Current Events :
Schaden (“damage/harm”) and Freude (“joy”) – the pleasure derived from someone else’s misfortune. Individuals with lower self-esteem tend to experience Schadenfreude more frequently and intensely. Schadenfreude finds a fertile ground in the world of social media. Here’s how: Interacting through the screens of our phones and laptops can sometimes lead to a sense of detachment and often dehumanization. Dehumanization makes it easier to justify acts of violence against a group – shown as less than human, inflicting harm upon them is often perceived as more acceptable. Historical events like the Holocaust and the Rwandan Genocide are extreme examples where dehumanization led to mass violence and systematic killings. On a smaller scale, dehumanization can lead to acts of bullying, domestic violence, and other forms of personal aggression. This is how dehumanization works: • Using derogatory terms or labels to describe a group, which strips them of individuality and humanity. • Spreading false or exaggerated information to create a negative image of a group. • Generalizing negative traits to an entire group, ignoring individual differences. • Treating people as objects or commodities rather than as human beings with feelings and rights. Dehumanization is liberally fuelled on ‘WhatsApp’ mostly by ‘Forwarded’ and Forwarded many times’ messages. On platforms like Twitter and Telegram, users freely express satisfaction or mockery over the hardships and violence faced by Palestinians, others do the same for the Israelis. The same goes on between Russians and Ukrainians and even within many other nations and societies. Also, the ‘comment sections’ in news items, reports and articles become echo chambers of Schadenfreude, where users amplify each other’s enjoyment of misfortune. Many internet memes and jokes revolve around the concept of Schadenfreude, highlighting the human tendency to laugh at others’ expense …..… in the final count it leads to debauchery and disorder in addition to sadistic pleasure, often celebratory. This behaviour results from the fact that people feel less accountable for their words and actions on the social media …… they forget that there is a real person on the other side of the screen, with his/her own feelings and experiences, why force something distasteful on him/her. Ironically with prominent ‘Role Models’ choosing the path of Schadenfreude, empathy and compassion have become lost words this century. Additionally, latest technology like automated bots are used to spread this hate, or joy at others pain or misfortune using well paid pseudonymous sites regaling in their anonymity and physical distance. Aggression-based Schadenfreude primarily involves group identity. The joy of sharing the suffering and failures of others is used as a prop to represent an improvement or validation of their own group without having achieved NOTHING themselves. What better example than the ‘Vigilante Groups’ supported by regimes to impose aggression base Schadenfreude. The groups specialise in violence, celebrate violence, do nothing productive and simply ride the cycle of violence to impress communities and make money our seek political gains for their heinous acts. Seeing others fail can temporarily boost self-esteem, it can also create a sense of bonding among users who enjoy the same content. In the final count it however leads to enhanced degradation of societal norms. Philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer mentioned Schadenfreude as the most evil sin of human feeling, famously saying “To feel envy is human, to savour Schadenfreude is diabolic”. “Diabolic” is a powerful word, often used to describe something extremely evil or wicked. Importantly – Schadenfreude is steadily becoming a more popular word according to Google. So, in addition to a legacy of environmental destruction, the current generation is leaving behind something more sinister ….. or ….. diabolic!
India can’t lower its guard with China. But it needs to “contain” as well as “engage” with its neighbour.
The 62nd anniversary of the 1962 India-China war is a time to reflect on what happened and why, and also what the present portends. The conflict is singular in many respects — a combination of political naivete, abject intelligence failure and military incompetence.
The leadership of the newly independent India adopted a policy that prioritised amity with nations that had experienced colonialism, direct or indirect, and a refusal to get entangled with blocs on either side of the Cold War. China, which had seen the Communists successfully fighting their way to power, was given special importance, although there was never a shortage of differences that could grow into disputes and discord.
In fact, China had become our neighbour by quickly establishing control over Tibet and, finally, annexing it. The Indian response was muted, to say the least. In the heady days that followed the Independence, it was easy to talk of solidarity with the developing world and coining slogans like “Hindi-Chini Bhai Bhai.” The problem with articulating and iterating such ideas is that these can blur reality. Geography, however, is unforgiving and any attempt to ignore it in the pursuit of rosy ideas is dangerous.
On October 20, 1962, the Chinese gave us a reality check and the debacle that followed has had a lasting impact on the Indian mind, scarring the national psyche. The fact that only a limited number of Army formations fought this battle is often forgotten, as are key statistics. The contact battles in different sectors along the border were fought between October 20 and 24 in the first phase and between November 17 and 20 in the second phase. The total force levels involved were approximately four Divisions of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) against less than three Divisions equivalent of the Indian Army. While the Indian Air Force was used only for limited logistic support, the Navy did not find any role in the conflict.
