Ex-Union Minister Likens Pak's Terror Support To 'Hitler-Era Fascism' In London
TOI.in
/ Jun 02, 2025, 04:07PM IST
Former Union Minister MJ Akbar, speaking in London as part of an all-party delegation, compared Pakistan's continued support for terrorism to the resurgence of Hitler-era fascism. He warned that unless the global community recognises this threat, the sacrifices of those who died fighting terror will be in vain. Citing Pakistan's violent origins, Akbar said it was 'born after the Calcutta killings of 1946' and 'died in 1971 after the Dhaka massacre,' yet continues to pursue violence as state policy. Drawing parallels with European history, he called the terrorism in Kashmir 'ethnic cleansing' and urged Europe to remember the horrors of fascism.#mjakbar #pakistanterrorism #hitler #fascism #globalcommunity #fightterror #calcuttakillings1946 #dhakamassacre1971 #kashmir #ethniccleansing #europeanhistory #indiapakistan #terrorism #statepolicy #london #allpartydelegation #operationSindoor #internationalsecurity #indiandiplomacy #antiterrordiplomacy #noterror #unitedagainstterror #toi #toibharat
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
26 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Medium of instruction in higher education to prioritise Indian languages: Pradhan
Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday (June 6, 2025) said that the medium of instruction in the coming years would primarily be in Indian and local languages. Mr. Pradhan was chairing a meeting of the Consultative Committee of Parliament for the Ministry of Education on the theme of 'Promotion of Education in Bharatiya Bhasha in Higher Education' in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. While addressing the meeting, Mr. Pradhan highlighted the Ministry's efforts in promoting mother tongue education and stressed the importance of integrating 'Bharatiya Bhashas' or Indian languages in both school and higher education. He appreciated the initiatives taken by higher education institutions, including the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), for introducing courses in regional languages, including technical subjects such as engineering. 'The priority remains to provide books in Indian languages,' he said. Emphasising the role of technology, Mr. Pradhan noted the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in translating content to help students, particularly those from rural or economically weaker backgrounds, understand academic material in their preferred languages. He also mentioned that the Ministry has prepared an educational resource — Bhasha Sangam — which enables students to learn 100 sentences in 22 languages. School Education Secretary Sanjay Kumar informed the committee that 1,369 mother tongues have been identified in the country, which have been classified into 121 languages. Of these, 22 are listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, while 99 other languages, though unrecognised, are spoken by more than 10,000 people. Mr. Kumar also highlighted the emphasis on multilingualism in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and noted that the recently formulated National Curriculum Framework for School Education has been developed with multilingualism at its core. University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman Dr. Vineet Joshi briefed the committee on recent policy decisions and initiatives of the Department of Higher Education. He provided updates on AI-based translation tools such as Anuvadini and UDAAN, and shared information regarding the constitution of the Bharatiya Bhasha Samiti and the implementation of the Bharatiya Bhasha Pustak Pariyojna as announced in the Union Budget 2025.
The Print
26 minutes ago
- The Print
From bee-killing pesticides to marauding monkeys: Uttarakhand farmers seek govt help
'I want better pesticides which do not kill my bees. I wish researchers can help me find a solution,' Sharma told Chouhan during a government outreach programme in Pawwala Soda village. His dilemma reflects broader challenges confronting Indian agriculture, as farmers across Uttarakhand appealed to the Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday for help, with everything from marauding monkeys to inadequate market access. Dehradun, Jun 6 (PTI) Hariprasad Sharma has doubled his profits growing lychees in Uttarakhand, but the 65-year-old farmer faces an unexpected problem — pesticides protecting his fruit are killing the bees that pollinate his trees. The interaction was part of a 15-day nationwide, Viksit Krishi Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government to engage directly with farmers, as the country seeks to boost agricultural productivity to feed its 1.4 billion people. Sharma's lychee orchard produces 100 quintals annually, generating profits of Rs 4,00,000 on a production cost of Rs 2,00,000, thanks to government subsidies for irrigation and pruning equipment. But rising land prices and urban development threaten traditional farming areas, he said. 'Land has become costly here and people are cutting mango and lychee orchards. This needs to be stopped to produce mango and lychee for future generations,' Sharma added. The concerns echo those of farmers across India, where rapid economic growth has driven up land prices and encouraged the conversion of agricultural plots for housing and industrial projects. Ashish Rajvanshi represents a new generation of Indian farmers, pivoting toward organic production to capture premium markets. His family has grown Dehraduni Basmati rice for generations, but since 2020, it has focused on organic certification and branding. Government schemes provided free weighing machines, vacuum wrapping equipment and retail store subsidies, helping establish his 'North India' organic rice brand across 30 acres of owned and contract farmland. 