Five times increase in budget allocation for northeast under BJP Govt :::: "We are expecting a lot from new Manipur Governor Bhalla," says CM Biren Singh

"More than five times yearly budgetary allocation has been increased for railway infrastructure development work in the Northeast region for the current year in comparison to the period 2009-14," Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Friday, Jan 3.

Vaishnaw and Assam CM Himanta 

Three new trains were flagged off in Guwahati on Friday by Union Minister Vaishnaw. Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Textiles Pabitra Margherita were present at the Guwahati Railway Station, apart from other MPs and MLAs at various other locations. 

The newly introduced trains include Guwahati-New Bongaigaon daily passenger, Tinsukia-Naharlagun tri-weekly Express and Guwahati-North Lakhimpur Bi-weekly Jan Shatabdi Express.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was also signed between NIELIT and Tata Electronics Pvt. Ltd. and exchanged in the presence of the Ministers present on the occasion. National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT), a premier institution under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, has been recognised as a deemed to be university under a distinct category by the University Grants Commission.

According to an official statement, the main campus in Ropar, along with its 11 constituent units in Agartala, Aizawl, Ajmer, Aurangabad, Calicut, Imphal, Itanagar, Kohima, Gorakhpur, Patna and Srinagar, NIELIT deemed to be university is set to redefine learning.

"It will provide undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD programmes in emerging digital technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, semiconductor design & manufacturing, Cyber Security and Forensics, Internet of Things, Automotive Electronics, Machine Learning, Blockchain Technology etc. 

The curriculum would be developed with the industry and for the industry, ensuring that the workforce will acquire skills as per industry needs," the official statement said.

A new FM Transmitter at Akashvani Kokrajhar was also inaugurated.

This will benefit more than 30 lakh residents in the region, including those in Dhubri, Bongaigaon and Chirang districts, providing them with access to clearer and high-quality FM broadcasts. 

The Central government is committed to transforming India into a leading hub for semiconductor manufacturing, while preparing a skilled workforce that meets the evolving demands of the industry, said the Union Railways and Electronics and IT Minister  Vaishnaw. 

The minister announced the launch of NIELIT University, highlighting that it is inspired by the vision of the Prime Minister to prepare professionals in cutting-edge fields such as Semiconductor Manufacturing, Artificial Intelligence, Industry 4.0, and Quantum Computing. 

The new campus of NIELIT will be developed in Jagiroad town near Guwahati, which will focus on semiconductor manufacturing and electronics manufacturing.

Former Home Secy Ajay Kumar Bhalla takes oath as Manipur Governor  

"We are expecting a lot from the new Governor. He would definitely utilise his experience in building peace," Chief Minister N Biren Singh said.

"The past is past, I appeal to all communities to unitedly work together, find a lasting solution to the conflict and make Manipur prosperous,"  he said. 

Manipur High Court Chief Justice D. Krishnakumar administered the oath of office and secrecy to new Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla in a simple ceremony at Raj Bhavan.  Chief Minister N. Biren Singh and his Cabinet colleagues, top security and civil officials were present in the ceremony, conducted by Chief Secretary Vineet Joshi.

During the 20-month-long ethnic violence that commenced in May 2023 , over 250 men and women of both communities were killed, over 1,000 were injured and more than 60,000 people were displaced from their homes and villages.

Chief Minister N Biren Singh recently said that bringing a solution to the ongoing ethnic strife in the state would take time as the situation has become complex, chronic and fragile. He, however, tendered apology.  

"The state and Central security forces along with the civil administration are doing their best to maintain the violence-free situation and to deliver services to the people," CM Singh had told the media. 

"My apology to those innocent people who have lost their lives in the violence but not for militants who died in the conflicts. 

Many innocent people have lost their lives, many people have lost their loved ones. I seek apology to them but not to militants," CM Singh had responded to media queries.

Biren Singh 

ends 

140-seat Kerala Assembly goes to polls around April 2026 ... Politics building up .... :::: "Narayana Guru was never a propagator or practitioner of Sanatan Dharma" - Kerala' s Marxist CM

All these must be seen from the perspective of fast approaching assembly elections in Kerala in 2026. 

Kerala CM's remarks on Sanatana Dharma, prompted by the BJP’s increasing outreach to Narayana Guru's followers in an effort to make electoral inroads in Kerala, provided the BJP with the perfect opportunity to counter the veteran Marxist.