The figures of total casualties suffered on either side have been corroborated from different sources — the Indian Ministry of Defence report on the 1962 conflict, a Beijing Military Science Department document and a US publication on the PLA. The broad figures in all three match. The Indian Army suffered about 3,000 killed/missing and 4,000 prisoners of war. The PLA had about 2,000 killed and wounded. This defeat had been squarely attributed to the national, political and higher military leadership. The reversals were mainly in the Kameng area of western NEFA (North-East Frontier Agency), where a study of individual battles clearly pointed to operational and tactical incompetence. Acts of outstanding individual gallantry and fierce sub-unit and unit-level battles, especially in Eastern NEFA and Ladakh notwithstanding, it almost became a rout in Kameng.
Post 1962, the Indian approach to the northern borders was quite ostrich-like, with its head in the sand. In the sensitive area of northwest Arunachal Pradesh, there was minimal deployment ahead of the important town of Tawang. Border roads were almost non-existent and border villages existed in under-developed isolation. All this started changing from 1980 and gradually picked up pace. The Indian Army has since mastered the hostile terrain and harsh weather. Infrastructure development is now a government priority and local habitations are turning into modern villages and townships. However, the terrain advantage is with China on the Tibetan plateau, and the differential in infrastructure north of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) is in its favour.
As the development and deployment on the Indian side catch up with its adversary, the Chinese leadership well realises that a contact battle may not be decisively winnable. It may have to do some serious introspection about how to employ the PLA for the furtherance of its revisionist and expansionist policies. In the disputed and sensitive areas along the LAC, the PLA has time and again endeavoured to occupy Indian territory, which has often resulted in scuffles with our Army — a most unusual form of conflict between two major nations. Troops of two nuclear powers brawling is not only an unedifying sight, it also hints at a poverty of diplomatic solutions.
Recent headlines about an agreement for disengagement in eastern Ladakh, which was a precursor to the Modi-Xi Jinping meeting at Kazan in Russia, on the sidelines of the BRICS summit, projected it as a major diplomatic achievement. However, there were subtle differences in the official statements from the two sides. The follow-up, too, appears to be shrouded in opacity with no clarity on the timeline for the restoration of “peace and tranquillity.”
This is a scenario similar to the resolution of the Doklam standoff between the Indian Army and the PLA in August 2017, when, for the first time, our Army stepped on to foreign soil in Bhutan to confront and stare down the Chinese big bully. While India may well claim a tactical and operational victory of sorts at Doklam, the fact is that the PLA continues with its presence on the plateau in semi-permanent structures, less than 200 m away from the standoff point. The disengagement then was also a precursor to the visit by Modi to Xiamen in China for the BRICS summit in September 2017.
There have been speculations about the reasons behind Beijing’s offer of disengagement in east Ladakh after procrastinating for well over four years. The necessity of economic engagement with the large Indian market, especially when the Chinese economy is getting sluggish with attendant internal implications, is being billed as a major factor. Be that as it may, it makes perfect sense for the world’s major economies to be robustly engaged, despite the skewed balance of trade in favour of China, as economic linkages would, no doubt, be beneficial for both countries.n
It is worth mentioning that despite major political differences, the US and China have a massive trade volume. Geographical disputes and a bitter history of discord have not stopped Japan and China from being major trade partners.
However, militarily, India can ill afford to lower its guard along the LAC. There is, thus, a need for a dual policy of “containment” and “engagement” with China — containment by the armed forces on the northern borders and engagement in commerce and trade. This, however, would necessitate imaginative diplomacy, with a long-term focus rather than the one that goes from BRIC to BRIC.
Anil Kabotra has filed a plea in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, alleging that management has exploited club funds, failed to deposit lease money due to the government, and engaged in corrupt practices
A retired Army officer and permanent voting member of Chandigarh Club, Anil Kabotra, has filed a plea in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, alleging severe irregularities in the club’s management. Kabotra claims that the club’s annual general meeting has not been convened for over 8 years, violating the Companies Act.
Kabotra’s application is part of an ongoing case filed in 2016 against the Chandigarh Administration and other respondents. He asserts that the club management’s failure to hold meetings and provide explanations for this omission is alarming. Furthermore, Kabotra alleges that the management has exploited club funds, failed to deposit lease money due to the government, and engaged in corrupt practices. “The fact can be highlighted from the annual report prepared by the club, which duly depicts a demand of approximately Rs 2.96 crore as on December 31, 2023, by the Estate Office,” he added.
