If Mudhol hound from Central Asia is patriot, is German Shepherd a traitor?
Indian prime minister has claimed that Congress should learn patriotism from Mudhol hound which is part of Indian army. PM has not mentioned Rahul's name. But Rahul had gone to JNU then. The truth about the slogans that were supposed to have been shouted as claimed by PM are yet to be unraveled. Who shouted those slogans is still a mystery.
His party tells us at times, that one should learn patriotism from tanks, and some other time, from some other object. Indian army also has horses.PM may as well issue an order that one should learn patriotism from horses. It is not good for a democracy if someone in power ridicules the opposition in this manner.
This is not the first time that PM is resorting to such statements. Globally too there are instances. The future of democracy of a country is at stake is a certainty, if those who are in power ridicule the opposition in this manner. There is a certain pattern of targeting the opposition in this country. Even investigative agencies and IT agencies are being used to sustain this. This too is common in many countries.
Yet, A PM is a PM. He speaks and wins the elections. But the world keeps asking questions about his work. Our PM speaks and wins the elections; hence we should assume that talking is his job.
Now he has spoken about Mudhol Hounds, let’s learn something about these hounds. It is amazing to see how much research our PM undertakes not to speak about his poll promises. Hats off to his team.
So, we looked at Wikipedia. One should be cautious about this Wiki information. Mudhol hounds are also called Caravan dogs. Anyway, it has nothing to do with the magazine, “CARAVAN” that published reports on Justice Loya’s death. I hope even PM had no such intention. According to Wiki, in Deccan every household rears Mudhol hounds. These are used for hunting and guarding.
In 2005 India Post has brought out a Rs. Five postal stamp , which bears the image of this hound. However other Indian hounds like Himalayan Sheep hound, Rampur Hound, Rajapalayam breed too have appeared in the stamps. If someone from Modi’s team were to be in the lazy team of Rahul, he would have googled and declared that Congress Govt had brought this stamp on all these hounds precisely for that reason. But Rahul’s team doesn’t have such a person.
According to Wikipedia, Nobody knows how these central Asian breed reached the Deccan plateau of India. As the PM has spoken about these hounds some organizations may as well link this dog to Babar.
Mudhol hounds are found in Karnataka, AP and Maharashtra. But hounds from Karnataka are more popular. A taluk too bears the same name. The erstwhile Chieftain of Mudhol Raje Saheb Maloji rao Ghorpade was instrumental in popularizing this breed.
This breed was popular among the tribals. Ghorpade had found that tribals use this hound for hunting. These dogs don’t bark.
When he was in England in 1900, he had gifted a pair of Mudhol Hound to King George V. they became famous because of this.
Last year six Mudhol hounds were recruited to Indian army. They were the first Indian breed to be recruited for Indian army and they were trained in Meerut.
How patriotism can be learnt from these hounds is something I don't understand. However, will German Shepherd which is popular with army for a long time, be called a traitor now?
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Russian President Putin says India, Russia collaboration not directed against anyone
New Delhi (PTI): The India-Russia collaboration is not directed against any country and it is solely aimed at safeguarding the national interests of the two sides, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said against the backdrop of Washington's aggressive approach towards New Delhi and Moscow.
In the context of India's energy ties with Russia, Putin said certain "actors" dislike New Delhi's growing role in international markets in view of its close relations with Moscow and these elements are aiming to constrain India's influence for political reasons by imposing "artificial obstacles".
In an interview to India Today news channel that was released on Thursday evening, the Russian president, referring to Western sanctions against Moscow, said his country's energy cooperation with New Delhi largely "remains unaffected".
Putin landed in New Delhi this evening on a two-day visit to hold summit talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
ALSO READ: PM Modi presents copy of Gita in Russian to Putin
His trip comes at a time India-US relations are going through possibly the worst phase in the last two decades after Washington imposed a whopping 50 per cent tariff on Indian goods, including 25 per cent levies for New Delhi's procurement of Russian crude oil.
"Neither me nor Prime Minister Modi, despite certain external pressure we face, have never approached our collaboration to work against someone," the Russian president said in response to a question on Washington's aggressive approach.
"President Trump has his own agenda, his own goals, whereas we focus on ours -- not against anyone, but rather aimed at safeguarding our respective interests, India's and Russia's interests," he said.
Rejecting Washington's objection to India procuring crude oil from Russia, Putin said if the US has the right to buy Russian fuel, why "shouldn't India have the same privilege".
"As for India's purchase of energy resources from Russia, I would like to note and have already mentioned this once, the US itself still buys nuclear fuel from us for its own nuclear power plants," Putin said.
The Russian president also responded to a question on India lowering procurement of crude oil from Russia in view of Western sanctions on Moscow.
ALSO READ: Russian president Putin arrives in Delhi on 2-day visit
"Well, there is a certain decline in overall trade turnover during the first nine months of this year. This is just a minor adjustment. Overall, our trade turnover stands almost at the same level as before," he said.
"I can't give you exact monthly figures right now, but trade in petroleum products and crude oil, as well as the production of petroleum products for consumers of oil, Russian oil, is running smoothly in India," he said.
Putin also said that India cannot be treated the way it was several decades back.
"Prime Minister Modi is not someone who succumbs to pressure easily. The Indian people can certainly take pride in their leader. This is absolutely obvious," he said.
"His stance is unwavering and straightforward, without being confrontational. Our goal is not to provoke conflict; rather, we aim to protect our lawful rights. India does the same," he said.
On the Ukraine conflict, Putin said he believed the US is actively seeking a solution to this problem. "I am absolutely certain, with no doubt at all, he (Trump) sincerely aims for a peaceful resolution."
Putin said Trump genuinely wants to end the hostilities and prevent further loss of lives. "But there could also be political interests tied to ending the confrontation between Russia and Ukraine, or economic motives too."
On bilateral trade, Putin said over 90 per cent of "our transactions are already conducted in national currencies".
"While some complications arise due to the presence of numerous intermediaries, there are also solutions," he said.
The Russian president also complimented PM Modi's leadership.
"Our collaborative endeavours with Prime Minister Modi carry significant weight because they transcend our mutual ties," he said.
"Given its direct relevance to both nations, ensuring stability in key areas of engagement is crucial, as it helps secure the fulfilment of our objectives. Prime Minister Modi sets very challenging tasks for the country --and for himself in the first place, then for the administration, and eventually for the nation," he said.
The Russian president did not give a direct reply to a question on if India was looking at procuring additional batches of S-400 missile systems.
"India stands out as one of our reliable and privileged partners in this area. We are not merely selling something to India and India isn't merely buying something from us in the sphere of defence and security.
"It is a different level, a different quality of relations we have with India, and we value this. We see how India values this relationship too," he said.
Putin said Russia is not simply selling defence technology to India but it is sharing it with the country.
"It is a very rare thing to see in the sphere of military-technical cooperation. It speaks to the level of trust between the two countries and the level of trust between the two peoples.
"We have a broad portfolio indeed, including naval construction, rocket and missile engineering, and aircraft engineering," he added.
