India beat SL by 10 wickets; Anurag Thakur declares tournament open
_vb_55.jpeg)
New Delhi (PTI): India emerged victorious over Sri Lanka by 10 runs after former union sports minister Anurag Thakur on Tuesday declared open the first-ever Women's T20 World Cup - Cricket for the Blind 2025 at the Modern School Ground here.
The ceremony commenced with the national anthem, presented in sign language by specially-abled students from the Delhi branch of Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled.
Speaking at the inauguration, Thakur said, "I wish all the teams the best of luck for the World Cup. You may give your best and perform well. We are going to watch you on television."
Post the inauguration, India locked horns with Sri Lanka and began their campaign on a winning note.
Opting to bat first, Sri Lanka were restricted to just 41 runs in 13.3 overs, as India's bowlers and fielders delivered a spectacular performance.
India's sharp fielding led to seven run outs, while Deepika TC, Ganga Kadam, and Jamuna Rani Tudu claimed a wicket each.
In reply, India chased down the modest target in emphatic fashion, reaching 43 without loss in just three overs.
Skipper Deepika TC led from the front, smashing 26 runs off 14 balls with four boundaries, while Anekha Devi made 15 off six balls, including three fours.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Jai Bhim: Slogan that energised Dalits was first given at this central Maharashtra village
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (PTI): 'Jai Bhim': These two words have come to symbolise the awakening and empowerment of the Dalit community in independent India, but not many people know how it originated.
The slogan, which also encapsulates the immense reverence in which Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar is held, was first raised at the Makranpur Parishad, a conference organised at Makranpur village in Kannad teshil of today's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district in Maharashtra.
Ambedkar, the chief architect of India's Constitution, died on December 6, 1956.
Bhausaheb More, the first president of the Scheduled Castes Federation of Marathwada, organised the first Makranpur Parishad on December 30, 1938.
Dr Ambedkar spoke at the conference and asked the people not to support the princely state of Hyderabad under which much of central Maharashtra then fell, said Assistant Commissioner of Police Pravin More, Bhausaheb's son.
"When Bhausaheb stood up to speak, he said every community has its own deity and they greet each other using the name of that deity. Dr Ambedkar showed us the path of progress, and he is like God to us. So henceforth, we should say 'Jai Bhim' while meeting each other. The people responded enthusiastically. A resolution accepting 'Jai Bhim' as the community's slogan was also passed," More told PTI.
"My father came in contact with Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar in his early years. Bhausaheb was aware of the atrocities the Nizam state committed on Dalits. He told Ambedkar about these atrocities, including the pressure to convert. Dr Ambedkar was strongly against these atrocities, and he decided to attend the 1938 conference," he said.
As Ambedkar was against the princely states, he was banned from giving speeches in the Hyderabad state but was allowed to travel through its territories. The Shivna river formed the border between Hyderabad and British India. Makranpur was chosen as the venue for the first conference because it was on the banks of Shivna but lay in the British territory, ACP More said.
The stage made of bricks, from where Dr Ambedkar addressed the conference, still stands. The conference is organised on December 30 every year to carry forward Ambedkar's thought, and the tradition was not discontinued even in 1972 when Maharashtra experienced one of the worst droughts in it history.
"My grandmother pledged her jewellery for the conference expenses. People from Khandesh, Vidarbha and Marathwada attended it. Despite a ban imposed by the Nizam's police, Ambedkar's followers crossed the river to attend the event," said ACP More.
"This is the 87th year of Makranpur Parishad. We have deliberately retained the venue as it helps spread Ambedkar's thought in rural areas," he added.
_vb_69.jpeg)