RECORDS, INDIA (National) – Page 16

Fearless woman warrior of Telangana Peasants’ Armed Struggle remembered

Rich tributes were paid to Chakali Ilamma, the brave warrior of the historic Telangana Peasants’ Armed Struggle (1946-51) on the occasion of her 127th birth anniversary at various places in the old undivided Karimnagar district on Monday.

Karimnagar Zilla Parishad chairperson K. Vijaya, Collector R. V. Karnan and a host of elected representatives of the local bodies and officials garlanded the statue of Ilamma on the Collectorate Road in Karimnagar.

People from various walks of life paid floral tributes to the fearless warrior, who spearheaded a valiant armed struggle against feudal oppression and exploitation in the erstwhile Hyderabad State during the autocratic Nizam rule.

They praised the inspiring leadership of Ilamma, who led the peasants’ armed struggle against the cruel feudal oppression with remarkable courage and grit.

In Hanamkonda, Panchayat Raj Minister E. Dayakar Rao, Government Chief Whip D. Vinay Bhaskar and others garlanded the statue of Ilamma at Hunter Road in the city.

Similar programmes were held in the old undivided Warangal, Khammam, Adilabad and other districts in honour of the legendary woman warrior.

Five GenNext Winners

Five winners of the INIFD presents GenNext talent discovery programme have been named, and they will display their collections at the upcoming FDCI X Lakme Fashion Week, which will take place in Mumbai from October 12-16.

One of the most well-known and reliable platforms in the market for aspiring designers, GenNext has already established more than 200 designers. Aseem Kapoor and Pooja Haldar (Aseem Kapoor), Ateev Anand (Re-), Somya Goyal (Somya Goyal), Arshna Raj (Stoique), and Ankur Verma have been named the champions for its 34th batch (TIL).

For the GenNext programme, entries were requested as in every season. An experienced panel comprised of Mehernaaz Dhondy (Editor-Grazia), Aparna Badlani (Creative Director-AZA), Sumati Mattu Head of Innovations, Lakme, Sabina Chopra GenNext Mentor, and Jaspreet Chandok Head of RISE Fashion & Lifestyle reviewed the collections of the shortlisted designers.

The INIFD presents GenNext programme has won praise for spotting and giving budding designers a chance to develop their abilities and gain prominence in the fashion business.

Announcing the latest batch of GenNext designers, Sumati Mattu, Head of Innovations, Lakme said, “Discovery of new Talent has been a key pillar of Lakme Fashion Week in partnership with FDCI. The Gen Next program is a testament to the platform’s longstanding commitment towards identifying, nurturing and promoting young designers who will define the face of tomorrow’s fashion. As we come back to Mumbai for the first time in two years & since the pandemic, we can’t wait to bring alive what the young GenNext designers showcase this season. As Lakme celebrates an iconic seven decades of reinventing beauty this year, we look forward to seeing the GenNext winners elevate and reimagine contemporary beauty looks inspired by Lakme’s trend-setting product statements.”

The INIFD presents GenNext programme has won praise for spotting and giving budding designers a chance to develop their abilities and gain prominence in the fashion business.

Film on India’s role in Battle of Haifa in the works, will be shot in real locations across Israel

A feature film on Battle of Haifa, considered to be the “last great cavalry campaign in history”, is being developed by Indian production banners Golden Ratio Films (GRF), Yaelstar Films and Hundred Films.

The project was announced as part of Haifa Day, marked by the Indian Army every year to pay respect to the three Indian Cavalry Regiments – Mysore, Hyderabad and Jodhpur Lancers – that helped liberate the Israeli coastal city Haifa following cavalry action by the 15th Imperial Service Cavalry Brigade.

The film, billed as a fast-paced war drama, will be co-produced by GRF, a digital content production of Vistas Media Capital; Yaelstar and Hundred Films. The makers are planning to rope in a global team for the project.

Captain Aman Singh Bahadur and Dafadar Jor Singh were awarded the Indian Order of Merit (IOM) and Captain Anop Singh and 2nd Lt Sagat Singh were awarded the Military Cross (MC) as recognition for their bravery in this battle.

