Wedding cards carry pro-CAA messages
To counter the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), many bridegrooms across the country are getting pro messages printed on their wedding cards.
In Rajasthan’s Sikar district, Amit Khandelwal (27), whose wedding will take place on 9 February, has printed a slogan on 700 wedding invitations: “We support NRC & CAA.” The invitation cards also carry Swachh Bharat Abhiyan logo. Khandelwal, who runs an e-mitra kiosk and is the son of a tea seller, told The Sunday Guardian that “the decision taken by the Modi government is correct. People should appreciate this. A lot of confusion is being created among people on the CAA and NRC.” He has sent the invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi also.
Similarly, a bridegroom, Prabhat Garhwal of Kareli in Narsinghpur district (Madhya Pradesh) printed a slogan “I support CAA” on his wedding invitation cards. He tied the knot on Saturday evening. In Uttarakhand’s capital Dehradun, Mohit Mishra (26), a management graduate has also printed a message in support of CAA and NRC. “My fiancé, Sonam Pathak, has backed me,” says Mishra. His wedding is scheduled to take place at his native place, Chandausi in Uttar Pradesh on 3 February.
Tough elections ahead for Nadda
Soft spoken Jagat Prakash Nadda (59) has come a long way to become the BJP’s new president. Nadda cut his teeth in student politics, moved up the ladder and eventually became the chief of a national party. His accession to the top of the BJP has been smooth. But the new assignment comes with few immediate tasks and challenges. After breaking away of the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, one of the BJP’s two original allies, Nadda will now have to carefully handle relations with the Shiromani Akali Dal with whom friendship has come under some strain. His immediate task is to get the BJP regain its glory in the Delhi Assembly elections and later in Bihar. Next year, Assam, Kerala, West Bengal, Puducherry and Tamil Nadu too will go to the polls. It is going to be a razor’s edge walk for Nadda.
Will BJP-SAD Alliance survive?
Many questions remain unanswered after the Shiromani Akali Dal’s decision not to contest the Delhi Assembly elections. Everyone is asking: is the alliance going to survive in Punjab? Although top SAD leaders maintain that there is no question of breaking the alliance with the BJP. The SAD had contested as an ally of the Indian National Lok Dal in Haryana Assembly elections recently and not with the BJP. The BJP-SAD alliance was made possible by BJP veteran L.K. Advani and SAD patron Parkash Singh Badal in the early 1990s when Punjab was battling terrorism. So far, it has stood the test of time. But cracks are now visible in the two parties’ relations. The BJP is upset as the Akali Dal has sought inclusion of Muslims in the CAA. In Delhi, the BJP had left four seats, Hari Nagar, Shahadra, Kalkaji and Rajouri Garden for the Akali Dal. On Tuesday, the BJP allocated these seats to its own candidates.
Lahaul-Spiti in B&W
Photographer Amit Verma just concluded a lovely B&W solo exhibition on the Lahaul-Spiti Valley of Himachal Pradesh at the India Habitat Centre. The exhibition “Light and Lines in the Middle Land: A Monochrome Journey Through the Spiti Valley” showcased 25 photographs displaying the tones and textures unique to monochrome landscape photography. Verma’s images were a trifecta of the region’s wild beauty and a photographer’s control. “I only see in monochrome. I don’t see in colour. I only see light and tones,” Verma told The Sunday Guardian. For Verma, who is associated with Forbes India, sharp eye and instinct for landscapes originated from his vast desert homeland in Bikaner, Rajasthan. He dedicated his exhibition to his late guru, noted wild life photographer Rakesh Sahai. The photographs were captioned by Verma’s partner, US-based writer Melissa Alipalo.
Life beyond mobile phones
Filmmaker Vivek Mohan is creating awareness that there is a beautiful world around you, beyond the artificial life of mobile phones. Mohan has made a short film of one minute and 21 seconds for the youth. Shot in three hours, the film was produced in Shimla by the Language, Art and Culture Department. It was shot at Dada Dadi Park, 100 metres from the Christ Church, on the Ridge.
This educative film starts with a young boy and a girl, glued to mobile phones, accidently colliding with each other in the park. Their mobile phones fall, get damaged and stop functioning. Suddenly, they notice a wonderful spectrum of many young and old people and children around them, engrossed in their own world and enjoying life and nature without mobile phones. They joined them, enjoyed the nature and the sunset and realised how wonderful is the world beyond mobile phones.