MyVoice: Views of our readers 29th May 2025
A royal tribute to the 'King of Clay'
It was a sight to behold when Rafael Nadal was given an emotional tribute at the Roland Garros on the opening day of French Open 2025. The legendary Spaniard has won an unprecedented 14 French Open titles, which justifies the 'King of Clay' title that he has been 'conferred' with. The day was made more memorable when the other three legends from the contemporary 'Big Four', Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray joined the Roland Garros crowd to hail the great champion, who broke down carried away by the emotional salutations. As Nadal has rightly pointed out it is important to respect your colleagues and opponents as at the end of the day, tennis is just a sport. Millions of fans will miss Nadal. As the saying goes, 'legends never retire'. Indeed!
Parimala G Tadas, Madinaguda Hyderabad-50
Need to protect dialects from extinction
India boasts of over 1,600 languages. Sadly, many are vanishing without a whisper. Languages like Tulu, Kodava, and tribal dialects are dying, not because people have stopped speaking but because the authorities and the prevalent system stopped listening. Uniform schooling, media centralisation, and cultural apathy are pushing these equally rich languages to extinction. What's at stake isn't just vocabulary but stories and identity. Despite all the 'unity in diversity' discourses, we've become too comfortable letting our linguistic roots decay and go into oblivions. The future needs more than token gestures — we need education in every mother-tongue, archives, and revival of literature in their truest sense. Can we afford to celebrate our heritage with empty echoes?
Mohd Hasnain, Muzaffarpur
Learn from past experiences to address Covid surge
India is witnessing a notable rise in Covid-19 cases, echoing early pandemic surges but with milder severity due to vaccinations and immunity. To stay ahead of the curve, the government must reinforce testing, accelerate booster doses, and emphasize mask-wearing and hygiene, especially in crowded settings. Timely intervention through antivirals and supportive care continues to be effective in managing cases. Vigilance and proactive measures can prevent another crisis.
Kocherlakota Joshika, Kapra, Hyderabad-62
Post Harvard episode: Time to promote IITs, IIMs, and AIIMS
The halting of new student and exchange visitor visa appointments by all U.S. missions abroad has cast a dark shadow over the aspirations of thousands of international students. With a hardline immigration policy in place, only those with scheduled appointments are being considered, while deportations continue. It is quite shocking that around 800 Harvard students are facing visa terminations under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). Indian students are particularly at risk—dropping out or discontinuing studies could lead to lifetime visa revocation. This endangers the future of nearly 140,000 Indian students on F-1 (academic) and J (non-immigrant) visas, causing massive financial losses and psychological distress. To counter this, India must focus on retaining talent by expanding and upgrading premier institutions like IITs, IIMs, and AIIMS to match global standards. Meanwhile, the reservation policy must be reformed on a merit-based model, like that in the Indian army. Strengthening domestic opportunities can also checkmate brain drain
RS Narula, Patiala
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Time of India
16 minutes ago
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It hurts but you cannot keep crying, says Jannik Sinner
Italy's Jannik Sinner tosses his racket during the final. (AP Photo) PARIS: Jannik Sinner, the world No. 1, seated before a room full of media, ran his fingers through his unruly mop, desperately trying to pick positives from the epic clash against Carlos Alcaraz in which he had three match points. 'Seeing my level today (Sunday). It has improved since Rome, which was my main goal, to see where my level is at,' the 23-year-old said. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Sinner, who returned to competition in May following a three-month ban for testing positive for anabolic agent Clostebol, could play just one tournament in the lead-up to the French Open . Circumstances apart, the final will be looked at as much as the one Alcaraz won as the opportunity Sinner let slip. 'Making the final is difficult to accept because I had lots of chances,' said Sinner, a three-time Major winner who came up short in the title match of a Grand Slam for the first time. 'If you only see the sad part, you're never going to come back. I believe I have improved since last year. It hurts, yes, but you cannot keep crying.
Time of India
16 minutes ago
- Time of India
Are Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz cut from the same cloth?
