Teaser To London: Putin’s tribute to Kim Philby
He was born in British India in Ambala (now in Haryana) on 1 January 1912 as Harold Adrian Russell, but later came to be known as “Kim Philby”–legendary British spy, who actually worked for the Russians. Amid Russia’s ongoing “Special Operations” in Ukraine, Russia has decided to raise in Prokhorovka town in Belgorod region, a sculpture of the late British Secret Intelligence Service officer and Soviet agent Kim Philby. Many see it as an act of Russians teasing and humiliating the British. In the current war, Russia has accused London of sending British spies and mercenaries to Ukraine to work against its forces. But, indeed, it will be a big tribute by Russian President Vladmir Putin, ex-KGB (Russian foreign intelligence agency) spy, to the late British espionage master. Putin worked as a KGB foreign intelligence officer for 16 years, rising to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, before resigning in 1991 to begin a political career in Saint Petersburg. He moved to Moscow in 1996 to join the administration of President Boris Yeltsin. Putin had reportedly operated in England. The exact date of the Philby monument is not available. But Moscow has made it known that in the model of the monument, Philby will be depicted standing against a stele bearing his profile. Philby was one of the most prominent members of “the Cambridge Five”, a Soviet intelligence group that supplied Moscow with information from Britain during World War-II and the early stages of the Cold War. A British citizen, Philby was recruited by the USSR in 1934 and joined the British Secret Intelligence Service in 1940. He operated under Code name: Sonny, Stanley. As a ‘double agent’ his life-time story is very fascinating. Of ‘the Cambridge Five’, Philby was believed to have been most successful in providing secret information to the Soviets. Philby was suspected of tipping off two other spies under suspicion of Soviet espionage, Donald Maclean and Guy Burgess, both of whom subsequently fled to Moscow in May 1951. Philby resigned from MI6 in July 1951. He was publicly exonerated in 1955, after which he resumed his career as both a journalist and a spy for SIS in Beirut, Lebanon. In January 1963, having finally been unmasked as a Soviet agent, Philby defected to Moscow, where he lived until his death in 1988.”
President invites tribal varsity teachers for dinner
Certainly, it’s an honour to have dinner with the President. About 750 university teachers belonging to various tribal communities from across the country will get this opportunity this month-end at a two-day workshop to discuss ‘Janjatiya Anusandhan: Asmita, Astitva aur Vikas.’ It is being organized by the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes. President Droupadi Murmu has invited them for dinner after the concluding ceremony. The event is part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. As she could not adjust in her busy schedule to either inaugurate or address the concluding ceremony, the President sent them the dinner invitation.
Famous Israeli illustrator David Polonsky in India
David Polonsky, one of the most prolific illustrators in Israel, has come to India on the occasion of India and Israel celebrating 30 years of full diplomatic relations. Polonsky’s illustrations are full of colour and movement created for comics, journalism and children’s books. Polonsky’s work ranges from illustrations for newspapers, magazines, and children’s books, to stage and cinema design. His projects include the design of the animated documentary Waltz with Bashir and an adaptation of Anne Frank’s Diary of a Young Girl to a graphic novel that has been translated into more than 25 languages. He has won numerous awards, including two Israeli Film Academy Awards and an Andersen Award for children’s books illustration. Israel’s Ambassador to India Naor Gilon told The Sunday Guardian that Polonsky’s visit would further boost Israel-India culture ties. The award-winning illustrator is attending the Tata Literature Live, the two-day Mumbai LitFest which started on 11 November. He will deliver a session on the creative process of adapting the famous diary “ANNE FRANK” to comics and conducting a workshop on “Drawing From Memory-Illustrations of the everyday”. The Israeli Embassy has collaborated with Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute, Kolkata, an institute that provides professional education and technical expertise in the art and technique of film-making and television production, to host Polonsky on 14 November. “This is the first visit of Polonsky to India. He represents the long chain of creative artists from Israel, who find India as a source of inspiration. He will conduct a workshop at SRFTI (Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute), with whom we have deep ties and I hope that this collaboration will continue and deepen India-Israel ties,” says Reuma Mantzur, Cultural Attaché at Embassy of Israel. The Embassy has also collaborated with Meta Arts, a culture production company based in Kolkata, to host Polonsky on 15 November.