'We are doing well here, but to scale it further, we need better market access and participation in trade fairs,' said Rajvanshi, whose experience highlights the gap between small-scale success and commercial scaling in India's fragmented agricultural sector. Perhaps the most pressing concern raised by farmers was human-wildlife conflict, an issue that rarely features in policy discussions but significantly impacts rural livelihoods. Subhash Chandra Kotari, who diversified into vermicompost production, alongside cattle rearing, said many farmers near forest areas are abandoning agriculture due to wild animal attacks on crops. 'Small farmers cannot afford to install solar or wire fencing, the government must support,' he said. The problem has become so severe that some farmer collectives now select crops based on what animals won't eat. The 600-member Raipur Krishi Utpadak Cooperative grows vegetables, spices and herbs, specifically because 'monkeys do not harm' them, according to its Chairman Ashish Vyas. Farmers also complained about complex procedures for accessing government benefits, despite the government spending crores annually on agricultural subsidies and support schemes. 'We want schemes to reach directly to farmers. Now, there is no full awareness. Paperwork is too much. There should be single window clearance,' said Vyas. Farmers expressed worry about farmland depletion as the next generation shows little interest in continuing family agricultural traditions potentially threatening long-term food security in the world's most populous nation. Chouhan assured farmers their concerns would be addressed as part of the government campaign, which involves 75 teams visiting agricultural areas across Uttarakhand state. The programme, running until June 12, has already covered seven other states. PTI LUX BAL BAL This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
India Today
29 minutes ago
- India Today
NATO boosts defence budget, but US carries largest burden
On June 5, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Secretary General Mark Rutte announced an ambitious new defence spending target for all members, including the United States. The proposed target sets total defence investments at five per cent of GDP, comprising 3.5 per cent for core defence capabilities and 1.5 per cent for defence- and security-related investments such as infrastructure and announcement aligns with US President Donald Trump's longstanding call for NATO allies to increase their defence spending to five per cent, aiming to close existing capability gaps, strengthen deterrence, and prepare for emerging global EXPENDITUREAccording to the NATO Defence Expenditure report (2014-2024), defence spending among NATO member countries has increased significantly over the past decade. The United States remains the largest spender, with an estimated defence expenditure of $755 billion in 2024 — 3.4 per cent of its GDP — marking a 14.3 per cent increase since 2014. Notably, Poland has shown the highest growth rate of 213.7 per cent, increasing its defence budget from $8.6 billion in 2014 to an estimated $26.8 billion in 2024, now accounting for 4.12 per cent of its GDP. Other countries like Turkey and the Netherlands have also more than doubled their defence spending, with growth rates of 128.7 and 113.9 per cent, MANY MEET 2% SPENDING?Till now, NATO members have been required to spend at least two per cent of their GDP on defence to meet the alliance's guidelines. But in reality, not all of them spent that much. The number of NATO allies meeting the two per cent target, however, has steadily increased alongside the growth in total member 2014, only three out of 28 members (11 per cent) met the target. By 2020, 30 per cent of allies were spending at least two per cent of their GDP on defence. This number rose sharply to 23 out of 32 members (72 per cent) by 2024. During this period, the alliance expanded with Montenegro joining in 2017, North Macedonia in 2020, Finland in 2023, and Sweden in 2024, contributing to the increase in total SPENDS MORE?In January this year, the Trump administration urged NATO allies to significantly increase their spending, emphasising that European nations should take primary responsibility for their total defence expenditure has steadily increased over the past decade, rising from $910 billion in 2014 to an estimated $1,185 billion in 2024, based on 2015 prices and exchange rates. While the United States remains the largest contributor, accounting for around 73 per cent of NATO's total defence spending in 2014, its share is gradually decreasing. By 2024, the US is projected to contribute about 64 per cent of the total defence expenditure, amounting to $755 the same time, defence spending by European allies and Canada increased from $250 billion to an estimated $430 billion, although this amount remains lower than US spending. Despite the increase in defence spending, some NATO countries still fall short of the two per cent GDP target. The question is whether the recent rise in spending is largely driven by pressure from Trump, as the US is the largest contributor to NATO's Watch