Major Dalpat Singh, widely popular as the Hero of Haifa, was awarded a military cross for his bravery.

Indian cavalry regiments armed with just spears and swords had displayed the highest tradition of valour and cleared the enemy from the rocky slopes of Mt. Carmel.

Addressing the gathering at the Indian cemetery in Haifa, India’s Ambassador to Israel, Sanjeev Singla, described the daring cavalry charge as probably one of the last classical cavalry actions before the battlefields were transformed fully by modern warfare .

Singla also highlighted that the Teen Murti Memorial erected to commemorate this historic deed was renamed the Teen Murti- Haifa Chowk in recognition of this battle and as an affirmation of the historical link between India and Israel .

This cemetery and the Indian soldiers who fell here are one of many historical connections that India has to this land… As time passes it is important that their tales, courage and sacrifice remain a living memory,” he said.

The Mayor of Haifa, Dr Einat Kalisch Rotem, recalled how brave Indian cavalry men stormed with spears and rifles a well fortified Turkish cannon positions and subdued them .

The story of the battle and it’s legacy constitute an important chapter in Haifa’s history. The Heroes of Haifa left us with a historical and heroic legacy and the residents of the city salute them for it , Rotem said.

Haifa municipality, along with the Indian mission in Israel, have been organising an event every year to pay tributes to the Indian soldiers since 2010.

The Indian film producers have been doing preliminary recce for the film in the country. They have met officials at various Israeli ministries who have “encouraged the production and invited them to shoot the film at actual locations in Israel, where the battle went down”.

The team released a poster of the proposed project in Haifa soon after attending a ceremony to pay respects to the Indian soldiers.

” Heroes of Haifa’ is a story about the courageous feat of Indian soldiers that the world needs to know. The heroic deed played a significant role in shaping the history of the region. It somehow has remained suppressed and not yet completely become the part of living memory it so well deserves , Piiyush Singh, the co-founder and group COO of Vistas Media Capital, told PTI.

We are honoured to make a film with such an exceptional storyline. After a lot of research on the minute details and considering the nuances of battle we are able to pin down this incredible narrative which the world should be aware of,” Atul Pandey, co-founder of Hundred Films, added.

Following the meeting with the movie producers, the Israel Foreign Ministry in a tweet said it was a fruitful discussion on Indo-Israel films and media collaborations.

“Joint projects like this will help strengthen the close ties between the 2 countries as we celebrate 30 years of diplomatic relations,” the post read.

The Mayor of Haifa assured the filmmakers of full support from the authorities.

“I’m positive that the movie will show proudly our beautiful city and its importance in the history of India. This large-scale production will showcase Haifa to millions of viewers, not only from India but from other countries, and will bring the city thousands of new tourists, she said.

About 900 Indian soldiers are interred in cemeteries across Israel in Jerusalem, Ramle and Haifa.

History textbooks in Haifa teach about the story of liberation of Haifa by Indian soldiers from class 3 to 5. The Haifa Historical Society has also been going around to schools in the city telling the story of liberation of Haifa to youngsters over the last decade.

In a symbolic gesture of friendship with Israel, India renamed the iconic Teen Murti Chowk, a war memorial, during the visit of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Delhi in January 2018 to Teen Murti Haifa Chowk.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Haifa cemetery during his visit to Israel in July 2017 and unveiled a plaque commemorating Major Dalpat Singh for his critical role in the liberation of the city.

The Israel Post had issued a commemorative stamp in 2018 in appreciation of Indian soldiers’ role in liberating the city.

Shibasish Sarkar to head Producers Guild of India

Delighted to pass the baton on to the able hands of Shibasish: Siddharth Roy Kapur, the incumbent president of the Guild.

Film industry professional Shibasish Sarkar was unanimously elected as the president of the Producers Guild of India.

Sarkar was elected at the first meeting of the Guild’s newly constituted Guild Council of Management.

Siddharth Roy Kapur, the incumbent president of the Guild, said he is delighted to pass the baton to Sarkar.