Carlos Alcaraz and Rafa Nadal (Photo byfor Laureus) Unlike his idol, Alcaraz at 22 has won Majors on grass, hard and clay. Nadal's first 4 Slam wins came in Paris There was talk from Day 1, but Sunday night was the perfect catalyst for the tennis world to go into a tizzy. At 22, Rafael Nadal had won five Grand Slam titles and when Carlos Alcaraz did the same by outlasting Jannik Sinner at Rafa's 'home' Roland Garros, the comparison calls became louder. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! "It is a stat that I am going to keep for me forever, winning the fifth Grand Slam at the same time as Rafa – my idol, my inspiration. It's a huge honour," Alcaraz said after the five-and-a-half-hour epic. Both are Spaniards, both share a never-say-die attitude, both are die-hard Real Madrid fans. The surface similarities between the two are many. So much so that the Rafa loyalist over a decade and a half feels Alcaraz is a natural heir to his throne of the heart. Poll Which player's style do you prefer? Nadal's relentless defense Alcaraz's aggressive play I enjoy both styles equally Neither, I prefer a different style But is it that simple? Are Nadal and Alcaraz cut out of the same cloth? The answer is probably 'no'. Nadal came at a time when the world was in awe of the jaw-dropping beauty of Roger Federer . The victories were becoming routine when this Spanish matador rocked the citadel of tennis with incredible ability to endure. Federer, who had grown up on Swiss clay and believed till 2005 that it was a matter of time before he won the French, suddenly didn't know how to get past his young nemesis on the red clay of Paris. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play Chess on Your PC, Free Play Classic Chess Install Now Undo It was a riddle that Federer never solved — he beat Rafa on other surfaces, but never at Roland Garros. Who's that IPL player? Nadal won 14 French Open titles — a record that is unlikely to be broken — and it had a lot to do with the different facets of his game that he went on adding to his basic repertoire of being an unbelievable retriever. But to start off, the myth of Rafa began as a counterpoint to the elegance of Federer. That's a fundamental difference between Alcaraz and Nadal. The Murica boy appeared on the big stage almost as a saviour in early 2022 when Federer was all but gone, Nadal was in a decline and Novak Djokovic was the untouchable master. Tennis was getting slightly unidimensional, and it needed the gold dust of artistry to keep it enticing for the consumer pampered by the Swiss-Spanish royalty for close to two decades. "The basic difference between Nadal and Alcaraz is that the latter is as good on any surface as he is on clay. His first Slam came on the hard courts of the US Open. He conquered grass when nobody expected him to do so, and now he is a two-time French Open champion. On the other hand, Rafa's first four Grand Slam titles were all at Roland Garros, till the 2008 Wimbledon final happened," Indian legend Ramesh Krishnan told TOI. Bombay Sport Exchange Ep. 6: Harish Thawani on cricket's TV market and the watershed moments While Nadal became an extremely reliable volleyer and kept on adding new shots and facets to his game, the 22-Slam winner's core strength was his ability to defend on slightly slower surfaces. Alcaraz, on the other hand, even as a teenager, was a combination of attack and defence – his ability to play outrageous winners has been the cornerstone of some of his best moments so far. Be it his drop shot down 0-30 serving for the match against Novak Djokovic in 2023 Wimbledon final or his ability to pull winners out of his bag in the final set tiebreak on Sunday, Alcaraz was more Federer than Nadal for the tennis tragic. The biggest compliment for Alcaraz probably came from the other master Djokovic, who feels that he hasn't "played a player like him" after the 2023 Wimbledon final loss. "Roger and Rafa had their own strengths and weaknesses, but Carlos is an amazing player. I would say his game has the best of all three of us." That probably sums up Alcaraz's game. And when John McEnroe said on Sunday that "these guys (Alcaraz and Sinner) would beat Roger and Rafa in their prime", you're left with the dilemma: "Who would you pay to watch? Nadal or Alcaraz? Krishnan smiled at the query. "I will probably pay to watch both."
News18
18 minutes ago
- News18
Honey Trap, Diplomatic Deception: Anti-Espionage Probe After Pahalgam Reveals Deep Infiltration
Last Updated: Officials said Pakistani diplomats used official cover to recruit not only government insiders but also emotionally vulnerable individuals and aspirational social media influencers In the aftermath of the April 22 Pahalgam attack, central intelligence agencies convened a high-level meeting and directed their state units to narrow down suspects from a list of nearly 1,500 individuals compiled through inter-agency intelligence sharing. Government employees and security personnel came under intense scrutiny, leading to the identification of around 30 individuals allegedly involved in an espionage network. This intelligence was subsequently shared with local police and other enforcement agencies for corroboration and further action. According to sources, the central agencies prepared a report of every individual, and a team matched them for further analysis to understand the trend. Officials discovered that many of these individuals had accessed sensitive areas and collected classified information. Sources also said an umbrella report revealed that the espionage activities were being orchestrated with direct support from individuals operating under diplomatic cover in India. 'A common pattern emerged that officers from Pakistan's ISI and other intelligence agencies exploited vulnerable individuals, many of whom were lured with small amounts of money," a senior official involved in the probe told News18. 