Congress leader V D Satheesan also criticised Vijayan's remarks, saying that they were misleading and attempted to associate Sanatana Dharma exclusively with the Sangh Parivar. 

Satheesan held that Sanatana Dharma is a part of India's cultural heritage, encompassing Advaita philosophy, the teachings of the Vedas, and the Upanishads.

Vijayan also said that there was growing support for the idea that Sanatana Hindutva is a great and glorious tradition and that “its restoration is the only solution to all social problems.” 

The Bharath Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS), founded in 2015, which is the political wing of SNDP Yogam, is an NDA partner. 

Thushar Vellappally, who heads the BDJS, has aligned with the BJP. In the 2016 and 2021 Assembly polls, the BDJS contested 36 and 21 seats respectively under the NDA banner, with a seat sharing with the BJP.

Narayana Guru is a venerated figure for the Ezhavas, Kerala’s largest Hindu voting bloc that is between 20-25% of the state. It is said that the Ezhava community, which is classified as an Other Backward Class (OBC) and is represented by the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam (SNDP), has been holding a considerable political weight.

Although the SNDP, primarily a commuinty organisation, had previously considered launching its own political party, it never followed through. However, it allowed its followers the freedom to pursue political ventures and is said to have supported political parties in the past.

Traditionally, the Ezhava community have sided with the left parties in Kerala. However, that is visibly eroding.

The CPI-M is in power in the state for last two terms. Generally Kerala changed government every five years.

This norm was given a break in 2021. 
Rahul Gandhi-led Congress lost the opportunity.  Now for 2026, the battle will warm up. The BJP is now an emerging force and hence the battle is going to be all the more exciting.  

This actually explains the logic behind -- Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan's comments on Sanatana Dharma and the 'influential' Narayana Guru. 

The veteran Marxist says - "Narayana Guru was never a propagator or practitioner of Sanatan Dharma. Instead, he was someone who tried to reconstruct Sanatan Dharma for the new age".  

Vijayan argument is that Narayana Guru was neither a spokesperson nor a practitioner of Sanatana Dharma. According to Vijayan, Narayana Guru's philosophy transcended such systems and was rooted in the betterment of people irrespective of their religion or caste.

Vijayan’s remarks on Sanatana Dharma, prompted by the BJP’s increasing outreach to Narayana Guru's followers in an effort to make electoral inroads in Kerala, provided the BJP with the perfect opportunity to counter the Kerala CM.

Narayana Guru, the 19th century reformer and giant, is famous for his teachings of equality and social harmony.

Narayana Guru, who passed away in 1928, is widely respected in Kerala for his work in combining spiritual teachings with social reform. He was a staunch advocate for the eradication of caste-based discrimination and promoted the principles of equality, compassion, and social justice. Hence, the title, ‘Samdarshi’.

"One caste, one religion, one God for all humanity," was the Guru’s mantra.

So why is Narayana Guru and his teachings, with emphasis on the Sanatana Dharma, being invoked in politics after almost a century of his death? How do the followers of Narayana Guru continue to hold political sway in Kerala?

"If somebody says he understands Modi, either he is not in his senses ....or intoxicated," - a former PM aide Jay Narayan Vyas and ex-key BJP leader in Gujarat

"Do unto others which you would like to be done to yourself," says Jay Narayan Vyas, former BJP leader from Gujarat.

Vyas once was close to Narendra Modi - when he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat. 

In a media/video channel interview Vyas says: 

"Even today I understand Modi only little bit because even Bhagwan nahi samajh sakte (Even God cannot understand Modi").  

"He (Modi) is very very inert character ... difficult ... 'Jab gussey hoten haen toh paani ka glass haath me leke dosti bani rahe bol sakten haen. I would have told the journalist enough of this non-sense".  

"Unka real feeling ... (His realing no one can understand). He is a great actor. You cannot read his real feeling.

"I used to share a joke ... once Aladdin's Jin (from the lamp) came descended down to earth and met me...I told him (Jin) I want to understand Modi. Go and study Modi. Believe me from that day onward, the Jin has disappeared. 

He has still not completed his study".  

"It is difficult to understand Modi and if somebody says he understands Modi....either he is not in his senses, intoxicated or he is a fool. He does not know what kind of statement he is making".  

"And I don't claim that....". 

To a question on why and how Narendra Modi and Amit Shah are so close to each other, Vyas said - "Because Raj dar haen (They each other in and out)" 

"Will Amit Shah ever become Prime Minister of India ...If you ask me," Vyas said -- adding, "My all good wishes to him. He is a good friend of mine. And I will be very happy if Amit bhai becomes the Prime Minister".  

