscriminate firing in border areas just like it did after the surgical strikes in 2016 and now the same old story is being repeated again! What bigger proof is needed than this? The Opposition once again after initially welcoming the attack have started following Mamata! Are they not responsible for scripting their own electoral debacle?

It is high time and Opposition must specify whether it stands with Pakistani version or with Indian version? You cannot have it both ways! No true Indian will ever back Pakistani version which even some of their own brave journalists are not ready to accept. Very rightly so!

Is the brother of Masood Azhar speaking lies and shedding crocodile tears while saying that they have suffered a lot and lost many? Countering denials of the Pakistani government and military, Maulana Ammar who is the younger brother of Masood Azhar who heads Jaish-e-Mohammad has in an audio confirmed that Indian fighters hit the JeM camp near Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunwa province of Pakistan. He said that, “This is a declaration of war by the enemy. The Indian aircraft did not attack any safe house of any agency. It did not bomb the headquarters of any agency. They bombed a centre where students were learning jihad for the assistance of Muslims of Kashmir. This is not a jihad of any agency, by coming out of its territory to attack us, India has ensured we start our jihad against it.”

Will Mamata and the likes of her question this also? Have they not really gone crazy in their blind hatred for PM Modi? You answer that! Every true Indian should endorse what Arun Jaitley has said that, “Opposition has given a chance to Pakistan to smile.” Should we be proud of this? People will reply them by voting! Not for me to reply by pen!

I don’t know who is misguiding Mamata Banerjee to venture to even say something senseless like this that, “We don’t war for the sake of politics. If war takes place in the interests of the country then our full support is with the country. We don’t want war for political interests and for winning an election. We want peace.”

What message is she trying to send by saying this? Does India want war? Has India engineered Pulwama attack for political interests? Has India retaliated for winning an election?

What type of peace is she talking about? That peace under which stone pelters alone are given full freedom to attack our brave soldiers fearlessly and act like true Pakistani soldiers? That peace under which our forces keep getting killed and we keep inviting foolishly ISI agents as was actually done after Pathankot terror attack? That peace under which Ramzan ka ceasefire is declared as we have seen time and again which actually is unfettered licence to terrorists and BAT (Border Action Team) of Pakistan to attack our soldiers when unarmed and unprepared, behead them and take their head to be kept as trophy or to be played as football with amongst themselves as has happened also actually? This is the type of peace which Mamata wants?

What is worse is that once Mamata says something so brazenly and foolishly, we see leaders from other parties too quickly jumping in the bandwagon and singing the same tune like her! They are themselves responsible for scripting their own defeat well in advance! Even God cannot save them from losing if they keep endorsing what Pakistan says and keep assailing our forces capability to strike deep inside Pakistan!

Even some Pakistani ministers have acknowledged right inside Parliament that this is the first time after 1971 that Pakistan has been attacked by India! Are they also speaking lies? Obviously India will not send 12 planes and drop 1000 tonnes bomb just to kill a crow or just to target few trees or just to fool the world! Will Opposition question this also! God help them! Even God will refuse to help them in the upcoming elections if they refuse to mend their ways!

As it turned out, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley rightly said in a dig at opposition and sections of media who have raised questions about the effectiveness of IAF’s strikes on Jaish-e-Mohammad’s terror camp at Balakote deep inside Pakistan that “compulsive contrarians discovered a new Balakote” which lies just next to LoC inside Indian territory. Jaitley while speaking at the launch of book titled ‘Mann Ki Baat – A Social Revolution on Radio’, based on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s monthly radio broadcast rightly and wisely said that, “When our Air Force reached Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, before one could gather any information someone started saying it is very close to the LoC (Line of Control) and some people whom I call compulsive contrarians discovered a new Balakote without even checking that Balakote is not across the LoC but in our own Poonch.” Why will our own Air Force attack our own territory” Jaitley rightly asked, suggesting that the simple question escaped the “compulsive contrarians” because of their bias.

Let me tell Jaitley: Every true Indian stands with Centre in what they have done and proudly salute for doing what no government in power in Centre has ever done before! Even Israel has applauded it as “most courageous”! I am so proud of PM Modi for what he has done after Pulwama attack that it is for the first time in life that I who till some time back was his worst critic will venture to even say that, “God must ensure PM Modi’s victory as he deserves it richly for what he has done. By retaliating strongly we have proved to the world that we are not just sitting ducks and can strike very hard where it hurts the most and most swiftly when provoked!”

Lord Krishna had once famously said that, “Vinash kale viprit buddhi” which means that when time is destined to bring disaster then mind also stops working! This is what all those leaders of opposition led by Mamata Banerjee are demonstrating now most brazenly!

Mamata and the likes of her are not ready to believe even Maulana Ammar who is younger brother of jasih chief Masood Azhar who said that, “Today the enemy has answered all questions itself when the enemy crossed the mountains and entered our land and launched attacks on our Islamic centre.” Mamata will not buy any argument that is opposed to her nonsensical stand! She stands fully exposed!

Maulana Mehmood Madani of Jamiat-Ulema-e-Hind has warned Pakistan that they will be sorted out if they don’t reform. He also said that just recently Hindustan has proved that we are not weak. Now will Mamata and likes of her question Madani also? How long will Mamata run away from the stark truth? It is advantage BJP and she is only further serving to accelerate the pace!