'Several suspects were found communicating with a set of women identified as a Pakistani intelligence operative who had honey-trapped them." Most of them were in touch with different Pakistani officials for the last 4-5 months. The operation also exposed a shift in espionage tactics. Officials noted a modern, asymmetric strategy where Pakistani diplomats used official cover to recruit not only government insiders but also emotionally vulnerable individuals, aspirational social media influencers, and students, the official said. The agencies further observed that a significant number of those targeted were North Indians familiar with the terrain, making them valuable assets for intelligence gathering. Officials who were trapped were living in the area of which information was required by Pakistani agency. The operation remains ongoing, and more arrests are expected in the coming days based on actionable intelligence provided by central agencies to local authorities. What Analysis Found This was the most common tactic used to lure and compromise targets. Victims were contacted via Facebook, Instagram, or WhatsApp, often by ISI operatives posing as Indian women. Once rapport was built, intelligence was slowly extracted under emotional/romantic pretences. Civilian Targets With Access to Sensitive Info Arrests weren't limited to military insiders—many were students, YouTubers, labourers, or low-level contractors. Ravindra Verma (junior engineer), Jyoti Malhotra (YouTuber), and Devendra Dhillon (student) had limited but useful access (photos, base locations, movement patterns) and were likely seen as easier to manipulate. Heavy Use of Encrypted or Obscure Communication Tools Apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, and custom-designed apps were used to transmit intelligence. Some accused even received instructions through voice notes or delay-upload tools. Clustered Geography Majority of arrests came from Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. A few isolated cases occurred in Maharashtra, but no confirmed arrests in Southern or North-eastern states so far. ISI networks appear densely active in the northern Indian belt, where familiarity with terrain and access to sensitive installations is higher. Arrested so far 1. Ravindra Muralidhar Verma Details of Allegations: A 27-year-old defence contractor from Thane, Maharashtra, who leaked sensitive naval information (including sketches and audio notes about 14 Indian warships and submarines) to a Pakistan-based handler over WhatsApp. He was honey-trapped through a fake Facebook account, arrested by Maharashtra ATS and booked under the Official Secrets Act. 2. Jyoti Malhotra Details of Allegations: A travel YouTuber from Karnal, Haryana, accused of sending videos and photos of sensitive border areas to Pakistani handlers via encrypted apps. She was in contact with a Pakistan High Commission official and made multiple trips to Pakistan. Arrested and remanded under the Official Secrets Act and conspiracy laws. 3. Jasbir Singh (alias 'Jaan Mahal") Details of Allegations: A YouTuber from Tarn Taran, Punjab, arrested for allegedly promoting pro-Pakistan content, maintaining contact with over 150 Pakistani individuals, and receiving money through suspicious transactions. He reportedly helped others access Pakistan Day events in Delhi. 4. Shakur Khan Details of Allegations: A government official from Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, who made multiple visits to Pakistan. He was arrested for sending sensitive border-related information via WhatsApp to ISI handlers. Remanded under the Official Secrets Act. 5. Devendra Singh Dhillon Details of Allegations: A 25-year-old student from Rohtak, Haryana, accused of sharing photos and details of military installations after visiting Pakistan via the Kartarpur Corridor. He was allegedly recruited by ISI handlers and communicated through Telegram. 6. Mohammad Murtaza Ali Details of Allegations: A man from Jalandhar, Punjab, accused of developing and using a mobile app to transmit confidential Indian defence information to Pakistan. He was arrested with multiple mobile phones and SIM cards used for the operation. 7. Mohammad Tareef (or Tarif) Details of Allegations: A civilian from Tauru, Mewat (Haryana), arrested for sharing visuals of Indian military deployments and IAF bases with handlers linked to Pakistan's High Commission. He was part of a wider ring busted during a major intelligence crackdown. 8. Armaan Details of Allegations: A 26-year-old man from Nuh, Haryana, arrested for sending photos and videos from army expos and defence locations to handlers in the Pakistan High Commission. He was part of the same network as Mohammad Tareef. 9. Amritsar Labourers Details of Allegations: Several daily-wage labourers from Punjab were arrested for leaking basic military infrastructure and deployment details. They reportedly communicated with a jailed intermediary who passed on information to Pakistani handlers. 10. Shahzad Details of Allegations: A businessman from Moradabad/Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, accused of running a smuggling operation that doubled as an espionage network for Pakistan's ISI. He was arrested under the National Security Act and Official Secrets Act. top videos View all 11. Aasif Baloch & Zaffar (Pakistan High Commission officials) Details of Allegations: Not Indian nationals but were directly involved in managing the Indian spy network. Named in FIRs and intelligence reports. Declared persona non grata and expelled from India. About the Author Ankur Sharma With over 15 years of journalistic experience, Ankur Sharma, Associate Editor, specializes in internal security and is tasked with providing comprehensive coverage from the Ministry of Home Affairs, More Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from politics to crime and society. Stay informed with the latest India news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : espionage haryana honey trap jyoti malhotra Pahalgam attack pakistan punjab Spying Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: June 10, 2025, 09:43 IST News india Honey Trap, Diplomatic Deception: Anti-Espionage Probe After Pahalgam Reveals Deep Infiltration