“It has been a pleasure and an honour serving the production fraternity and I am delighted to pass the baton on to the able hands of Shibasish. I am sure he will do a stellar job and add further lustre to the Guild’s reputation of spearheading the industry’s interests,” Roy Kapur said in a statement.

Sarkar, who has close to three decades of corporate experience in handling multiple verticals across films, television, animation, gaming content and operations of digital & new media platforms, said he looks forward to building on what his predecessor has accomplished.

In his six years as Guild president, Siddharth has been a tireless, passionate and committed champion for our industry at a time of unprecedented challenges. I look forward to building on what he has accomplished and working alongside my colleagues to help address the challenges and build on the opportunities we have before us as an industry,” he said.

Sarkar is the chairman and CEO of International Media Acquisition Corp. He has also served as the Group CEO at Reliance Entertainment, a part of the Reliance ADA group and held senior positions at Viacom18, UTV Disney and Godrej Sara Lee.

Maharashtra village school becomes a finalist at World’s Best School Prizes

PCMC English Medium School, Bopkhel, in Pune, will now progress to the public advisory vote round of the prize in the Community Collaboration category, with the winner to be awarded during World Education Week next month.

A village school in Maharashtra on Thursday was unveiled as one of the three finalists for the inaugural USD 250,000 World’s Best School Prizes, launched in the UK to celebrate schools worldwide for their contribution to society’s progress. The school has created a cultural dynamic centred on close ties within the community.

The school, in a remote village in Pune district, is run as a public private partnership between NGO Akanksha Foundation and local government, with most of its students from low-income families.

“PCMC English Medium School, Bopkhel also works with local doctors, grocers and religious leaders to help create programmes that help parents in financial need,” said T4 Education – the UK-headquartered digital media platform which founded the prize earlier this year.

“The school launched a programme of free medical check-ups in the community and ‘Master Chef’ style classes were launched that taught families about how to have a healthy and balanced diet. Students are also part of a daily fruit eating initiative that keeps them on track for healthy eating and every week they have a set meal plan. The impact has trickled into their home lives as parents have started to follow the same nutrition plan,” it added.

The prizes, founded in collaboration with Accenture, American Express, Yayasan Hasanah, Templeton World Charity Foundation, the Lemann Foundation, D2L, Mellby Gård, and Universidad Camilo José Cela, are aimed at sharing the best practices of schools that are transforming the lives of their students and making a real difference to their communities.

The five World’s Best School Prizes are designed across the categories of Community Collaboration, Environmental Action, Innovation, Overcoming Adversity, and Supporting Healthy Lives and the finalists have been whittled down from thousands of entries by a worldwide Judging Academy of distinguished leaders.

“Teachers everywhere will be inspired by the example of this outstanding Indian school,” said Vikas Pota, Founder of T4 Education and the World’s Best School Prizes.

“The World’s Best School Prizes surface the expertise of inspirational schools from every corner of the globe. It’s time for governments everywhere to listen to their voices,” he said.

If PCMC English Medium School, Bopkhel were to win the World’s Best School Prize for Community Collaboration, it has plans to donate some of the prize money to the Akanksha Foundation due to their contribution towards the management of the school. The funds would also be distributed towards other schools that work with the foundation.

Author-poet Meena Kandasamy wins the German PEN award

Born in 1984 in Chennai, Kandasamy is a feminist and anti-caste activist who has been vocal about the arrest of fellow writers like Varavara Rao and former Delhi University professor G.N Saibaba.

Indian author and poet Meena Kandasamy has been announced as this year’s recipient of the Hermann Kesten Prize by the PEN Centre in Germany’s Darmstadt. The Hermann Kesten Prize honours personalities who, in the spirit of the charter of the PEN association, stand up for the rights of persecuted authors and journalists.

Cornelia Zetzsche, Vice President of the German PEN Center, described Kandasamy as “a fearless fighter for democracy and human rights, for the free word and against the oppression of landless, minorities and Dalit in India; not a ‘Ms. Pleasant’, rather a ‘Ms. Militancy’,” referring to Kandasamy’s 2011 book of poems titled Ms Militancy.