But he also hastened to add - "Will Modi allow Amit Shah become the Prime Minister.. Jab Tak unka chalega (Till Modi can, no one else will come into the scheme of thing)." 

"Start from one and go to 99... It is Narendra Damodardas Modi". 

Vyas, however, added answering a question:  "What is the written in the book of destiny, I don't know. I am not an astrologer. 

But Amit Shah deserves to be the Prime Minister".

Jay Narayan Vyas 

ends 

Guest column :::: "Remembering Dr Manmohan Singh : An Icon of Inspiration" - Rajesh Sethi, AICC, Minority cell

 "Remembering Dr. Manmohan Singh: An Icon of Inspiration 

Rajesh Kumar Sethi Jain, National Coordinator of All India Congress Committee (AICC) Minority Department and in-charge of Manipur

I pay a very emotional tribute to Dr. Manmohan Singh, former Prime Minister and Finance Minister of India. 

I do humbly remember Dr Singh as a visionary leader who guided India with wisdom, integrity and humility and empowered the country economically and socially.

Manmohan Singh was Eco. Advisor to PM Chandrashekhar when Yashwant Sinha was FM

Dr Singh's policies had a transformative impact on the Indian economy, helping the country shine on the global stage. His leadership qualities inspired a generation of Indians, teaching them that success does not just mean achieving greatness, but also humility and honesty. 

It goes without stating that Dr Singh's legacy will always be engraved in our hearts, reminding us of the power of selfless leadership and dedication to the nation.

(Sethi's tribute is echoed by many others who remember Dr Singh's contribution to India's growth and development. Sethi also praised Dr Singh's leadership and economic policies, which established India as a major player on the global stage. Dr. Singh's demise leaves a void in the country, but his legacy will continue to inspire Indians to strive for greatness. - a party press release said) 

Sethi also noted:

"Former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh gave the Jain community its rights. He rose above discrimination and took decisions in the interest of all sections. 

Dr. Singh's leadership and sensitivity played an important role in the upliftment of the minority community of the country. Dr. Singh's leadership and sensitivity played an important role in the upliftment of the minority community of the country. 

Dr. Singh's leadership and sensitivity played an important role in the upliftment of the minority community of the country. 

During his tenure as Prime Minister, the Jain community was granted national minority status on January 27, 2014, which was an important step for the identity, rights and development of the Jain community. 

This decision reflects his equal approach towards all communities and commitment towards social justice. This historic initiative of his towards the Jain community will always be remembered. The famous economist Dr. Manmohan Singh, who has served humbly on many high posts including the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, will also be known for his authenticity. 

The Jain community honored him with the prestigious Anuvrata Award (2021) for his contribution in uplifting moral and human values. 

Dr. Manmohan Singh had said that scientific thinking can develop in the country on the basis of the rational principles of Jainism. Jain ideology gave India the strength to fight superstitions and prejudices.

Jain ideology helped in getting rid of social, religious and economic problems. Indian. Jainism is an integral part of Indian intellectuality, through which India has achieved great glory in the past. Its approach towards non-violence has developed a style that establishes harmony between life and nature. The spiritual heritage of Jainism is more relevant in today's materialistic era.

Sethi expressed his condolences to his wife Mrs. Kaur and his family and said that his demise is an irreparable loss to the country. May his soul rest in peace and may God give strength to his family as well as the Congress family in this difficult time. Emotional floral tribute.

Issued by: Rajesh Kumar Sethi Jain, National Coordinator, AICC Minority Department In charge of Manipur 

Rajesh Sethi during election campaign 2024 

No need to be alarmed: India health body on reports of HMPV spread in China

China is seeing an increase in respiratory diseases, with several reports suggesting HMPV as a key concern. While China has not mentioned HMPV as an epidemic, the country revealed in December 2024 that they were going to set up a protocol to handle unknown pathogens.

Director General of Health Services Dr Atul Goyal said on Friday that no cases of human metapneumovirus (HMPV) have been reported from India.  

He advised people to follow general precautions for respiratory infections, such as avoiding close contact with others if you have a cough or cold to prevent the spread of infection.

He added that taking regular medicine for cold or fever is sufficient and assured that there is no cause for alarm in the current situation. The doctor said that there was no substantial increase in the number of respiratory outbreaks in the country in December.