Will Mamata question space technology also and photos of the destroyed sites of Jaish hideout? What has happened to her? So surprising that even some of her learned MPs like Derek O’ Brien of TMC are questioning BJP leader Manoj Tiwari for wearing army dress and insulting army! What is wrong in it? Manoj Tiwari rightly asked that if someone wears Nehru’s dress, will it be his insult? The whole nation is proud of Army!

Rajanth Singh who is Union Home Minister and whom every true Indian saluted after he shouldered a coffin of a slain CRPF soldier during a wreath laying ceremony for the martyrs of Pulwama terror attack rightly and wisely said that, “You have seen the power of our Army and CRPF. Once the government decided to strike terrorist hideouts on Pakistani soil, there was no second thought. Our jawans successfully accomplished the plan and destroyed the camp where around 300 terrorists were staying and taking training.” He further rightly quipped that, “As Pakistan is a neighbouring country, we should have cordial relations with it. Indian PMs have always tried their best to have a good relationship, and Atal Bihari Vajpayee even went there with a peace message. But I wonder why Pakistan does not give up its nefarious designs against India.”

Talking about the response of the global community after the Pulwama attack, Rajnath also rightly said: “Today, the entire world has come on a single platform against terrorism. Even the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which represents about 57 Islamic countries, invited India to its conference. This shows that India’s influence over the world communities has increased.” Who can deny this?

Union Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj addressed the OIC as a guest of honour, which was a big diplomatic success for India. She rightly and sagaciously summed up by saying that, “The success of a country could be measured by its military and diplomatic wins. Our armed forces destroyed terror camps in Pakistan and we also successfully won the diplomatic battle.”

It is most heartening to note that Rajanth Singh has declared that the government had decided to fight a decisive war against terrorism and it has begun! He also said after laying the foundation stone of CRPF Group Centre in Chakia (Chandauli) in UP that, “Terrorism has emerged as a big challenge before the world community. Not only India, but most of the countries in the world are affected by terrorism. But, I assure you that it would not last very long as our government has decided to wage a decisive war against terrorism to eliminate it completely from the Indian soil.”

Talking of all-round pressure on Pakistan to stop supporting terrorism, Rajnath predicted that, “A situation will soon arise when Pakistan will be compelled to eliminate terrorism from its soil. Otherwise, a situation would be created for complete elimination of terrorism from Pakistani soil. No power in the world can stop it. India has shown the world that it could hit terrorism not only on its own soil but also on foreign soil.”

No doubt, this present dispensation at Centre has very swiftly and sternly proved this also which has forced dreaded terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad who initially roared like a tiger by claiming responsibility to mellow down and then cry like a cat and lick its wound in the open as we saw Maulana Ammar doing who is younger brother of Jaish chief Masood Azhar! Centre’s crackdown on terrorists, on sympathizers of terrorists like Hurriyat by withdrawing their security and sending some of them to jail, withdrawing MFN status from Pakistan, imposing 200% duty on import items, banning Jamaat-e-Islami, deciding not to give India’s share of water to Pakistan etc are some few steps which are really comemdnable even though there are many more that have been taken or are being contemplated currently to be taken in future! Pakistan must wake up before it is too late!

It is a no-brainer that Foreign Minister of Pakistan Shah Mehmood Qureshi should stop fooling the world by saying that, “We will not allow Pakistani soil to be used by any group or any organisation for terrorist activities against any state including India”. Even an insane person will not believe Qureshi! This is because when Hafiz Saeed who is Chief of terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba or Syed Salaluddin who is chief of Hizbul Mujahideen and ehad of United Jihad Council publicly threaten to kill Indian and butcher them mercilessly and to bleed India by thousand cuts, do they do so because they are shooting some film?” How long will Qureshi and Pakistan fool this world?

Former Pakistani Army Chief and President Gen Pervez Musharraf had himself said a long time back that, “Osama to hero hain ji hero. Hafiz Saeed bhi to hero hain. Woh to bilkul aasli hero hain. Wohi baat Syed Salaluddin ki hain. Bharat ke liye ye aatankwadi hain paar hamare liye to yeh freedom fighter hain ji aur bilkul aasli hero hain ji.” Will Qureshi deny this also? What all will he deny?

How long will Qureshi refuse to see the ground reality and the writing on the wall? Qureshi and his country Pakistan must remember the abiding validity of the time-tested old adage that, “You can fool some of the people some of the time, you can fool all the people some of the time, you can fool some of the people all the time but you cannot fool all the people all the time.”

No matter how hard Opposition parties may try to discredit the present dispensation, the real dirty face of Pakistan stands exposed in front of the world! The present dispensation has now sent a very strong message that India will not tolerate sponsored terrorism and will not respect any longer the boundary lines to target terror training camps! I must confess that I who till recently considered myself the most trenchant critic of BJP and PM Narendra Modi too has been radically transformed and melted substantially by these air strikes and tough measures taken against Pakistan for sponsoring terrorism from its soil!