Born in 1984 in Chennai, Kandasamy is a feminist and anti-caste activist whose work revolves around the issue of gender, caste, sexuality, patriarchy, and oppression by the Brahmanical system. Her novels have been shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction, the International Dylan Thomas Prize, the Jhalak Prize and the Hindu Lit Prize.

Kandasamy has been a vocal critic of the arrest of fellow writers like Varavara Rao and former Delhi University professor G N Saibaba.

Two Diving Support Vessels for Navy launched in Vizag

Aimed at adding niche deep sea capabilities to the Indian Navy, two Diving Support Vessels being built by Hindustan Shipyard Ltd (HSL), Visakhapatnam, were launched on Thursday.

Upbeat about the launch, the Indian Navy in a statement said, “The Diving Support Vessels (DSVs) are first of the kind ships indigenously designed and built at HSL for the Indian Navy. The vessels are 118.4 metres long, 22.8 metres at the broadest point and will have a displacement of 9,350 tons.”

As per the maritime tradition, the vessels were launched by Kala Hari Kumar, President Navy Welfare and Wellness Association (NWWA), who performed the traditional honour and naming them. Admiral R Hari Kumar, Chief of the Naval Staff, was the Chief Guest at the launching ceremony.

Speaking on the occasion, Admiral Kumar said, “It is a matter of great pride and satisfaction that approximately 80% of the DSV project’s equipment are indigenously sourced from more than 120 MSMEs across India. The launch of these sophisticated and first-of-its-kind platforms also cements India’s status in an elite group of nations having the capability to design and build niche platforms. This is another step towards the Navy becoming 100% AatmaNirbhar by 2047 an aim we have set for ourselves.”
Once commissioned, these indigenous Diving Support Vessels or DSVs will serve as Indian Naval Ships Nipun and Nistar.

As per the Navy, “These ships would be deployed for deep sea diving operations. Additionally, with the Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle (DSRV) embarked, the DSVs are designed to undertake submarine rescue operations, in case a requirement exists. Furthermore, these ships will be capable of sustained patrolling, conducting Search & Rescue operations and carrying out Helicopter Operations at high seas.”

Defence ministry signs deal to buy 35 BrahMos missiles for Navy
New Delhi: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) signed a contract on Thursday to acquire 35 combat and three practice BrahMos supersonic surface-to-surface cruise missiles from the M/s BrahMos Aerospace Pvt. Ltd. (BAPL). These missiles costing Rs 1,700 crore are to be deployed on the two P-15B class of stealth guided missile destroyers and “is going to significantly enhance the operational capability of Indian Navy (IN) fleet assets” , said the MoD. The MoD said, “BAPL is a Joint Venture (JV) between India and Russia making a crucial contribution to augment the new generation Surface-to-Surface Missiles with enhanced range and dual role capability for land as well as anti-ship attacks.”

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From building SS Jala Usha in 1941 to launching two Diving Support Vessels, Hindustan Shipyard Limited has come a long way

Constructing INS Dhruv in 2013 was the turning point, says CMD

With the launch of the two Diving Support Vessels INS Nistar and Nipun at the Hindustan Shipyard Limited on Thursday, the shipbuilder has reached a unique milestone of building 200 ships and completing 2,000 repairs since its inception in 1941.

HSL’s foray into shipbuilding began with its first project called SS Jala Usha — a 8,000-tonne steam ship that was launched on March 14, 1948 by Jawaharlal Nehru.

Originally founded as Scindia Shipyard, it was built by visionary industrialist Walchand Hirachand and was then part of the Scindia Steam Navigation Company.

After navigating several ups and downs, the shipyard was nationalised in 1961 and was renamed as Hindustan Shipyard Limited and brought under the Ministry of Shipping. However, in 2010, it was transferred to the Ministry of Defence and since then has been a part of the MoD.

At the launch of the two DSVs on Thursday, Chairman and Managing Director of HSL Commodore Hemant Khatri said that the shipyard was primarily built to construct merchant ships and built two warships for the Indian Navy for the first time in 1959.