"In any case, during winters there is an increase in outbreaks of respiratory infections, for which our hospitals are usually prepared with the necessary supplies and necessary beds," Dr Goyal said.

Back to square one !! Govt says India never accepted illegal Chinese occupation in Ladakh :: New Delhi lodges strong protest with China over creation of 2 new counties in Hotan region

Days after China announced two new counties in Xinjiang province that cover parts of Ladakh’s Aksai Chin, India rejected the creation of these counties and said it has never accepted the illegal Chinese occupation of Aksai Chin

In 2019, on Aug 6th, Home Minister Amit Shah told Lok Sabha while talking about abrogation of Article 370 that every time he mentions Jammu and Kashmir, it also refers to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and the Aksai Chin region. 

“I want to put this on record that whenever I have said J&K, it means with PoK and Aksai Chin,” he said. “J&K is an integral part of the Union of India. Kashmir ki seema main PoK bhi aata hai. Jaan de denge iske liye (PoK is also a part of Kashmir. Ready to die for this).”

India lodges protest with China over two new counties that include parts of India

"We have seen the announcement pertaining to the establishment of two new counties in Hotan Prefecture of China. Parts of jurisdiction of these so-called counties fall in India's Union Territory of Ladakh,"  MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said addressing a media briefing here on Friday, Jan 3.  

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that India has lodged a "solemn protest" with China over the same. 

"Creation of new counties will neither have a bearing on India's long-standing and consistent position regarding our sovereignty over the area nor lend legitimacy to China's illegal and forcible occupation of the same. 

We have lodged a solemn protest with the Chinese side through diplomatic channels," he said. 

Jaiswal said that the Centre was aware of the construction of a hydropower project by China on the Yarlung Tsangpo River in Tibet.

"As a lower riparian state with established user rights to the waters of the river, we have consistently expressed, through expert-level as well as diplomatic channels, our views and concerns to the Chinese side over mega projects on rivers in their territory," he said.

Last week, China announced two new counties in the Xinjiang province that borders India — the same province where China has forcibly detained millions of native Uighurs, a primarily Muslim ethnic minority in China, in internment camps where the United Nations (UN) has indicted China of crimes against humanity.

These two counties, He’an County and Hekang County in the Hotan prefecture, cover parts of Aksai China, the part of Ladakh union territory that has been illegally occupied by China since 1950s.

Notably, this is not the first time that Beijing has laid claims to Indian territories in its map. In 2017, China had released the initial list of 'standardised' names for six locations in Arunachal Pradesh. In 2021, it released a second list comprising 15 places, with another list featuring the names of 11 additional places released in 2023.

India has stayed firm in its rejection of China's attempt to claim Indian territories, asserting that assigning 'invented' names does not alter this reality.  

The creation of these two counties is the latest act of ‘cartographic aggression’ by China. 

The move comes at a time when India and China are working to mend the ties worsened by Chinese incursions in 2020 that triggered a military stand-off in Ladakh that has not yet been fully resolved. 

The Chinese actions in 2020, including the clashes Chinese actions triggered in Galwan Valley that killed 20 Indian soldiers, plunged the bilateral relationship to its worst since 1962 when China’s invaded India in an act of unprovoked war.

ends 

Everybody is making virtue of Manmohan Singh's Nuke deal .... Natwar Singh said in 2014 .... the credit should go to him (Natwar) and not MMS !

Natwar Singh had questioned Dr Manmohan Singh's credit vi-a-vis flagging of nuclear deal with the US as his greatest achievement in a press conference on January 3, 2014.  

"For almost a decade, I have not said anything on it or my role in it. Let me make amends now... Condoleezza Rice, who was the Secretary of State in the administration of President George Bush, wrote about the deal in her autobiography.

.... I start by quoting some lines from it: Natwar was adamant. He wanted the deal, but the Prime Minister wasn't sure if he could sell it in New Delhi," Singh, a former foreign minister in UPA-1, wrote in his book 'One Life is not Enough'.

"What will be history's verdict on Dr Manmohan Singh's prime ministership? It will either be benignly indifferent or reduce it to a mere footnote. 

What will be Manmohan Singh's legacy? Sadly, there will be none," he wrote.  

Quoting Winston Churchill's famous 'The morning was gold, the afternoon was silver, the evening lead' take on Lord Curzon, Singh says Manmohan's tenure could be similarly described. 