Keep it up! Bravo! Don’t rest till each and every terrorist is eliminated and keep launching such surgical strikes whenever any information is received from anywhere of terror camp operating in any part of Pakistan! The whole nation stands with you very firmly! Have just no doubt on this!

Sanjeev Sirohi, Advocate,

s/o Col BPS Sirohi,

A 82, Defence Enclave,

Sardhana Road, Kankerkhera,

Meerut – 250001, Uttar Pradesh

Top 25 University of Arts And Humanities in world – EduINDEX Ranking 2019

List of Top 25 University of Arts And Humanities in world – EduINDEX Ranking 2019

1. University of Oxford
2. Harvard University
3. University of Cambridge
4. University of California, Berkeley (UCB)
5. Stanford University
6. Yale University
7. Princeton University
8. Columbia University
9. University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
10. New York University (NYU)
11. University of Chicago
12. The University of Tokyo
13. The University of Edinburgh
14. National University of Singapore (NUS)
15. UCL (University College London)
16. The Australian National University
17. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
18. The University of Hong Kong
19. University of Toronto
20. The University of Melbourne
21. Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
22. London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
23. The University of Sydney
24. Freie Universitaet Berlin
25. University of British Columbia

Top 25 University of Arts And Humanities in world – EduINDEX Ranking 2019

List of Top 25 University of Arts And Humanities in world – EduINDEX Ranking 2019

Islamabad High Court Rejects Plea Against Release Of Abhinandan

Can you tell me the name of one good Indian or even one good human being who is not proud of the release of Indian Air Force Wing Commander WC Abhinandan Varthaman from Pakistani custody? Each and every person who is humane whether he/she is Indian or Pakistani or anyone else is overjoyed on learning the news of the release of Abhinandan! Our whole nation drowned in joy the moment news started pouring in that Islamabad High Court rejects plea against release of Abhinandan and thus decks were cleared for his early release!

Needless to say, Abhinandan has undoubtedly emerged as a great national icon after he was successful in making sure that even with the old Mig 21 Bison fighter jet of the 1960s, Pakistan’s advanced F-16 fighter jet which had intruded into India was hit hard! Abhinandan shot down the plane before his own went down, forcing him to eject and he fell into Pakistani territory and captured by Pakistani Army! Abhinandan’s family has served the Indian Air Force for generations, since the Second World War. Air Marshal S Varthaman who is a recipient of several honours, including a Param Vishisht Seva Medal said in a message that, “Abhi is alive, not injured, sound in mind, just look at the way he talked so bravely… a true soldier… we are so proud of him.” India stands one in celebrating his release!

Of course, even the film industry too expressed its happiness over his release. Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan too cheered the moment and took to Twitter to express his happiness. He wrote on Twitter that, “There is no better feeling than Coming back Home, for home is the place for love, hope & dreams. Ur bravery makes us stronger. Eternally grateful. #WelcomeBack Abhinandan.” It is not just film industry alone but each and every citizen of India as also all good human beings in every part of the world who celebrated his release. Ram Nath Koind who is President, Narendra Modi who is PM and Rahul Gandhi who is leader of Congress which is the main Opposition party among others all were equally delighted on seeing him getting released!

Be it noted, the Islamabad High Court in Muhammad Shoaib Razzaq Versus Federation of Pakistan through the President & 5 others in W.P. No. 786/2019 dated March 1, 2019 has clearly and convincingly dismissed a plea by Barrister Shoaib Razzaq in person seeking to stop the release of IAF pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman. Razzaq vehemently contended that Abhinandan had committed a crime against the country and should be put on trial there. But all his arguments fell flat as Islamabad high Court refused to buy them and gave valid reasons for doing so!

First and foremost, this latest, landmark and laudable judgment delivered by Athar Minallah who is Chief Justice of High Court of Islamabad sets the ball rolling in para 1 wherein it is observed that, “The petitioner has invoked the jurisdiction of this Court under Article 199 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973 (hereinafter referred to as the ‘Constitution’) aggrieved from the decision taken by the Government of Pakistan to release and handover Wing Commander V Abhinandan to India.”

As it turned out, it is then pointed out in para 2 that, “The petitioner has appeared in person and has been heard at length. It is his case that the Prime Minister of Pakistan was not competent to take a decision regarding release of the pilot of the Indian Air Force, namely, Wing Commander V Abhinandan who was detained after his aircraft was shot down. He has argued that the latter had violated the sovereignty of Pakistan by unauthorizedly entering into its territory and that it was an act of war; the Parliament was not taken into confidence; the decision has been taken by ignoring the aspirations of the people of Pakistan; the detained pilot of the Indian Air Force is liable to be proceeded against and court martialled in Pakistan.

To be sure, it is then stated in para 3 that, “The learned Counsel was asked as on what basis does he assert that the Parliament was not taken into confidence because the announcement was made by the Prime Minister of Pakistan on the floor of the House and that too during a joint session of the Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament).”