Kabotra said he wanted to highlight malpractices within the “club management and high level of corruption/fraud/manipulation of accounts and embezzlement of funds”. “The fact can be highlighted through various instances which would show how even illegal transactions are undertaken by the club management to grant memberships to people by manipulating the categories under which they have been granted the same,” he submitted.
Kabotra added the entire exercise of inducting unauthorised members was being done at the cusp of the club management election. “Further, it has also come to light that there is a mass scale manipulation in the accounting of membership fees in the club, which has to be thoroughly investigated by way of a forensic audit. At some instances, membership is being given to unknown people at a heavily discounted rate without any justifiable cause or reason. Also, the membership money is being embezzled out of the club accounts and being utilised for personal gain,” he said.
The plea, yet to come up for hearing, alleges that unauthorised and discounted memberships were being granted to individuals falsely presented as relatives of existing club members, even though they have no actual connection.
13 Nov 1780- 27 Jun 1839.
244th Birth Anniversary.
Sher-e-Punjab Maharaja Ranjeet Singh of Lahore.
Tribut
The Amritsar Chapter of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), Punjab, celebrated the 244th birth anniversary of the legendary Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh at Dinanagar Baradri. The organization with the support of heritage-related institutions organized…
The Amritsar Chapter of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), Punjab, celebrated the 244th birth anniversary of the legendary Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh at Dinanagar Baradri.
The organization with the support of heritage-related institutions organized a function at Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s Summer Palace, a heritage site, at Dina Nagar where a special memorial service was also held. An essay competitions were organised in various schools across the city. Before the start of the event, students of the school cleaned the Baradri campus. After this, beautiful pandals were decorated on the Baradri campus.
Speaking on the occasion, Major General Balwinder Singh, Punjab convener, said INTACH was contemplating to take Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s legacy in every district by organising awareness campaigns throughout Punjab.
Gagandeep Singh Virk, Amritsar convener of INTACH, said they got to play a major role in saving this vanishing building related to the rich heritage of the state. He said the best way to save these heritage buildings is to turn these spots into tourist places.
On the occasion, a booklet prepared by Amritsar INTACH containing the writings of history writers and journalists Surinder Kochhar and Inderjit Singh Harpura, was also presented to the public.
Meanwhile, the Amritsar Vikas Manch also celebrated his birth anniversary and gathered near the statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh situated at the historical Ram Bagh garden. The organisation members expressed their dismay over the current dismal conditions at the historic garden.
Principal Kulwant Singh Ankhi, Manmohan Singh Brar and Hardip Singh Chahal, all patrons of the organization, said the floor of the platform on which the staute stands has been broken. The tiles of the platform have come off. The statue may fall and collapse anytime. The custodian of the Ram Bagh has turned a blind eye towards the maintenance of the historic garden. Insiders say that most of the gardeners employed for the maintenance of the garden are deputed with the officers, a big concern to be addressed.
AVM members paid rich tributes to the legendary Sher-e-Punjab Maharaja Ranjit Singh and demanded from the MC Commissioner to restore the glory of the Ram Bagh.
By Jen Judson
Bell Textron will build the U.S. Army’s Future Long Range Assault Aircraft, or FLRAA, fuselages in Wichita, Kansas, the company announced this week.
The company won the Army’s bid to build FLRAA in late 2022 following a competition in which it and a Sikorsky-Boeing team flew technology demonstrators for several years to evaluate aircraft capabilities and drive out risk to a future program of record.
Bell will use an existing facility near Textron Aviation Defense and plans to start work there “in the next several months,” according to a statement.
The company will also conduct supporting work at several of its advanced manufacturing facilities in Texas, like its Advanced Composite Center in Fort Worth. Final assembly will take place in Amarillo.
The Army’s FLRAA program moved out of technology development and into the critical engineering and manufacturing development phase in August.
The FLRAA program is estimated to be worth approximately $70 billion across its lifespan, including foreign military sales, and is set to replace roughly 2,000 Black Hawk utility helicopters.
The future advanced tiltrotor will not serve as a one-for-one replacement for existing aircraft, but it is expected around 2030 to take over the roles of the Black Hawk, long the Army’s workhorse.
The FLRAA program’s initial unit has already been delayed by one year due to protests by Sikorsky’s parent company, Lockheed Martin, over the service’s choice of Textron Bell’s advanced tiltrotor design. Sikorsky and Boeing’s design featured coaxial rotor blades.
The Government Accountability Office rejected Lockheed’s protest in April 2023.
The Army will now equip the first unit with the capability in fiscal 2031. A limited user test is expected sometime in FY27 to FY28.
The contract award in 2022 includes nine options — entering the engineering and manufacturing development phase means the Army will exercise the first option, under which Bell will deliver detailed aircraft design and build six prototypes.