Natwar Singh also wrote : 

-- "As far as Manmohan Singh's foreign policy was concerned, he didn't have one... Matters were made worse when the Prime Minister sent a former Cabinet minister to Japan as a special envoy, even though we had a senior Ambassador in Tokyo".  

"He (Manmohan) forgets no slight but is an expert at camouflaging his emotions," noted Natwar Singh.  

There was a broad national consensus on foreign policy till Manmohan Singh became Prime Minister, he says, adding that he leaned "backwards to accommodate the US, even when they displayed indifference".  

"India did not utter a word against the US's spying over a large number of countries, including India. 

What else could one expect from a Prime Minister who once told President George Bush, 'Mr President, the people of India dearly love you.' Which Indians did he have in mine?," Natwar noted.   

Rice, Manmohan and George Bush 

Dr Natwar Singh also suggested in his book that Manmohan was not comfortable with Sonia Gandhi wielding the power she did over the government. 

"On 31 July (2004), Manmohan Singh asked me to see him, if I was free. I was, so I went up to his sixteenth-floor suite at the hotel. He said he was a very lonely man. 

He seemed to suggest that the present arrangement to have a dyarchy was unsatisfactory.

"We discussed state matters, after which I told him that he was the best man for the job and he had Sonia's full confidence. 'We are all with you,' I assured him," Singh writes. The incident happened during a state visit to Thailand.

Natwar and Rice 

ends 

'Name it after Manmohan Singh': Congress vs BJP on Savarkar College inauguration

 The Veer Savarkar College will be constructed at Najafgarh in Delhi at an estimated cost of Rs 140 crore. The decision was approved in 2021 by the Delhi University's executive council.

Congress MPs Naseer Hussain and Sukhjinder Randhawa took potshots at the BJP for glorifying "mercy petition writers" to the British. "The PM should think again. Savarkar had apologised to the British. How can a college be named after him?" Randhawa said.

Hussain, a Rajya Sabha MP, accused the BJP of disregarding the contribution of the freedom fighters. "The BJP is giving legitimacy to those people who have written mercy petitions to the British and taken pensions from them," he said.

BJP DEFENDS NAMING OF COLLEGE, ATTACKS CONGRESS

The BJP, on the other hand, has defended the decision and hit back at the Congress.

"Only the Congress knows which leaders it respects. Veer Savarkar was a freedom fighter. If Delhi University is naming its college in his honour, then we welcome it," Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva said.

BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla questioned whether leaders like Indira Gandhi or Uddhav Thackeray, who had praised Savarkar, were also wrong about him.  

The National Students' Union of India (NSUI), in a letter to PM Modi, highlighted Manmohan Singh's contributions to education and requested that his legacy be honoured by naming the college after him and not Savarkar.

"Singh established numerous institutions like IITs, IIMs, AIIMS and introduced the Central Universities Act. Naming institutions after him will inspire generations and honour his transformative vision," the NSUI said. 

It also sought the establishment of a central university named after Singh, whose groundbreaking reforms liberalised the economy in 1991.

Left-wing policies, open borders & huge spending bills became norm for Democrats :::: .... paid price for abandoning moderate Clinton-era policies !

"Back in the late ’90s, President Bill Clinton had approval ratings in the 70s as the party stood for a form of centrist progressivism. ....

But the left fought these policies, and gradually they regained more and more power, beginning especially with the second term of President Barack Obama and ultimately becoming the guiding hand of the Biden administration. 

The Sanders-Biden pack, combined with a raft of Obama staff in key positions, sent the party into uncharted waters. 

-- says Mark Penn in an opinion piece for 'Fox News'. 

The article says:

"The cultural wars left Americans dumbfounded as criminals were elevated to victims, gender ideology and enforced pronouns ruled policy, religion was shown the back seat and identity became more important that individual character in rewarding success.  

(Many of these facets throw challenges in India as well - blogger) 

The Justice Department under Merrick Garland became an enforcer of left-wing policies, arresting political opponents, handcuffing the police, even going after parents complaining to school boards as though they were terrorists.  

While government spending and deficits ballooned, companies were falsely blamed for inflation that served as the ultimate regressive tax on all Americans. 

"Even foreign policy was turned on its head as friendly allies were summarily abandoned in the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal that was a turning point in the Biden presidency. 

Iran received billions that they used to extend terrorism, and Israel was continually restrained and chastised while no red lines were drawn for hostages to be released or face the consequences. And hundreds of billions were spent on the Ukraine war without any serious diplomatic activity or even capability," writes Penn. 