More importantly, it is then clearly and convincingly held in para 5 that, “It is an admitted fact that the Prime Minister of Pakistan had announced the release of the detained pilot of the Indian Air Force, namely, Wing Commander V. Abhinandan on the floor of the House and that too during the joint session of the Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament). It is also not denied that not a single Member of the National Assembly or the Senate had raised any objection when the announcement was made. The joint session of the Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) was held to deliberate upon the current tense situation at the borders. It was during the said joint session of the Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) that the announcement was made by the Prime Minister and affirmed by other Members. The petitioner’s argument that the Prime Minister of Pakistan was not competent or that the Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) was not taken into confidence is, therefore, misconceived. The Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) represents every citizen of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Moreover, the patriotism of the Members of the Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) is beyond doubt and, therefore, apprehensions of the petitioner in this regard are misplaced and not warranted.”

What’s more, it is then elegantly exemplified in para 6 stipulating that, “It is noted that the decision which was taken by the Prime Minister of Pakistan and announced on the floor of the House during the joint session of the Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) pertains to matters of foreign policy, defence and security of Pakistan. It is settled law that such issues are neither justiciable nor fall within the domain of a High Court for interference under Article 199 of the Constitution. It has been unambiguously held by the august Supreme Court that any such interference by the Courts would be violative of one of the foundational principles of the Constitution, which envisages trichotomy of powers between the three branches, namely, Legislature, Executive and Judiciary. Reliance is placed on the cases of ‘Wukala Mahaz Barai Tahafaz Dastoor v. Federation of Pakistan and another’ [2014 SCMR 111] and ‘Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani, Prime Minister of Pakistan v. Assistant Registrar, Supreme Court of Pakistan and another’ [PLD 2012 SC 466]. Moreover, it has been held that the Constitution is based on the principles of trichotomy of powers between Legislature, Executive and Judiciary. Framing of a policy is within the exclusive domain of the Executive because the latter is in a better position in this regard because of the mandate, experience, wisdom and sagacity. The Legislature represents the people of Pakistan and primarily promulgates laws which are enforced in Pakistan. The Judiciary is entrusted with the task of interpreting the law and to play the role of an arbiter in case of disputes between individuals and between individuals and the State. It is on the basis of this rationale that Courts exercise judicial restraint in policy matters except in cases where it can be explicitly demonstrated that because of the policy, fundamental rights are being violated. Reliance is placed on the cases of ‘OGRA through Secretary v. Messrs Midway II, CNG Station and others’ [2014 SCMR 720], ‘Mesrs Power Construction Corporation of China Ltd. Through Authorized Representative v. Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority through Chairman WAPDA and 2 others’ [PLD 2017 SC 83] and ‘Mehmood Khan Achakzai and others v. Federation of Pakistan and others’ [ PLD 1997 SC 426].”

Above all, the Islamabad High Court then in para 7 observes that, “The petitioner was asked whether any of his fundamental rights would be violated if the decision taken by the Prime Minister and announced on the floor of the House is implemented. The petitioner, despite his able assistance, could not satisfy this Court that his fundamental rights would be violated if the detained pilot of the Indian Air Force is handed over to the authorities of his State. The decisions which are taken by the Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament), particularly during challenging times, are inevitably required to be respected and upheld. Even otherwise Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) is competent to affirm policies of the Government and after such affirmation, they cannot be subjected to judicial review. It is the Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) alone which represents the will of the people of Pakistan and the other organs of the State are expected to respect and bow to its decisions. In the instant case the announcement made by the Prime Minister of Pakistan was affirmed by the Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) in its joint session. Moreover, the decision pertains to policy matters in the context of foreign policy, defence and security of Pakistan and thus outside the realm of judicial review.”

Lastly, para 8 then concludes this classic, courageous and commendable judgment by holding that, “For what has been discussed above, the instant petition is not judiciable under Article 199 of the Constitution and is, therefore, accordingly dismissed in limine.”

All said and done, we thus see that the Islamabad high Court has clearly and very rightly refused flatly to stop the IAF pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman from being released as approved by the Pakistan’s PM Imran Khan and Parliament of Pakistan! The petitioner miserably failed in satisfying the court that his fundamental rights would be violated if the detained pilot Abhinandan is handed over to the authorities of the State! So the decks for Abhinandan’s release were cleared further and he was freed finally after 3 days of captivity! Also, Pakistan was bound by the Geneva Conventions to release him and until released treat him properly!

Sanjeev Sirohi, Advocate,

s/o Col BPS Sirohi,

A 82, Defence Enclave,

Sardhana Road, Kankerkhera,

Meerut – 250001, Uttar Pradesh.

Choosing the right school for your child

Choosing the perfect school for your child is not an easy task. There is always a thought bothering you whether you should study in a private or public school. There could be endless reasons because of which you might be sending your child to a private school. But still the fact is that choosing that one perfect school for you child can become a daunting task.

If you have already made up your mind to send your child to a private school, then there must

Begin with identifying your needs then surveying the private schools. Once you have narrowed down the school you need to visit them personally and take a few things in consideration like:

Practical requirements

· Find a place close to your workplace, the other thing that you need to do is look for the desired element that you need to find the perfect private school.

· Travelling facilities provided by the school

· If your child has any emotional, physical, linguistic or learning needs that you need to pay attention to

· How much does the school cost and the budget of the private school?

Desired Requirements

· Is preparing for school a priority?

· Are modern school facilities important to you?

· Is your child looking for a small school environment or a large school with s large strength?

· How will the school authorities communicate with the parents when in need?