“Thereafter, there was a gap of three decades, and in the 1990s we built four offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) for the Navy — INS Savitri, Sharada, Sujata and Sayura. Again, there was a gap of over two decades after which we got an order to build INS Dhruv in 2013,” said Cmde Khatri.

“Constructing INS Dhruv was the turning point for HSL. It was a different class of ship that needed state-of-the-art technology, as it was a research vessel and missile range instrumentation ship,” he said.

INS Dhruv was commissioned in October 2020 and is jointly operated by the Indian Navy, National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) and Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO).

“Since then, we haven’t looked back and the building of two DSVs concurrently is a feather in our cap,” Cmde Khatri said.

HSL achieved a turnover of ₹750 crore in the last financial year, the highest so far, and also recorded a profit of ₹51 crore.

Ind vs Eng 2nd WODI | Harmanpreet powers India to first series win in England in 23 years

Harmanpreet Kaur scored a magnificent 143 not out (111 balls) as India put on board a mammoth 333 for 5 against England in the 2nd ODI. India won by 88 runs

Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur smashed a scintillating unbeaten ton to power India to a comprehensive 88-run win in the second ODI, that sealed country’s first series win against England since 1999.

A vintage Harmanpreet rekindled the memories of 2017 World Cup with a magnificent 143 not out which came off just 111 balls as India put on board a mammoth 333 for 5.

India bundled out England for 245 in 44.5 overs with medium pacer Renuka Singh (4/57) claiming four wickets on Wednesday night.

Danni Wyatt’s 58-ball 65 was the lone bright spot, in an otherwise, dismal show by England batters.

The last time Indian women won an ODI series in England was in 1999 when they triumphed 2-1.

Indian bowlers come good

Chasing the imposing total, what England needed was a brisk start, but Renuka denied them by dismissing two top-order batter in Emma Lamb (15) and Sophia Dunkley (1).

Tammy Beaumont (6) was run out as the hosts were reduced to 47 for 3 by the end of the eighth over.

Alice Capsey (39) and Wyatt stitched 55 runs for the fourth wicket and then Wyatt shared another 65 runs with skipper Amy Jones (39) before the England’s chase fell apart with Renuka cleaning up Wyatt in the 30th over.

Towards the end, Charlie Dean (37) and Kate Cross (14) tried their best but the asking was too tall as India recorded a magnificent win.

18 fours, 4 sixes for Harmanpreet

Sent into bat, Harmanpreet smashed 18 fours and four sixes en route her 111-ball knock and also enjoyed a fine 112-run stand for the fourth wicket with Harleen Deol (58 off 72 balls).

She also added 50 with Pooja Vastrakar (18) and another 71 runs in four overs with Deepti Sharma (15 not out) for the unbroken sixth wicket stand.

However, it was in the last three overs in which Harmanpreet literally took the game away from England’s grasp as the 334-run target in a WODI always looked improbable even though the pitch being a batting belter.

In the last three overs, the Indian team scored 62 runs, courtesy its skipper, who was in imperious touch while reaching her fifth hundred in WODIs.

The innings had Harmanpreet’s trademark slog sweeps over cow corner which fetched him a couple of sixes while there were disdainful sixes over cover region.

With the pitch offering little help for bowlers, hitting through the line was very easy and England’s bowling attack did suffer a bit with only off-spinner Charlie Dean (1/39) ending with respectable figures.

The worst sufferer was debutant left-arm seamer Freya Kemp, who did decently till the end of her seventh over in which she had conceded only 28 runs.

Such was Harmanpreet’s dominance that Deepti Sharma, who still holds the individual record (188) by an Indian batter in WODIs, was more of a spectator during their sixth wicket stand.

Brief Scores

India Women 333/5 in 50 overs (Harmanpreet Kaur 143 not out, Harleen Deol 58, Freya Kemp 1/82).