"And free speech was equated with violence; tech companies were used to implement speech codes that deflected criticism of the administration’s policies. This degrading of the First Amendment, America’s core value, is yet another example of how the party has strayed from its most basic foundational American values."  

"All the while, the president pretended the Hunter Biden laptop was fake while in reality it exposed a scheme to bilk $20 million dollars out of various foreign interests with the now obvious help of President Joe Biden, whose denials were as phony as the idea he was ready to run for a second term.  

As a parting gift in absurdity the president, after pardoning his son for crimes including tax evasion, Biden commuted the sentences of 37 murders who committed the most heinous of crimes. 

Yes, the Democratic Party needs a reset. It’s time to hit the button on that. " 

ends 

   

'FBI identified driver as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, a U.S. citizen' :::: New Orleans truck attack suspect inspired by Islamic State terror group

 At least 15 people were killed and dozens injured after a driver plowed a car into a large crowd on Canal and Bourbon Street in New Orleans in the early morning on New Year's Day.

The FBI identified the driver as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, a U.S. citizen from Texas and Army veteran who was inspired by the Islamic State. 

The FBI has said it is investigating Wednesday's attack as an act of terrorism and does not believe Jabbar acted alone.   

"We strongly condemn the cowardly terrorist attack in New Orleans. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. May they find strength and solace as they heal from this tragedy," PM Narendra Modi said.

"At approximately 7:50 a.m., FBI Houston and the Harris County Sheriff's Office concluded a court-authorized search and cleared the 12000 block of Crescent Peak Drive. At this time, there is no threat to residents in that area. Due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, we are unable to provide any details. FBI New Orleans remains the primary field office responsible for investigating yesterday's Bourbon Street attack," FBI Houston said. 

The FBI previously identified 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a U.S. citizen from Texas, as the suspect who drove a Ford pickup truck into a crowd of New Year's revelers on Bourbon Street in New Orleans early Wednesday morning. The driver crashed the truck and traded gunfire with three police officers before he was shot and killed. 

At least 15 people were killed in the attack and dozens were injured. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday condemned the "cowardly terrorist attack" in US's New Orleans, where the attacker rammed a crowd of New Year revellers with a truck and shot at them, which left 15 people dead.

In a tweet, PM Modi extended his condolences to the families of the victims and hoped they would "find strength and solace" following the attack.

President Biden will meet with top national security officials in the Situation Room Thursday afternoon to receive an update on the Bourbon Street terror attack, the White House said.

"At 12:15pmET, @POTUS will convene members of his homeland security team in the Situation Room to receive an update on the investigation into the terrorist attack in New Orleans," White House deputy press secretary Emilie Simons said.

Biden said suspect Shamsud-Din Jabbar posted videos on social media hours before the attack indicating he was inspired by ISIS.

In brief remarks from Camp David, the president condemned the terror attack in New Orleans as "despicable" and said authorites were investigating any possible connection between the attack and the explosion of a Tesla Cybertruck outside Trump Tower in Las Vegas.

FBI looking into potential connection between New Orleans attack and Las Vegas incident

The FBI is reportedly looking into whether the New Orleans attack is connected to the explosion of a Tesla Cybertruck outside of Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas yesterday. 

Joe Biden indicated that officials were looking into a connection.  

The sole occupant of the truck was found dead inside and seven people sustained minor injuries, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said in a statement. The FBI has identified the person driving the vehicle but was not ready to release that information, FBI special agent in charge Jeremy Schwartz told reporters.

The driver of the Tesla Cybertruck that caught fire and exploded in Las Vegas outside one of the hotels in Donald Trump’s business empire has been identified as Matthew Livelsberger, a US army veteran from Colorado Springs, Colorado, who died in the incident.

Livelsberger, 37, was killed in the explosion, while seven bystanders were wounded. The military veteran, identified by Denver’s KOAA and KTNV media outlets, was behind the wheel of the electric-powered truck, which investigators soon after discovered was packed with fireworks-style mortars, camping fuel and gas canisters when it exploded on Wednesday morning.

Law enforcement sources confirmed to local news outlets that the electric vehicle was rented from Turo, the vehicle-sharing service that was also used in the New Orleans attack on the same day. (The Guardian, London) 

There, suspect Shamsud-Din Jabbar used the Turo app to rent an electric Ford pickup truck used in that attack in the early hours of New Year’s Day, which killed 15 and injured dozens more.