· Some parents desire to send their child to a catholic school that instills and imparts faith based catholic values to their children which will be considered as a desired requirement. Monsignor Slade Catholic School in is a co-educational religious institution that fosters Christian values in the children. Therefore, majority of parents who will seek to admit their child in this particular school or any other catholic school would do so because of their specific desire to send their child to a catholic school. So, choices could be desire based.

Extracurricular requirements for your private school

After when you have completely analyzed the practical requirements and it fits your requirements then it is time to dress the cake with icing. Extracurricular activities are very crucial for your child and that can lead to the overall development of the child. Therefore, you need to check if the school is giving the child a push to participate in the extracurricular activities or not.

· Before getting admission for your child see are their any sports facilities available in the college and if yes which all are?

· What are the clubs that your child needs to attend?

· Check what are the music and art programs are important to you?

Survey Schools

Don’t just take admission in the first school that you visit. Make sure that you shortlist so many schools that after that you can choose the best one out. Make sure that you collect all the numbers and facts of each school on the list:

· Read the philosophy of the school, ask about the school’s program and the different approaches of teaching.

· See if all the services that are available at the school such as on-site nurse, counsellors, secretary, librarian.

· Check the school’s structure. Does it follow a year-round school or follows a traditional school calendar?

· What is the qualification and background of the teacher?

· Examine the policy of the school discipline to check if the rules are fair.

· Find the school curriculum and look for the grading and the homework policies

· Check for the school’s policy for students on carrying knives, guns, hazardous items etc.

· Is the school accredited and if yes then how?

Check for the school policies regarding the students

· What is the basis for grading the students?

· What is the class size in the school? Class size matters a lot and especially in the primary grades.

· Is the library well equipped?

· The teaching methodology and if the teachers are working in groups or do they work in groups?

· How does the school monitor the students and the academic standards?

· What does the school do to support the students with the academics, emotional and social difficulties?

· School’s policy for English speaking children.

The achievements of the school

According to a website Pen2Print– The accomplishments of a school explain how far it has gone and what are its future plans to go further. Therefore, you must always conduct a thorough research on the accomplishments of the school. After all it is about your child’s future.

India Rightly Rejects Imran’s Dubious Response To Pulwama

It is good to note that India in a befitting reply has very rightly rejected Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s comments on the ghastly Pulwama attacks, saying that disclaiming neighbouring Islamabad’s link with terrorist attacks is an excuse often repeated by the “nerve centre” of terrorism. Imran Khan is shamelessly asking for proof very conveniently overlooking that Jaish-e-Mohammad has itself accepted proudly its direct role in carrying out the ghastly killing of more than 40 CRPF soldiers. Not just this, even the Pakistani invader and former Army Chief of Pakistan Gen Pervez Musharraf who masterminded Kargil war which failed miserably as Pakistan had to ultimately withdraw its forces has acknowledged the Jaish’s role and said that even he was attacked many times! What more proof is needed?

What stands out here is what befitting reply the Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh gave. He asked Imran Khan who demanded proof of Islamabad’s role in the Pulwama attack : “Should we send the bodies of the terrorists killed by our security forces to him? What proof is he (Imran) talking about? Will he identify them?” He also said on the sidelines of a function in Patiala that, “Masood Azhar is in Pakistan and doing things from there, and everyone knows it. Every day our soldiers are being killed at the Line of Control – so who’s killing them? The entire world knew what Pakistan was doing in Kashmir and other parts of India. They were behind 26/11 and India gave all the proof to them, but they did nothing.” He also pointed out that even in the Nirankari Bhavan blast at Rajasansi, a Pakistani grenade was used, clearly exposing the neighbouring country’s involvement.

Not stopping here, Captain Amarinder Singh also very rightly reacted angrily on Twitter later saying that, “Dear @ImranKhanPTI, you have Jaish chief Masood Azhar sitting in Hahawalpur & masterminding the attacks with ISI help. Go, pick him up from there. If you can’t, let us know, we’ll do it for you. BTW what has been done about the proofs of Mumbai’s 26/11 attack? Time to walk the talk.” He also rightly said that “Imran was a ‘courtesy-ISI’ PM so how else could one expect him to react. The Pakistan PM, along with Pakistan army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, were killing Indian soldiers and innocent people. India cannot and should not tolerate this.”

He also rightly reiterated that, “If they kill one of ours, we should kill two.” The Punjab CM also rightly underscored the importance of peace for development but added in the same breath that India needed to avenge the killings of its soldiers. Pakistan must be made to pay through its nose as we did in 1971. Only then will Pakistan sit quiet!

What’s more, India also came out with a seven-point hard hitting response after Imran Khan said that he would act against the perpetrators of the Pulwama attacks. In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that India was not surprised that Khan refused to acknowledge the attack on India’s security forces in Pulwama as an act of terrorism, adding his offer to investigate the attack if provided proof is a ‘lame excuse’. The MEA minced no words in putting across that, “Disclaiming any link between the terrorist attack and Pakistan is an oft-repeated excuse by Pakistan. The Pakistani Prime Minister has ignored claims made by the Jaish-e-Mohammad as well as by the terrorist, who perpetrated this heinous crime.”

