It is Tiger versus Snake
Prime Minister Narendra Modi turns 70 coming Thursday. By Chinese zodiac sign he is a Tiger. And his friend-turned opponent Xi Jinping is a Snake. China’s aggression in Ladakh and Arunchal Pradesh borders has deeply hurt PM Modi as he gave Xi Jinping high respect and extraordinary reception during his India visits. But the “Red Dragon” betrayed PM Modi’s sincere hospitality and desire to build close relations between the two great nations. After the Galwan Valley clash on 14-15 June, PM Modi chose not to send a “Happy Birthday” greeting to Xi Jinping; 15 June was Xi’s birthday. The Sunday Guardian decided to look at the two leaders’ Chinese zodiac signs to understand why things went wrong. The Chinese believe in their 12 animal zodiac signs. Each animal has personality traits assigned to it by the ancient Chinese. They believe these traits will be embodied in people, according to their zodiac sign. These are: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. 2020 is the Year of the Rat, starting from 25 January 2020 and ending on 11 February 2021, which will be the Year of the Ox. Each zodiac animal’s year comes around every 12 years, and each year is associated with a zodiac animal. New Year begins at the new moon that falls between 21 January and 20 February.
Modi is a Tiger that ranks third in the cycle of the Chinese signs. Tigers, considered to be brave, cruel, forceful, and terrifying, are symbols of power and lordliness in Chinese culture. In ancient times, people usually compared emperors or kings with tigers. The Chinese zodiac Tiger sign entitles people born in the Years of the Tiger to be natural leaders. They are adventurous, ambitious and have a strong sense of justice, but maybe also arrogant and impetuous. Xi Jinping is a Snake as per the sixth Chinese animal zodiac sign. A Snake carries the meanings of malevolence, cattiness and mystery, as well as acumen and divination. In some places in China, people believe that a Snake found in their court can bring delight. In most cases, this animal is considered evil. There are some idioms in China indicating the danger of this animal, for example, once bitten by the Snake twice shy of ten years!
Interestingly, US President Donald Trump and Rahul Gandhi are all June born: Xi Jinping (15 June 1953), Trump (14 June 1946), and Rahul Gandhi (19 June 1970). As per the Chinese animal zodiac signs Trump and Rahul Gandhi are Dogs. Dog is the eleventh in the cycle of Chinese zodiac animals. The Chinese regard dog as an auspicious animal and man’s good friend. If a dog happens to come to a house, it symbolises the coming of fortune. In Chinese legend, the invincible God Erlang has a loyal dog partner to help him capture monsters. Look at the compatibility of the four from the angle of Chinese zodiac signs. For Tiger Modi, the best matches are Dragon, Horse and Pig and the worst are Ox, Tiger, Snake and Monkey. For Snake Xi Jinping, the best matches are Dragon and Rooster and the worst are Tiger, Rabbit, Snake, Sheep and Pig. For Dogs, the best match is Rabbit and the worst are Dragon, Sheep and Rooster. For Tiger Modi, the best Chinese animal sign is said to be a Dragon. The Dragon enjoys a high reputation in Chinese culture. They regard themselves as descendants of the dragon. In ancient China, this imaginary creature was thought to speed across the sky with divine power. It is the token of authority, dignity, honour, success, luck, and capacity. Emperors entitled themselves exclusively as “Dragon”. Does Tiger Modi have a Dragon friend? Yes, his most trusted friend and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, born on 22 October 1964, is a Dragon which is the fifth in the cycle of Chinese zodiac signs.
NRIs From UAE Remitted $18.5 billion Back Home
At a webinar on Wednesday, Dr Vijay Jolly, Executive Convenor of the BJP’s foreign affairs cell, claimed that Indians living in the UAE remitted $18.5 billion to their homes in India in the past fiscal year. “This is 24% of India’s total remittances received from overseas in 2018-19.”
UAE ambassador in India, Dr Ahmed Albanna, said that UAE supports PM Narendra Modi’s vision of making India a $5 trillion economy by 2025. Albanna advocated for “Open Sky Policy” between the two countries, instead of the current bilateral system. “This will benefit both nations’ airlines, trade and tourism.” There are 1,068 weekly direct flights between the two countries. Albanna hoped that India would give UAE the status of “Most Preferred Nation”.
The webinar was organised by the Delhi Study Group. As DSG president, Jolly said trade and investment are pillars of UAE and Indian bilateral partnership. Both are also strategic partners. Trade between the two nations has grown from $180 million in the 1970s to $59 billion in 2019-20. A secular UAE is the second largest export destination for India. Indian companies consider UAE as a major re-export hub due to its ease of doing business, geographical location, well developed storage and logistic infrastructure. “UAE’s investments in India amount to $13 billion,” added Albanna at the webinar.
A Dubai based NRI Girish Pant, who is known as “Bajrangi Bhai” for helping thousands of Indians, Nepalis and Bangladeshis safely return to their homelands during the coronavirus pandemic, also attended the event. Pant received Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award in 2019.
Satindra Kumari, DSG spokesperson, said that there were 4,365 Indian companies registered in UAE, 130 Indian schools with 219,000 students, and the biggest gurdwara in Dubai and Swaminarayan Hindu temple on land donated by Abu Dhabi Crown Prince.