Insightful newsletter of Drishtikone: Issue #111 - Tell-tale Graves and Circle of Missiles
(Photo by Glen Carrie on Unsplash)
A thousand cups of wine do not suffice when true friends meet, but half a sentence is too much when there is no meeting of minds. (酒逢知己千杯少，话不投机半句多) - Chinese Proverb
We have talked about the threats from drugs, cartels, their users, and the power elite in the last couple of days. How they manipulate news, media, messaging, and facts.
With their failure to do what they were tasked to do by their masters, despite the backup and full power, the masters have decided to jump into the fray themselves.
Perhaps realizing that the effort needs to be from both sides, within and outside. What Pakistan and China want to do from outside, the inner lobby will amplify within.
The next few months will be tough.
With missiles aimed at India even more closely now, as you will read, we are now looking at a major Cold War situation between India and China (and its proxies).
reached a nelson
We reached a “Nelson”. 111 is called a Nelson in cricket. It is named so after Admiral Nelson since the legend goes that he had "One Eye, One Arm, One Leg" left at the end of his life. It wasn’t true though.
However, those who have watched cricket would remember Umpire David Shepherd do a little hop when the score was in multiples of 111.
In Hindu traditions, of course, we find it auspicious since it is a harbinger of new beginnings.
tell-tale tombstones of soldiers
On June 14th, the Chinese attacked Indian army soldiers, who retaliated. While the Indian side was adamant that there were many casualties, the Chinese side did not divulge and did not even give a proper funeral. The Chinese lobbyists in India (read - Indian opposition) would not admit that it was more than 30. Now the proof is out.
Two anonymous Weibo accounts shared photos of the tombstone of a Chinese soldier Chen Xiangrong in a military forum (Source). When you check the tombstones around it, you can gauge how many would have died. First off, here is the translation by a Chinese Youtuber who shares authentic information on China.
Here is another photo of the ground where Chen’s tombstone is there. The number of graves with tombstones - 95.
Case closed.
Did that help the Chinese be doubly cautious before they did anything against India with Modi as the leader? Apparently not.
repeating the same mistake - yet again
The Chinese were at their same old self all over again. They made their move on the Southern bank of the Pangong Tso lake just two days back. And this time the Indian side was more than ready. In the ensuing clash, they have occupied the vacant areas of that mountain to get a strategic advantage. Also, the Indian Army has captured the PLA soldiers as well while they were at it.
The PLA Statement says that India “illegally crossed the line”
Now, the truth is the if China is winning or dominating, it treats others like dirt. However, if it is on the mat, it starts whining. And, that is exactly what is happening here. So China’s reaction should explain what the real situation is. They would never agree to a military meeting if they were dominating the clash.
In that context, listen to what Abhijit Iyer says.
ANI’s other updates say after taking control of the heights, the Indian Army has started brigade commander level meetings to “resolve the matter.” This is indeed a different India.
This report is probably the best explanation of the situation.
As was expected, the Chinese have threatened that the situation along the LAC will escalate.
With respect to threats, China has already built a surface-to-air missile system near the Kailash-Mansarovar area. (Source) This area is also the origin of four transnational rivers -- Indus, Brahmaputra, Sutlej and Karnali, a major tributary of the Ganges.
In this map, you can see where the Pangong Tso lake is and where the Kailash- Mansarovar area is. So, we are effectively seeing the Chinese light up the entire border on their side.
It is not just Kailash-Mansarovar, but also other sites. China is building up missiles launch sites across the entire border from Ladakh to Arunachal. They have now built new missile sites in Shigatse near Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim, Pagri bordering Bhutan and Sikkim in India, and Nyingchi opposite Arunachal Pradesh.
These are equipped with Chinese SAMs HongQi-9 (HQ-9) with six support radars for target acquisition and engagement. (Source)
What is funny is that Global Times (China state-affiliated media) editor tweeted about the Indian action and was whining about it. Just read it closely.
So, essentially what he is saying is that that area that India has occupied now was actually India’s territory, which China took by force in 1962, and now India has it back due to this action. All one wants to say to him is “Thanks for making that perfect argument to justify the Indian action!” Bravo!!!
can India handle China?
Now the obvious question is can India handle Chinese aggression? I will defer on this to those who know. So here is an evaluation by Major Gaurav Arya on this topic.
The fact is that the aggression from the Chinese has to be countered but also be so brutal that they cannot discuss it within their country - for the fear of “loss of face” as was the case in the Galwan clash.
Also, meanwhile use the tactic of doing business along with military push back that China has been using against the world. We had shared in our earlier “nota bene” (Source) section that the Chinese businesses are still flocking to Indian steel.