Needless to say, the MEA also said that, “It is a well known fact that Jaish-e-Mohammad and its leader Masood Azhar are based in Pakistan. These should be sufficient proof for Pakistan to take action.” But how can it take action when everything is happening with their blessings? Did Kargil happen without the blessings of Pakistani invader Gen Pervez Musharraf who himself acknowledged later that he had entered one night before war started into India about 15-km inside to boost the soldiers and terrorists to brutally kill our soldiers and capture Kargil from Indian forces? What all will Pakistan deny?

It is a national tragedy that our politicians till now have made very little effort to take any serious action against Pakistan by getting it declared a “terror state” and getting it named “Aatankistan” as was demanded by Maulana Mehmood Madani and Rajeev Chandrashekhar a long time back! But even now we must at least wake up and step up the efforts which we should have taken a lot earlier! Better to be late than never!

Simply put, the MEA also rightly pointed out that, “The Prime Minister of Pakistan has offered to investigate the matter if India provides proof. This is a lame excuse. In the horrific attack in Mumbai on 26/11, proof was provided to Pakistan. Despite this, the case has not progressed for the last more than 10 years. Likewise, on the terror attack on Pathankot airbase, there has been no progress. Promises of ‘guaranteed action’ ring hollow given the track record of Pakistan.” India had allowed foolishly the Pakistani ISI officers to inspect the Pathankot airbase but when India’s turn came to send NIA officers to Pakistan to grill the suspects, Pakistan just flatly refused! This is the track record of a rogue country like Pakistan whom our politicians have trusted umpteen number of times only to be stabbed not just in the back but also in the face!

Can we ever trust it? Should we ever trust it? India has now rightly refused to give any proof to Pakistan and reiterated that it would give proof to the international community but not to Pakistan which is itself responsible for master minding all terror attacks against India since independence!

As anticipated, the MEA said that Pakistan claimed to be the greatest victim of terrorism but this is far from truth. The MEA also rightly brought out that, “The international community is well acquainted with the reality that Pakistan is the nerve centre of terrorism.” We all know how the Pakistani invader and former Army Chief and President of Pakistan Gen Pervez Musharraf said in front of journalists that, “Osama to hero hain ji hero! Bilkul aasli hero! Hafiz Saeed bhi to bilkul aasli hero hain ji Osama ki tara. Bharat ke liye yeh aatankwadi hain paar hamare liye to ye freedom fighter hain ji aassli hero hain ji.”

In a significant development, France has said that it would move proposal at UN to ban Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar which has claimed responsibility of the Pulwama terror strike that left more than 40 CRPF personnel dead. This will be the second time that France will be a party to such a proposal at the UN. In 2017, the US, supported by the UK and France had moved a proposal at the UN Sanctions Committee 1267 to ban the chief of the Pakistan-based terror outfit. However, the proposal was blocked by China which is a time tested friend of Pakistan! But why blame China alone?

In retrospect, it was in former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s term as PM that this Masood Azhar along with three to four dreaded terrorists were released when our plane was hijacked by terrorists! The plane should not have been allowed to leave India from Amrtitsar! Many attacks on India including the attack on Parliament, on J&K Assembly and others including this one could have been avoided! Anyway, what we need to learn from it is that under no circumstances should ever Centre succumb in front of terrorists and release them for a few people!

On Khan’s references to build a new Pakistan, the MEA rightly said that, “In this Naya Pakistan, ministers of the current government publicly share platforms with terrorists like Hafiz Saeed who have been proscribed by the United Nations.” Not just this, we all know that terrorists openly hold rallies in Pakistan and stamps are issued in memory of terrorists and their photos pasted everywhere as we saw when Karatarpur corridor was opened and Khalistani terrorists were accompanying Gen Bajwa and photos of dreaded terrorist late Bhindrawale were pasted all over even in the Gurudwara yet our politicians chose to ignore everything for reasons known best to them!

This can never be in India’s interest! Captain Amarinder Singh also was not too happy about all this! Why then our politicians chose to ignore all this just for the sake of few votes?

When will they wake up and start doing real service and not just lip service! They must start sending their own children to defence forces so that when they die they can experience first hand what it means to die at the hands of Pakistani Army and terrorists sponsored directly by them! Only then will they feel the real pain!

It is high time and now there must be zero tolerance for all type of support to terrorists. Even in India those who pelt stones and act like Pakistani soldiers must be shot dead promptly! No leniency should be displayed towards them.

As is his wont, PM Narendra Damodardas Modi keeps reiterating about his giving free hand to army in Kashmir! It serves no purpose unless and until Army is given shoot at sight order for stone pelters! But no such free hand has unfortunately been given to the Army!

We have seen of late that ever since Mehbooba became CM, stone pelters have started openly attacking our forces whenever they fight with terrorists! Which country will ever allow this to continue with impunity? But in India we have been seeing this ever since Mehbboba became CM! She ensured that criminal cases were withdrawn against 10,000 stone pelters!

No wonder, even after Pulwama ghastly attack still stone pelters have the guts to pelt stone at soldiers by coming out in the open as they know no shoot at sight orders have been given to Army! Whatever PM Modi or any other politician says regarding giving free hand to forces is nothing but just talking point with sole purpose of pacifying the agitated public all over India! Most shameful!

