It was a pleasant morning, and as a school student, I attended the mandatory prayer assembly at the government inter-college, Prayagraj, then Allahabad. As soon as the national anthem stopped, the principal, Mr. Khanwalkar, took to the stage. The principal addressing the assembly wasn't an everyday affair, so everyone waited with heightened anticipation.
As he stood facing a large gathering of students and teachers, everyone saw his face beaming, tears welling up in his eyes, and his voice choking with emotion. In a trembling but euphoric voice, he informed us that the Indian Army had forced close to a lakh Pakistani soldiers to surrender in Dhaka. We had won the war, and an independent country, Bangladesh, was now a reality. His words electrified the atmosphere, and the students felt a rush of enthusiasm. We were cheered. Despite our teachers' admonition, the students left the college. The impromptu students' procession kept cheering on the streets for hours on end.
Years later, while studying about the French Revolution, I was reminded of the day I was part of street sloganeering. At that moment, the penny dropped for me that revolutions, victory parades, and dejection of defeat all somehow someday converge on a junction.
The subcontinent's present situation is a classic example of such a scenario. Let's find out how.
Denne historien er fra December 16, 2024-utgaven av Hindustan Times Bengaluru.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra December 16, 2024-utgaven av Hindustan Times Bengaluru.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
China building villages near Doklam in Bhutan: Sat data
NEW DELHI: China has built at least 22 villages and settlements over the past eight years within territory that has traditionally been part of Bhutan, with eight villages coming up in areas in proximity to the strategic Doklam plateau since 2020, according to satellite imagery.
‘Our dreams are shattered’: Deaths in Georgia wreck homes in Punjab
MEA OFFICIALS SAID THEY WERE WORKING TO BRING THE BODIES BACK TO INDIA
67% sanitation workers from SC communities: Centre to LS
Two-thirds of sewer and septic tank workers (SSWs) in urban local bodies across India, surveyed by the Union government, come from Scheduled Caste (SC) communities, the Centre informed Parliament on Tuesday.
MOVE AGAINST FEDERALISM, WILL ALTER BASIC STRUCTURE: OPPN
Opposition leaders on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the bills introduced in the Lok Sabha that propose simultaneous elections to the Lower House and state assemblies, arguing that the legislation undermines federalism, violates the Constitution's basic structure, was introduced without adequate consultation with states and envisions an impractical scenario.
ONOP will test govt's ability to muster up two-thirds majority
NEW DELHI: The NDA government's ambitious plan for simultaneous national and state polls could be a test of its ability to muster the requisite numbers as it doesn't have a two-thirds majority needed to push through a Constitution amendment under Article 368 in the Lok Sabha.
'One election' bill tabled in House, may be sent to JPC
The Union government on Tuesday introduced in the Lok Sabha two bills aimed at ushering in simultaneous state and national elections amid loud protests by the Opposition —
BJP govts to soon bring UCC in every state: Shah
NEW DELHI: The Uniform Civil Code (UCC) implemented by Uttarakhand is a model law that will be debated widely and then the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) governments will bring a common civil code in all states, Union home minister Amit Shah said on Tuesday as he accused the Congress of undermining the Constitution and promoting appeasement politics.
From 2025, NTA not to hold recruitment tests
The National Testing Agency (NTA) will, from 2025, conduct only entrance exams for higher education institutions and not recruitment exams, a move aimed at improving its functioning and in keeping with the recommendations of a high-level committee set up in June 2024.
Zakir Hussain matlab tabla: Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia on Ustad's death
Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, the legendary classical flautist and music director, is unable to believe that Ustad Zakir Hussain has passed away at \"such a young age\", he tells HT City.
Seal it with a Marquise!
Actor-singer Selena Gomez recently surprised her fans when she announced her engagement to music producer Benny Blanco.