The first aircraft in this phase is expected to fly in 2026, with low-rate initial production slated to begin in 2028.
“As Bell prepares for the next stage of FLRAA’s engineering and manufacturing development phase, we are committed to investing in advanced manufacturing to ensure we deliver exceptional performance at an affordable cost to our customer, Lisa Atherton, Bell’s president and CEO, said in the statement.
“Textron has a rich history with the state of Kansas as well as the city of Wichita,” she said, “and we are proud to deepen that relationship as we establish this new facility.”
About Jen Judson
With fog and haze engulfing areas along International Border (IB) in Jammu and threat of infiltration rising, Additional Director General of BSF’s Western Command Satish S Khandare reviewed the security situation along the International Border with Pakistan here, officials said…
With fog and haze engulfing areas along International Border (IB) in Jammu and threat of infiltration rising, Additional Director General of BSF’s Western Command Satish S Khandare reviewed the security situation along the International Border with Pakistan here, officials said on Wednesday.
In an official statement on X, the BSF stated “ADG BSF (western command) Satish S Khandare visited border areas in Jammu and was briefed on the operational aspects by the field commanders”.
The BSF, guarding the IB and parts of Line of Control (LoC), is on high alert as terrorists are trying to make desperate attempts to enter into the Indian territory. The high mountain reaches have received snow due to which the ultras may try to infiltrate through IB and other areas along LoC.
Inspector General of BSF, Jammu frontier, DK Boora and other senior officers received Khandare and accompanied him during his visit to the border areas in Jammu and Rajouri.
While talking to media, the ADG said the BSF is guarding the IB and parts of LoC with professionalism and alertness. “We are coordinating with J&K Police, CRPF and Army and dealing with the security threats in a professional manner,” he said.
Meanwhile, IG DK Boora said that BSF is alert to deal with any attempt by terrorists to infiltrate into this side of the border. He said that even if terrorists manage to infiltrate from anywhere, there are measures in place to neutralise them before they reach the hinterland.
Boora furthers said, “Our neighboring country always tries to push terrorists into the Indian territory. I want to assure the people that our protection grid is very strong, which is accompanied with hi-tech weapons and adequate manpower.”
“There is no challenge as winter comes every year along with foggy conditions. All our forces are fully alert to counter any threat. Every year, the situation is reviewed and accordingly measures are taken,” Boora said.
An exchange of fire between militants and security forces took place in South Kashmir’s Kulgam on Wednesday afternoon. Police sources said that firing took place, when joint forces launched a cordon and search operation in Kulgam district. A senior police…
An exchange of fire between militants and security forces took place in South Kashmir’s Kulgam on Wednesday afternoon. Police sources said that firing took place, when joint forces launched a cordon and search operation in Kulgam district. A senior police…
Security personnel during an encounter with militants at Badimarg area of Yaripora, in Kulgam district. PTI
An exchange of fire between militants and security forces took place in South Kashmir’s Kulgam on Wednesday afternoon.
Police sources said that firing took place, when joint forces launched a cordon and search operation in Kulgam district. A senior police official said that there they had inputs about presence of militants in Badimarg area of Kulgam.
“There was exchange of fire in the initial contact with the terrorists. The operation is underway,” said an official.
Wednesday’s gunfight is the sixth back to back encounter in the Kashmir Valley.
WARSAW, Poland — The Latvian Ministry of Defence has selected the Ascod infantry fighting vehicle for the country’s armed forces, and officials expect procurement negotiations with manufacturer GDELS-Santa Bárbara Sistemas to conclude by the end of this year or early next.
In a statement, Latvian Defense Minister Andris Sprūds said the tracked vehicle will bolster the operational capacities of the Baltic state’s military.
“Experts from the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces have conducted a thorough analysis to select the combat vehicles that are most suitable for our needs,” Sprūds said.
The minister did not disclose the number of vehicles to be purchased nor the estimated value of the planned contract. However, a spokesperson for the Defence Ministry told Defense News the country aims to spend around €250 million (US$265 million) on new fighting vehicles.
“Latvia’s Ministry of Defence is planning to purchase new infantry fighting vehicles to increase the mobility, protection level and firepower of the Land Forces,” the spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, the Latvian ministry is also advancing other acquisitions for the country’s military. For example, Riga is planning to buy wheeled, self-propelled howitzers, according to the spokesperson.
Based in Spain, GDELS-Santa Bárbara Sistemas is part of General Dynamics European Land Systems.
Ascod vehicles “are currently operated by the armed forces of Spain, Austria, the United Kingdom, the United States and the Philippines,” the Latvian ministry said
