By Kamran Khan
Manu Bhaker, Gukesh, 17 para-athletes win top awards
Olympic-medalist Manu Bhaker, winner of two medals in the Paris Olympics, and chess world champion D Gukesh have been awarded the prestigious Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award for 2024. The Union Sports Ministry also awarded two other champions for this award.
The other two Khel Ratna winners are Harmanpreet Singh, men’s hockey captain, and para-athlete Praveen Kumar, with his outstanding record in his field.
Others excellent sports-persons include, women’s hockey team captain Salima Tete, Jyothi Yarraji, sprinter, world boxing champions, Nitu Ghanas and Saweety, squash player Abhay Singh, javelin thrower Annu Rani, swimmer Sajan Prakash and Olympiad gold-winning chess player Vantika Agrawal .
As many as 17 para-athletes have received the award — Paris Olympics bronze-winning para-archer, Rakesh Kumar, Paris Paralympics gold-medallist Dharambir, club throw, para-shooters Mona Agarwal and Rubina Francis, Navdeep Singh, javelin, and Nitesh Kumar, para badminton.
The Khel Ratna awardees would get ₹25 lakh along with a citation and a medallion. The Arjuna awardees will get ₹15 lakh as cash reward, a statuette of Arjuna and a citation.
Karnataka: A Lingayat sub-sect seeks more quota
The Panchamasali sub-sect, the largest group within the Lingayat community, has been protesting for inclusion under the 2A reservation category and for recognition as part of the Other Backward Classes (OBC). Currently, Lingayats are eligible for a 5 per cent quota under category 3B, but inclusion in the 2A category would entitle them to a 15 per cent reservation. Clearly, other communities, would resent the acceptance of such a demand from a dominant caste group in Karnataka.
Reservations were originally introduced in the Indian Constitution to uplift downtrodden and oppressed communities, like the Dalits and adivasis, who have faced severe and relentless disadvantages for centuries, remaining socially, politically, and educationally backward. However, the Panchamasali community lacks a history of such oppression, which raises concerns about the legitimacy of their demand and its alignment with the constitutional objective of addressing historical injustices.
In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for reservations from various groups in Karnataka, including Lingayats and Vokkaligas, the dominant castes, as well as calls for internal reservations within the Scheduled Castes (SCs). This follows a similar pattern in states like Rajasthan and Maharashtra. The internal reservation demand, particularly for communities within the scheduled castes, who feel underrepresented, is generally viewed as legitimate.
The Panchamasali community’s demand for OBC status and 2A reservation raises questions about their social, educational, economic and political standing. The community, along with 42 other sub-castes, already benefits from the 3B reservation category, which provides a 5 per cent quota, while Vokkaligas and some other communities are placed in the 3A category, receiving a 4 per cent reservation.
According to leaked data from a recent socio-economic and education survey by the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes, the state’s population is distributed as follows: SCs are 19.5 per cent, STs 7.82 per cent, Muslims 16 per cent, Lingayats 14 per cent, Vokkaligas 11 per cent, OBCs 20 per cent, and Brahmins 6.8 per cent.
‘Tribal Touch, Pure Perfection, Nature’s Best Unveiled’
From chamomile tea to dheki kuta rice, pure desi cow ghee to mahua gond laddoos, the tribals of Chhattisgarh’s Jashpur district are making a significant impact in both online and offline markets with some of the finest consumer products known for their health benefits and nutritional value.
The raw material for these products, sold under the ‘Jashpure’ brand, are sourced directly from the fertile regions of central India, ensuring top-notch quality.
Ravi Mittal, the commissioner of Chhattisgarh’s public relations department, and former district collector of Jashpur, is the visionary behind this initiative. He spearheaded the launch of this brand, offering a range of locally sourced products, aimed at empowering marginalised communities and preserving their cultural heritage.
The Jashpure brand represents authenticity, sustainability, and the raw beauty of nature. Its core values are health, nutrition, sustainability and quality. Among the offerings are ‘Forest Gold Vanyaprash’, made from hand-picked, naturally-dried mahua flowers, and ‘Blue Pea and Lavender’ tea bags, crafted from shade-dried petals of blue pea and lavender.
The chamomile teabags contain pure chamomile flowers, free from artificial additives, while the ‘Cold Processed Rice Javaphool’ features hand-pounded dheki kuta rice, providing superior nutrition, compared to regular milled rice.
Other products include pure desi cow ghee, buckwheat falahari flour, kutki millet, ragi flour, cold-pressed mustard oil, buckwheat and semolina macaroni, mahua gond laddoos and handmade tray baskets.
Chhattisgarh’s Chief Minister, Vishnu Deo Sai, who hails from Jashpur, praised the initiative for uplifting women and self-help groups through the brand, while also showcasing the district’s rich heritage to the nation. He expressed pride in the project and its potential to inspire similar efforts across the country, contributing to sustainable livelihoods and stronger communities.
The brand’s tagline, ‘Tribal Touch, Pure Perfection, Nature’s Best Unveiled’, reflects its essence—an amalgamation of traditional wisdom, purity and a dedication to presenting nature’s finest products.A state government official involved in the initiative emphasized the importance of the tribal communities in driving the success of the project. From farmers cultivating land, to skilled artisans rafting products, every step of the process is carried out by tribals native to Jashpur, reinforcing the commitment to empower local communities and preserving cultural richness.
‘Kya bol rahe hain’?
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar responded cryptically to RJD president Lalu Prasad’s recent offer to return to the INDIA alliance. When asked by journalists about the proposal, Kumar replied, “Kya bol rahe hain?” Kumar has previously aligned with the RJD twice over the past decade, only to ditch them yet again and make an alliance with the BJP.
However, Prasad’s son, Tejashwi Yadav, downplayed his father’s comments. In an interview with a local news channel, Lalu Prasad had said, “Our doors are open (for Nitish). He should also unbolt his gates, which would allow for easier movement of people between both sides.”
The remark came amid speculation triggered by Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s comment about projecting Nitish Kumar as the NDA’s face in the upcoming assembly elections. This prompted media speculation. Kumar, who was at Raj Bhavan attending the swearing-in ceremony of Arif Mohammad Khan as the new governor, was asked about the offer from Lalu Prasad. Flanked by Khan and Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary (from the BJP), Kumar smiled and folded his hands when queried, asking, “Kya bol rahe hain?”
Later, Tejashwi Yadav, who had also attended the function, was asked about his father’s statement. Yadav, who had previously declared that the NDA government under Nitish Kumar would “depart” in the new year, reiterated that he had already made his position clear. When further questions were raised regarding Lalu Prasad’s remarks, he responded, “What else could he say if people like you keep asking him the same thing? His comment was probably just to end the media’s curiosity.”