Why was Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status conferred on Pakistan in 1996 which was directly responsible for Kashmiri Pandits becoming refugees in their own homes in 1989-90? It has been withdrawn now 23 years later! Why did Centre allow Pakistan to take benefit from Indus water Treaty since 1960 till 2019 when Pakistan has declared war against India since last many decades?

Why did Centre gave security to those Hurriyat leaders who rant against India and are accused of supporting terrorists and raising funds for them and some have serious criminal cases pending against them? Why security withdrawn so late first against 5 and now against 18 and 155 in total as reported in media? Why crores of rupees which is taxpayers money wasted on them even when they say that they never demanded the same?

To say the least, India rightly rejected Imran Khan’s dubious response to Pakistan but a lot more needs to be done! Pakistanis must be made to vacate India and this includes those who enjoy Indian citizenship yet shamelessly bat for Pakistan because as my best friend Sageer Khan rightly said in 1993-94 that, “You cannot be an Indian and a Pakistani at the same time. Muslims enjoy the most liberties in India and in Pakistan Indian Muslims are discriminated against and termed Mohajjirs and treated as second graded citizens. Still if some Muslims love Pakistan so much then have the guts to relinquish Indian citizenship and pack your bag for Pakistan. It is in India that Jawaharlal Nehru ensured that Hindus could not marry more than one women but Muslims could marry up to 4 as permitted to them in Quran. How much more freedom do Muslims want. It is in India that Muslims lay claim to Ayodhya, Kashi and Mathura which belong to Hindus since time immemorial. What if Hindus demand temple in Mecca or Medina? Will any Muslim ever allow it? We must learn tolerance from Hindus.”

Similarly Mehbooba should teach Kashmiris to behave like literate person and not indulge in spoiling their own lives and lives of other Kashmiris by becoming suicide bombers and picking up guns but this she never does nor does she advises Pakistan anything and is always on the look out to attack Indians for not indulging in war mongering! Instead she is always ready to deliver moral lecture to the people of India! She should first herself behave like literate person by seeing through the direct role played by Pakistan in fomenting terrorism in India! But this she never wants to do!

I really pity her! Gen GD Bakshi was right in blaming Kashmiri politicians like Mehbooba and others for ensuring that security check points were packed up at multiple places which culminated in the horrible Pulwama massacre! The blood of every Indian is boiling as even PM Modi himself admitted and now Pakistan must be not just boycotted but also given a befitting reply so that it can never again take India for granted! All relations with Pakistan must be nuked now!

Sanjeev Sirohi, Advocate,

s/o Col BPS Sirohi,

A 82, Defence Enclave,

Sardhana Road, Kankerkhera,

Meerut – 250001, Uttar Pradesh.

India Must Boycott Pakistan Cricket Match In World Cup

It is a no-brainer that India under no circumstances should ever play cricket match with Pakistan as long as big terror factories are operating in each and every part of Pakistan and as long as all the terror leaders like Hafiz Saeed who is chief of terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba, Syed Salaluddin who is chief of Hizbul Mujahideen, Masood Azhar who is chief of Jaish-e-Mohammad etc are not handed over to India immediately and dismantles completely its terror infrastructure spread all over Pakistan with the full blessings of Pakistani Army, ISI and puppet government installed by Army in Centre which right now is led by their Prime Minister Imran Khan who keeps speaking like a parrot what Pakistani Army tells him to speak! Under no circumstances should there be any dilution on this stand! This is the best tribute that we can pay to our soldiers by boycotting Pakistan and Pakistanis in every walk of life!

It is a matter of deep regret that Indian cricketers are not speaking in one voice on this so sensitive issue! How can we play cricket with a nation that is labeled by Maulana Mehmood Madani and Rajeev Chandrashekhar as “Aatankistan” which has ensured that more than one lakh soldiers are killed in last many decades by their proxy war by which terrorists are trained, armed to the teeth and indoctrinated to the hilt to hit India hardest where it hurts us the most? How can we overlook attack on innocent Amarnath pilgrims, attack on Akshardham temple where women and children were also not spared and killed after asking them to sing national anthem, attack on Parliament, attack on Red Fort?

Why are we more bothered about losing two points if we don’t play against Pakistan? Are two points more important or are our soldiers more important? What message will be sending to the families of slain soldiers if we keep interacting with Pakistan as if nothing has happened? Are we not further emboldening to further carry out more such dastardly attacks on us?

I am at a loss of words to explain my deepest regards for the likes of Harbhajan Singh, Maninder Singh, Saurav Ganguly among others who have barring a few exceptions all unitedly demanded that we should not play with Pakistan because by doing so we are doing nothing but mocking at the supreme sacrifice rendered by our brave soldiers for our great nation! Former Test off-spinner Harbhajan Singh who triggered this debate rightly and aptly said that, “Country comes first. India should not play against Pakistan. What is two points (which India would concede for forfeiting)? Pakistan is known to promote terrorism and the (Pulwama) attack was shocking. We can make up for the loss of two points. India has a very strong team. Not playing Pakistan would send a strong signal.” Kudos to him for supporting the national sentiments on this!