Tribute to Dr Manmohan Singh from Pakistan :: Dr Singh used Satish Lambah to talk 'behind closed doors' with Gen Pervez Mushar­raf’s nominee Tariq Aziz to work on Indo-Pak ties

"Like Khushwant Singh who never forgot his Hadali roots, Dr Sahib (Manmohan Singh) remembered Gah (now in Pakistan), but he could not forget that his grandfather had been murdered there in 1947. 

Seventy-two years later, in November 2019, he came to Pakistan briefly, but only to attend the opening of the Kartarpur border. "

The unhealed scar of partition lay “too deep for tears”.

 -- writes Pakistani author F S Aijazuddin in 'Dawn' published January 2, 2025  

In fact, giving the title of the piece - "Faith in himself" Aijazuddin starts the article with quite a catchy line - 

"To remember Sardar Manmohan Singh is to recall an age when principles were practised, ideals realised, and self-effacement was not a defect". 

Truly these qualities are weaknesses and also vanishing arts !

We already stepped into Generation Beta yesterday (Jan 1, 2025) --- our youngsters already find us emotional fools. I (blogger) do not blame them. It is universal. But the elders have played a part in sowing the seeds of selfishness -- directly and indirectly. 

In any case coming back to Aijazuddin's piece -- he also notes :

"A man with lesser self-confidence might have chafed at being tied to Sonia Gandhi’s ‘paloo’-style of governance. Dr Singh’s loyalty to the Gandhi family though remained immutable. 

On many occasions, he must have regretted that it had not been repaid in equal measure, echoing Cardinal Wol­sey’s regret: “Had I but served God as diligently as I have served the King, he would not have given me over in my grey hairs.”  

The article says - "In 2004, a victorious Mrs Sonia Gandhi chose Dr Manmohan Singh to be her prime minister. She remained the puppeteer, controlling (not always invisibly) Dr Singh’s actions and movements. Despite being thus hamstrung, he survived as India’s prime minister for 10 years, serving two consecutive terms.

In his first, he basked in the sunshine of a promised optimism. In his second, he came under a cloud of financial scandals. (“A reformer,” Edward Gibbon cautioned, “should be exempt from the suspicion of interest.”) Dr Singh’s personal reputation put him beyond the pale of suspicion, but it could not insulate him from the wrongdoings of more fallible colleagues."

Aijazuddin

Aijazuddin's other works include Pahari Paintings & Sikh Portraits in the Lahore Museum (1977), Sikh Portraits by European Artists (1979), Aitchison College - The First Hundred Years 1886 - 1986 (1986), Lahore - Illustrated Views of the Nineteenth Century (1993), Historical Images of Pakistan (1994), The Armless Queen and Other Essays (1994) and Rare Maps of Pakistan (2000).  

Between November 2007 and April 2008, Aijazuddin was a member of the interim Punjab cabinet. He served as Punjab's Minister for Culture, Tourism and Environment.  

The tribute article says:  

"In 1991, India faced a serious economic crisis. PM P.V. Narasimha Rao made Manmohan Singh his finance minister, allowing him free rein. Singh repaid that confidence by revitalising India’s stagnant economy. Manmohan Singh — a bearded, turbanned Moses — led his Indians out of their economic wilderness.

Like Winston Churchill in 1945 who won the war but lost the election, the Congress party (Manmohan Singh’s political alma mater) won the war against backwardness but lost the 1996 general election. 

Singh became leader of the opposition in India’s Rajya Sabha from 1998 to 2004, confronting but rarely clashing with PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

It was during these days that I met Dr Manmohan Singh. We shared a platform in 2001 with PM Vajpayee and Khushwant Singh to commemorate the bicentenary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s coronation. He invited me to tea and we spent a couple of hours the following day (a Sunday) discussing art, regional politics, and Sikh history."

"Although Mrs Sonia Gandhi was wary of making any overt gestures of reconciliation with Pakistan, she did not obstruct the back-channel initiative Dr Singh pursu­­ed, using Satish Lambah to talk behind closed doors with Gen Pervez Mushar­raf’s nominee Tariq Aziz. 

Shri Lambah later mentioned that PM Narendra Modi, immediately upon being sworn in as Dr Singh’s successor, summoned Lambah not once but three times for a private briefing on the Indo-Pak back-channel. 