England: 245 all out in 44.2 overs (Danni Wyatt 65; Renuka Singh 4/57). PTI SSC SSC AT AT

Kodi Kaatha Kumaran, the man who held the flag aloft

A weaver from Tiruppur left his mark in the Freedom Movement’s history as the one who protected the Tricolour’s honour

Chennimalai Kumarasamy lived only for 27 years but carved a unique place for himself in the history of the Indian National Movement. He was born on October 4, 1904 to Nachimuthu Mudaliyar and Karupayi Ammal as the fourth of seven children in a family of weavers near Erode. He had to drop out of school after Class V because of his family situation.

At the age of 10, Kumarasamy moved to his maternal uncle’s house in Pallipalayam and started practising weaving to support his family. After two years, he returned to Chennimalai and started his own handloom business. The relentless struggle to earn money to support his family forced him to move to Tiruppur — today’s knitwear city, then the abode of cotton — in 1922, working in a cotton mill. Kumarasamy, thereafter, was fondly referred to as ‘Tiruppur’ Kumaran, a moniker that stuck with the young freedom fighter.

P.D. Sivanandham, a resident of Lingai Gounder Street, Tiruppur, whose father was the foster son of Kumaran and his wife Ramayi Ammal, recalls hearing a lot of stories about the freedom fighter from his grandmother. He recalled Ramayi Ammal, saying she was a 14-year-old when she married Kumaran, who was then 19.

It was in Tiruppur he began wearing khadi and the Gandhi cap. He would often recite the couplets from Tirukkural and verses of Thiruvasagam while at work. He worked tirelessly during the day to support his family and was dedicatedly involved in the activities of the Desabandhu Youth Association.

It was on March 19, 1925, during a meeting with Mahatma Gandhi for the first time at the house of freedom fighter Padmavathy Asher, that he became involved with the quest for freedom. From then, Kumaran became an ardent follower of Gandhi and his principles of Satyagraha. He developed a strong sense of belief in truth, morality, fearlessness and sacrifice.

When Gandhi took out the Dandi March in 1930 to break the Salt Law, Kumaran wanted to join the procession in the erstwhile Madras presidency, led by Rajaji (C. Rajagopalachari) in Vedaranyam. Following opposition from his parents, Kumaran went on a hunger strike for the whole day in Tiruppur as a mark of solidarity.

The fateful day

On January 4, 1932, Gandhi was arrested and imprisoned at Yerawada Central Jail in Pune after he announced the resumption of the Civil Disobedience Movement against the British government. Opposing this, the Desabandhu Youth Association, led by Kumaran, went for a peaceful procession starting from ‘Mangala Vilas’, the residence of a freedom fighter. They carried the Tricolour flag of the Nationalists along the banks of the Noyyal in Tiruppur on January 10, 1932.

When the nine-member procession crossed the police station, the police disrupted the peaceful march with a lathi charge and brutally assaulted them. The protesters did not give up and continued to raise slogans, hailing the National Movement and Gandhi. The police knocked them down in which Kumaran suffered severe injuries to his head.

However, Kumaran did not let go of the Nationalist flag, which was banned by the British, even during the brutal attack to protect its honour. He fell unconscious and was taken to the Tiruppur General Hospital, where the 27-year-old heroic satyagrahi died on January 11, 1932. Kumaran was revered as a true satyagrahi for holding the flag even during his death, for which he came to be known as ‘Kodi Kaatha Kumaran’ (the one who saved the flag).

To honour Kumaran’s contributions, a memorial was opened adjacent to the entrance gate of the Tiruppur railway station in 1957, during the centenary year of freedom struggle. The Information and Public Relations Department maintains the memorial that houses a bust and a monument of Kumaran. Photographs of freedom fighters from Tiruppur are also exhibited at the memorial.

As a tribute, the Government of India released a postal stamp in 2004, on the occasion of his 100th birth anniversary. A memorial pillar stands at the place where Kumaran was beaten by the British police.

As India gears up to celebrate the 75th year of Independence, N. Nirmal Raj, nephew of Sivanandham, appeals to the Union government to give Kumaran’s name to the Tiruppur Railway Station on the same lines as Vanchi Maniyachi Junction, remembering the Indian revolutionary Vanchinathan.