Let me be honest enough to admit that Sachin Tendulkar has been my most favourite cricketer since childhood days till he retired. But I don’t stand with him on this particular issue and the likes of him like Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev who are great cricketing legends and are endorsing Sachin’s stand but they cannot be above India! Nation comes first and everything else later! How can we keep sports above nation?

While vehemently batting for India to play Pakistan, Sachin said that, “India has always come up trumps against Pakistan in the World Cup. Time to beat them once again. Would personally hate to give them two points and help them in the tournament.” I always hold Sachin in highest esteem but on this I completely beg to differ with him! Sachin is talking about two points!

I am ready to give Pakistan hundred points but I will still not want India to play cricket with them because hundred points cannot be above my nation and above the people of my nation! National mood is deadly against Pakistan now especially after the dastardly Pulwama terror suicide bomber attack masterminded by Pakistani Army and ISI and Pakistan based Jaish-e-Mohammad which has proudly acknowledged its role also in which we lost more than 40 CRPF soldiers and later lost two Major also, police officers also and soldiers also from Army and still shameless, spineless and soulless Imran Khan asks us senselessly and shamelessly to give him proof! How can we still even think of playing cricket with a terror sponsor and rogue country like Pakistan which is just not prepared at any cost to dismantle its terror training factories from its soil?

As it turned out, let me bring out here that Sachin then further clarified that, “Having said that, for me India always comes first, so whatever my country decides, I will back that decision with all my heart.” This statement of Sachin I truly welcome as sports can never be above nation! Finally the patriot inside Sachin’s heart has spoken and I am proud that I always considered him my hero!

What’s more, for former India captain Sourav Ganguly whom again I adore, the issue went beyond the World Cup. His stand is fully similar with mine! He rightly says that, “We should cut off all ties with Pakistan. Why just cricket? India should not play against Pakistan at all.” He also rightly supported the move to boycott the World Cup match!

Talking about whether he is in favour of resumption of India-Pakistan cricket ties, the former spinner Maninder Singh said, “No, no and a big, big no. I am very patriotic and I love my country; and if these things keep happening to our country, then, I am sorry, No [cricket].” He also rightly said that, “People talk about sports and politics, that both shouldn’t be mixed. But let me tell you, it is bullshit! I mean, people say that cricket will build the bridges between both the countries. General Pervez Musharraf used to say that and then he had that Kargil war. So, no. Unless and until the mindset changes, I don’t think it can happen or should happen.”

It is most heartening to learn that even the BCCI has formally asked the International Cricket Council (ICC) to severe ties with Pakistan in the wake of the Pulwama terror attack that killed more than 40 CRPF personnel. India, however, needs a broad consensus in the cricketing world to isolate Pakistan. According to the ICC Constitution: “A member may have its membership terminated if the Board of Directors considers that the member’s breach of its obligations as a member is sufficiently serious to warrant termination.” I am sure that BCCI will leave no stone unturned to ensure that Pakistan is kicked out of ICC World Cup and even if it does not happen will not play with Pakistan under any circumstances!

It is most assuaging and heartening to read that former BCCI Secretary Sanjay Patel very clearly and categorically said that, “How can you expect India to play Pakistan at the time we have lost so many of our brothers in these cowardly terrorist attack? I am of the firm view that India should not play Pakistan in the coming World Cup.” Absolutely right! There can be no denying it!

To be sure, Sanjay Patel also very rightly said that the decision-makers in the board should take into account the prevailing mood in the country. He added that the clout India has in world cricket allowed BCCI and the Committee of Administrators to take any step they deemed fit. He minced no words in saying it firmly that, “If we play World Cup, then it’s clear that game is bigger than the country’s image. For me, India is first and it’s not only me who has such a sentiment. Ask any Indian now, and they will be of the same view. Cricket will only take place if terrorism is stopped. I hope the current COA and BCCI takes note of it. There is always a limit to everything, and this time all limits have been crossed.” Who can deny or dispute this? Only they who don’t love India from their heart!

Going forward, Sanjay Patel also rightly referred to the recent decisions taken by Cricket Club of India, Punjab Cricket Association, IMG-Reliance and Dsport to prove that the prevailing sentiment in the country that people don’t want any relationship with Pakistan. The views of former IPL Chairman Rajeev Shukla who earlier favoured cricket relations with Pakistan was also along similar lines. He said that sporting ties cannot prosper in the present environment. Without mincing any words, he said that, “I’ve always said that sport is above politics but now it will hamper sporting ties too, not until Pakistan-sponsored terrorism is stopped.” It is most refreshing to see that even the likes of Rajeev Shukla who earlier took a moderate stand of playing with Pakistan have now elected to not play till Pakistan-sponsored terrorism is stopped!

Just like talks and terror cannot go together similarly sports and terror cannot go together! India must put unrelenting pressure on Pakistan from all sides to make sure that it acts now seriously! Each and every Indian must stand with PM Modi led NDA government on this as this is the crying need of the hour also! Pakistan must be made to realize that it cannot any longer get away even after masterminding the worst kind of terror attacks against India and if sports ties with Pakistan are to be nuked, so be it! India must act decisively now!

Sanjeev Sirohi, Advocate,

s/o Col BPS Sirohi,

A 82, Defence Enclave,

Sardhana Road, Kankerkhera,

Meerut – 250001, Uttar Pradesh.

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