Chinese cannot resist Indian steel: India’s steel exports more than doubled between April and July to hit their highest level in at least six years, boosted by a surge of Chinese buying in defiance of tensions between Beijing and New Delhi. (Source)
That is important. It is the shield.
why is everyone headed to Cambodia?
Suddenly it seems that Cambodia has become a favorite with a lot of folks in India. People are sharing viral pics where a Maharashtra politician son/scion of the state leadership has been cited in Cambodia. And, interestingly, Rhea Chakraborty’s favorite place is also Cambodia.
Now, this does not explain anything really. Except that there is a “smoking gun.” The agencies need to find a gun and gun powder.
adios, Mr. President
“India’s shortest finance minister has delivered the longest speech,” remarked Mrs. Indira Gandhi to her aide in Lok Sabha as Pranab Mukherjee completed his maiden budget speech as a Finance Minister in 1982. He went onto remain in that job until 1984 when Ms. Gandhi died.
He was very close to Dhirubhai Ambani.
His detractors say that as finance minister in the 1980s, Mukherjee tweaked tax rates to favour Reliance at the cost of its business rivals. (Source)
In fact, it is said that Pranab Mukherjee wrote the budgets between 1982 and 1984 for Dhirubhai Ambani. It was on the back of those budgets that Reliance made huge strides.
The ex-President is now no more.
nota bene
Riot Destruction: An Indian-origin family's car dealership was set ablaze by rioters in the protest-hit US city of Kenosha, Wisconsin destroying nearly 100 vehicles and causing damages worth $2.5 million."Everybody watched it burn to ashes. Nobody did nothing about it, nothing," Kenosha News on Saturday quoted family member Anmol Khindri as saying. (Source)
NEET/JEE Starts: Postponed twice due to the pandemic, the Joint Entrance Examination (Main) for admission to top engineering colleges in the country will commence with unprecedented preparations from Tuesday. About 9.58 lakh aspirants have registered for the exam to be conducted from September 1-6 across 660 testing centres. While Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh governments have assured the aspirants free transportation, a group of IIT alumni and students have launched a portal to provide transport facility to exam centres for needy aspirants. (Source)
Macron to Lebanon: France’s President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Beirut hours after Lebanese leaders named diplomat Mustapha Adib as the new prime minister on Monday under French pressure, and will press for reforms aimed at dragging the Middle East nation out of a financial abyss. With its economy devastated by a financial crisis, a swathe of Beirut in tatters following a huge port explosion on Aug. 4, and sectarian tensions rising, Lebanon is facing the biggest threat to its stability since the 1975-90 civil war. (Source)
Cyclical Riots: Using an innovative mathematical theory, researchers say they can show when countries will face social and political unrest. In the United States, they say violent surges occur every 50 years and this one is tragically right on time. Peter Turchin, a Russian-American scientist from the University of Connecticut, used the structural-demographic theory (SDT) to accurately predict the increasing protests in the U.S. and western Europe throughout the 2010s. In a new paper in the journal PLoS ONE, Turchin and co-author Andrey Korotayev look back at how math can actually forecast future events. (Source)
Trends in anti-government demonstrations (green) and riots (dark red) in the USA from 1946–2018.(Credit: P. Turchin, A. Korotayev / PLoS ONE)
the crumbling woke icons
We had shared earlier about the fact that the Hasan Minhaj show had been suddenly canceled. One wondered why?
And, it was quite suspicious when no one was talking about that.
Here is one man who has done his research and put together the information that was needed about the whole story. The Sham Sharma Show.
As it turns out the women, especially the “Women of Color (WoC)” (non-white) were treated terribly and even humiliated to a point of breaking down.
But no one cared.
In fact, some of them have tweeted their thoughts which allude to the whole controversy, some of it specific but a lot very generic, that you have to read in-between the lines. And, when you do, you cannot escape the understanding that Hasan Minhaj was not just promoting fake narratives against Hindus and certain sections of Indians, but also treating women (specifically WoC) badly.
But the real question is why has none of the media outlets talked about it?
Had this happened on a show of a White man or a woman, it would have been blown up many times more.
Because Hasan Minhaj is that rare breed - a brown man who is a Muslim. That breed of the migrants can do no wrong, even when they are, well, doing a ton of wrong!
Gaslighting women? That’s not that bad. Humiliation of women? That will be just fine! WoC specifically targeted? Oh, that will be just wonderful, thank you very much!
The whole “woke, liberal” club in the world these days is just fanatical to a point where it wreaks of hate and hypocrisy. This group talks about how to reduce discrimination, but it builds the fundamental edifice of its argument…. on discrimination!
Watch Sham Sharma at his best on this one! Kudos!
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