‘British Coined The Term Hindu’ Kamal Hassan’s Remark Sparks Controversy
‘British Coined The Term Hindu’ Kamal Hassan’s Remark Sparks Controversy
After the release of Mani Ratnam directed Ponniyin Selvan: 1, which depicts the life of king Raja Raja Chola as a Hindu king, National-Award winning Tamil director Vetrimaaran objected that Raja Raja Chola was not a Hindu king as portrayed in the film. Backing the statement, veteran Tamil actor Kamal Hassan said that there was no Hindu religion that existed during the Chola dynasty rule. Kamal Hassan further added that there were Vainavam, Shivam, and Samanam, and it was actually the British who coined the term Hindu because they didn’t know how to refer to it collectively. Vetrimaaran also took a dig at the Bhartiya Janata Party and said: “They (BJP) have already tried to saffronise Thiruvalluvar. We should never allow that. Tamil Nadu remains a secular state, resisting external forces,” Slamming director Vetrimaaran for his comments which is backed by Kamal Hassan, Telangana and Puducherry Governor Tamilsai Soundarajan said that attempts to conceal the identities of Hindu cultural icons will not be accepted by people. She also added that both Shaivism and Vaishnavism are identities of Hindus. She told reporters that she was raised in the vicinity of the colossal Brihadeshwara Temple in Thanjavur, built during the reign of the Chola king. Meanwhile, BJP’s H Raja said: “I am not well versed with history like Vetrimaaran, but let him point out two churches and mosques built by Raja Raja Cholan. He called himself Sivapadha Sekaran. Wasn’t he a Hindu then?”
Indian Rupee Hits All-Time Low of 82.33 Against US Dollar
On Friday, the Indian Rupee hit an all-time low of 82.33 against the US Dollar in early trade as a firm American currency weighed on the local unit. Forex traders said that a negative trend in domestic equities and elevated crude oil prices sapped investor appetite. “An uptick in crude prices has caused concerns around the trade deficit to resurface. US rates staying higher for longer is not helping the capital account,” said the IFA Global Research Academy. It also added that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) seems to have become cautious in spending reserves, adding that these might be some factors causing the Indian Rupee to adjust.
Gambia: Door-to-Door Campaign Launched To Remove India-Made Syrups Blamed for 60+ Child Deaths
After India-made cough and cold syrups, which were blamed for causing the death of 66 children in Gambia, the West African country has launched a robust door-to-door campaign to collect the suspected syrups on an immediate basis. The Ministry of Health has teamed up with the Gambia Red Cross Society to immediately remove the suspected India-made syrups. Mustapha Bittaye, director of health in Gambia, has confirmed that children died from acute kidney injuries. Following the death of over 60 children in Gambia, the World Health Organisation (WHO) issued a medical alert labelling the four products Promethazine Oral Solution, Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Makoff Baby Cough Syrup and Magrip N Cold Syrup, all made by Haryana-based Maiden Pharmaceuticals Limited as substandard medical products. “WHO has issued a medical product alert for four contaminated medicines identified in The Gambia that have been potentially linked to acute kidney injuries and 66 deaths among children,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “WHO recommends all countries detect and remove these products from circulation to prevent further harm to patients,” said the UN health agency. Meanwhile, a senior executive at Maiden Pharmaceuticals said that the company is trying to find out the details related. “We are trying to find out the situation because it cropped up only today morning. We are trying to find out with the buyer and all that what has happened exactly. We are not selling anything in India.” said Naresh Kumar Goyal, one of Maiden’s directors. As per the statement released by the Medical Research Council of Gambia, the drug contains a significant amount of a toxin which damages kidneys irreversibly.
Covid-Bulletin: India Registers 1,997 New Cases; Recovery Rate At 98.75%
According to the latest data released by the Union Health Ministry, India has recorded 1,997 new covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours. The active caseload of the country currently stands at 30,362. Meanwhile, daily recoveries have outnumbered active covid-19 cases, with a huge margin of 3,908 recoveries in the previous 24 hours. The daily and weekly positivity rate currently stands at 0.94% and 1.34%, respectively. As per the Indian Council of Medical Research, the country has conducted 89.64 crore covid-19 tests so far. On the vaccination front, India has administered 218.88 crore covid-19 vaccine doses so far under the nationwide vaccination drive.
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