Several Challenges Ahead For Mallikarjun Kharge
After all the political drama in India, the Congress Party has finally got a President of some action (“Congress presidential election: Three main challenges facing Mallikarjun Kharge”, Gulf News, October 19). The first non-Gandhi to get the Congress presidency in over two decades, Mallikarjun Kharge has many challenges ahead of him. He has taken the mantle at the right time when the elections are due in the states of Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat. It will definitely be a critical point for Kharge, whose age is much talked about in some quarters. However, his experience, awareness of the party’s past, and vision for the present would be advantageous to the party. Anyway, one thing is sure their vote percentage and probably the seats, too, may get a boost. Only time will tell as to whether Kharge and his wards will be able to tackle its significant opponents - the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Aam Admi Party (AAM), in the upcoming state elections in India.
From Mr N. Viswanathan
India
United Nations: A voice for all
On October 24, 1945, the UN Charter, framed by representatives of 50 countries at the United Nations Conference on International Organisation in San Francisco, was ratified by a majority of the signatories, marking the birth of the United Nations. The event was a landmark in the history of world peace, a better, more powerful solution than its predecessor. Even today, 77 years later, the legal authority, the ability to catalyse collective action and the standardising impact of the United Nations cannot be equalled by any other global organisation. The hope that we have for a safer world and a brighter future has not been inspired by any international establishment as much as the UN. In the present day, as different parts of the world are going through scenarios of wars, poverty and illiteracy, its role has become even more significant, and the urgent need for countries to come together, to fulfil the oath of staying united must be highlighted. But, there’s a question that many of us might have. Why should I care about this day when I am not a part of this organisation, when my voice is just one in nearly 8 billion (we’re nearly there)?
With increased globalisation, we have learned to share our dilemmas (and solutions) with other countries and people. ‘My’ struggles and ‘your’ struggles have now become ‘our’ struggles. In such a scenario, how can we pretend to be blind, deaf, and ignorant towards the immense number of difficulties in the world? Is it not imperativefor us to care?
We must take minor actions and raise our voices for our global brethren to expect change. Yes, even a single voice in 7.98 billion people can make a difference. It might be one small idea that revolutionises how we look at a global crisis or a voice that we thought was trivial that solves the most pressing emergency. After all, were not many great ideas mocked and ridiculed before the world bowed down to them? The United Nations is indeed a confluence of the ideas of various countries, but more essentially, it symbolises a united people, a single world that stands together, come what may. It is up to us, especially the youth, to live up to these ideals and teach others to fulfil them. As the American journalist and world peace advocate, Norman Cousins, rightly said: “If the United Nations is to survive, those who represent it must bolster it; those who advocate it must submit to it, and those who believe in it must fight for it.”
From Ms Rose Vincent
Dubai
India beat Pakistan by 4 wickets
Indian team’s opening tie in the T20 World Cup cricket match against Pakistan proved to be another thriller (“As it happened: India beat Pakistan by 4 wickets in T20 World Cup Super 12 match”), Gulf News, October 23.
Right from ball one, it was a nail-biting match, which swung in favour of one team to the other. Indian opening bowlers were bang on target and struck early blows by dismissing Babar Azam and Mohammed Rizwan early. However, the lucky Shan Masood and Iftikar Ahmed were able to bail out their team with an invaluable 76 runs partnership. Then their tail-end batsmen and Masood added another valuable 60 runs to set a fighting target of 160. Though the Indian team should have achieved it, the captain and vice-captain made heavy weather of the target. Their over-cautious attitude enabled Pakistan pace bowlers to pin and price out both of them to jeopardise the team. From there on, it was Virat Kohli till the end. His unbeaten knock of 82 runs and his century partnership with Hardik Pandya took our team to the post. Still requiring 16 runs in 6 balls, it was anybody’s game. Unfortunately, we lost Pandya and also Karthik. But Kohli was unperturbed and knocked out the required runs, courtesy of a no-ball and the three runs of the ‘free hit’ and two wides, which enabled the Indian team to win a thriller. His unbeaten 82 has proved that Kohli is back in form and that his chase of difficult targets is on. His return to form after three years, augurs well for our team to progress towards our second T20 World Cup, which has been eluding since Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007. This match result has once again proved that cricket is a game of uncertainty and anything could happen till the last ball. Well done,team India
From Mr N. Mahadevan
India
Cricket: T20 World Cup 2022 Super 12
It has been a topsy-turvy tournament since day one of the T20 World Cup Super 12 qualification matches. Though Namibia inflicted the first upset by defeating the newly crowned Asian champion team, Sri Lanka, they bounced back to book a berth in the Super 12. At the same, the two-time T20 World Cup champion team, West Indies, could not perform consistently after Zimbabwe, they lost to Ireland to miss the bus to enter the Super 12. Sri Lanka, Netherlands, Ireland and Zimbabwe completed the 12 teams. From October 22 began the real tussle between the teams.
If we go by the weather reports, the inaugural match between Australia versus New Zealand in Sydney and even the match between Pakistan versus India on 23rd at Melbourne could be washed out and points shared by these teams. Ironically, though the weather department had predicted constant rains in these centres, even a week earlier, the International Cricket Council ICC and Asian Cricket Council did not take any steps to change these venues. I sincerely hope this T20 World Cup Trophy tournament is not a damper!
From Mr Vinay M
India