That interaction, and later Modi’s ‘unscheduled’ visit to Raiwind in 2015 to meet PM Nawaz Sharif, were perhaps the two significant occasions in India’s and Pakistan’s fractious history when the dove of peace came closest to being airborne.

Since then, these two countries have followed different and differing trajectories. India is on its way to becoming a developed country, and a potential regional competitor to China. By comparison, Pakistan’s sta­t­ure owes more to the height of China’s sho­ulders than to its own pigmy pretensions.

Dr Manmohan Singh’s legacy to India, like Mrs Margaret Thatcher’s gift to the United Kingdom, has been economic liberalism, the nirvana that comes from unshackled free enterprise. 

His other bequest to India was his example of altruistic leadership. 

By remaining true to himself when others were less true to him, he demonstrated that he could change India without letting India change him."  

Tanvi Dev : Exhibition of 1965 India-Pakistan war, Delhi 

 

 

An issue of concern in 2025 ::: Fiscal deficit - Gujarat 'best governed' with lowest rates at 1.7 per cent ... NDA-ruled Bihar scored highest !!

It must be kept in mind that freebies and generous welfare measures leave an adverse effect on fiscal health of the state or even the national economy.

There is also impact on revenue/resource management and overall economic development. 

Such measures, particularly freebies, will encourage a culture of entitlement, misuse and political competitions making things worse. 

In the long run, what people may not realise is that there is a danger of such measures distorting prices,

We have to always appreciate that all such schemes/free electricity as in Delhi are funded by the tax payer’s money. 

The fiscal deficit figures of BJP-ruled Gujarat is at 1.7 per cent much less than the national figure of 3.3.

It's a large industrial state and garners sizable revenue.  

Fiscal deficit is the difference between the govt's income and expenditure. 

It is a key indicator that has implications for borrowing and financial commitments of the govt, which makes it a major news item before every budget. 

The central Govt's fiscal deficit stood at 46.5 per cent of its budget estimates in the first seven months (April-October) of the current financial year (FY2025).

 

For Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal it is at 3.5 per cent of the GDP. Significanntly enough, Bhar's record is pretty bad down the table - 8.9 per cent of the state GDP.  

These should bring us to the debate on freebies. Hence, now there may be concerns about financial deficit and financial management for states such as Karnataka and Maharashtra which have to implement a few 'welfare measures' and freebies. 

In Bihar's case revenue generation suffered due to Prohibition.  

In the last Budget, the government stuck to its fiscal consolidation roadmap even as coalition parties demanded more funds from the Modi government and the middle class urged for tax relief measures.

The lower fiscal deficit target for 2025-26 was expected on hopes of strong tax collections, despite the government’s continued capex push that is crucial to shore up consumption and create jobs and help India achieve its aim to be world’s third largest economy by 2030.

Blogger 

Case study Maharashtra 

Ladki Bahin Yojna is being seen as one of the key factors responsible for BJP's spectacular win in Maharashtra.

Ladki Bahin Yojana aims to provide Rs 1,500 per month to all eligible women in the Maharashtra between the age of 21-65 years whose annual family income is below Rs 2,50,000. The aim of the scheme is to help women achieve financial independence, improve their health and dietary needs. The state expects 2.34 crore women to benefit from the scheme in the state. The total female population in the state in 2024 is estimated at about 6.3 crore based on the last census data of 2011.

About 2.2 crore females are expected to be below the age of 21 years. Out of the balance 4.1 crore females above the age of 21 years, the state estimates that about 2.34 crore will qualify for the scheme. 

The scheme was introduced in Maharashtra in July 2024 just on the eve of polls and disbursements for five months have been already made in about 2.3 million accounts based on early registrants in the scheme. 

Similar schemes are currently operational in Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Goa, and Jharkhand also albeit with a few changes.

The cost to the Maharashtra government will be about Rs 46,000 crore every year which is about 12-13% of the states total budget for 2023-24.  

Now the reality check !! 

Many people may not realise what is a quota policy. In many states the reservations percentage is as high as 70%. 

These Reservation policies, that were introduced after independence, were part of welfare measures for the 'historically and socially' deprived sections of society. 

That was relevant for an infant nation. Today it is a Pandora's Box of complex conflicts of interest and political exploitation.

The founding fathers of the policy were very clear that such reservations would be only for ten years. 

But today after 75 years of independence, reservation/Quata issue are like dens of corruption and inefficiency. Nepotism !!

It is directly linked to vote banks and hence mediocrity. 

As a result Meritocracy gets sidelined. 

ends