World Deaf Day
World Deaf Day is observed on the last Sunday of September. Some hearing impaired people have done exceptionally well in life. The symphonies of Ludwig van Beethoven, who turned deaf and paintings of Indian painter and sculptor, Satish Gujral, brother of the former PM I K Gujral who designed the Belgium embassy in New Delhi, which is considered to be one of the finest pieces of architecture of the 20th century shows one can overcome such physical challenges with strong will. He was honoured with the Padma Vibhushan.
T S Karthik, Chennai, TN

Genocide in Sudan
Sudan is sliding into the jaws of genocide. Over 27 towns have been massacred in recent weeks. Thousands were slaughtered as death went door to door: families murdered, bodies rotting outside, and mass graves appearing on satellite imagery. Now there's evidence of child soldiers being used, and killed.

It's already being called a genocide. But as journalists are hunted down or blocked from the country, mass atrocities are hidden from the news, and the world does almost nothing.

Over 300,000 people died in the Darfur genocide 20 years ago.

Avaaz has identified a "sleeping network" of Sudanese journalists, ready to report from the frontlines. They can drag hidden horrors into the light—but first they need funding to operate in the war zone.
Avaaz

INDIA vs Bharat
How does it sound if you play a cricket match with team names like Tamil XI vs Tamilnadu XI, Mumbai vs Marathi or Punjab vs Punjabi? It hurts the sentiments of people, it pierces an arrow in the hearts of people who are the lifeline of the place. It is the People -the common man who makes the country. The ongoing political battle INDIA vs Bharat is like denigrating the soul of a nation.
TS Karthik, Chennai, TN

Government and the Polluters
Quite apart from GHG emissions, mining operations–specifically of coal, iron ore, bauxite–are being allowed to devastate so many of India's remaining prime forests, and underground aquifers, and displace 1000s of communities, especially Adivasis. India's remaining wild areas are being divided between those 'sacrificed' for industry and over 500 national parks and sanctuaries, and Adivasis are evicted from both. Police violence on behalf of mining companies is a daily occurrence.

India is the third largest GHG emitter, and yet the environmental regulations are severely weakened by the Government on behalf of its pet companies. This is the story of the oil and mining sectors, how Vedanta- a UK registered Indian Co- had their way in changing rules and regulations. Notably, it was for this group that the police killed 12 people protesting their polluting plant in Tutucorin, TN, in 2018.

Since an independent media is nearly absent in the country, it is investigative groups like OCCRP doing such works on behalf of the country.

Read the story here:

Inside Indian Energy and Mining Giant Vedanta's Campaign to Weaken Key Environmental Regulations. It was the same OCCRP that brought out the illegal deals of another massive polluter, Adani Co, recently, supplementing the revelations made by the short seller Hindenburg earlier. Adani had his way in mining coal in the WH site of Great Barrier Reef, Australia.
Faizi S

Ghoda Library
PM Modi praised the Ghoda Library -a revolutionary idea started by Nainital resident Shubham Badhani, a librarian by training where he takes Ponies laden with books for children to remote hills of uttarakhand where there are no roads or libraries. Taking inspiration from army where animals help humans in inhospitable terrains, the idea of using these voiceless species to start a reading revolution is great! Today's reader is tomorrow's leader!.
TS Karthik, Chennai, TN

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Frontier
Vol 56, No. 15, Oct 8 - 14, 2023