By Rajan Narayan

AND a few stray thoughts for yet another Saturday. For a Saturday following the week when the myth of peace returning to Kashmir got shattered again. For a Saturday following the week when the electronic media, including “India Today,” virtually ignored the death of Pope Francis. For a Saturday following the week when the Delhi High Court directed Baba Ramdev to remove Facebook videos and advertisements about “sharbat jihad.” For a Saturday following the week about the power of Nari Shakti in the Union Public Service Exam for IAS, IFS and the other central services.
AND a few stray thoughts on the myth of peace returning to Kashmir getting shattered. Closely in the wake of a provocative statement by the Pakistani army chief Asim Munir, Pakistan terrorists attacked tourists in the resort town of Pahalgam. Pahalgam is considered the Switzerland of India. The attack, which claimed the lives of more than 30 tourists, took place in a famous tourist spot called the Medo, which is located in a green valley in the middle of snow-capped mountains. This has been the deadliest attack by militants in Kashmir since the 90s. The attack has come just before the Amarnath yatra, which attracts several lakh tourists.
The timing of the attack also coincides with the visit of the American Vice-President JD Vance with his Indian-origin wife and children to India. The terrorists have succeeded in attracting the attention of the world, which is probably their intention. Narendra Modi and Amit Shah have been claiming that the terrorists have been silenced. They have been claiming that since the abrogation of Article 370, which gave a special status to Jammu & Kashmir, peace has returned to the valley. Indeed, tourists have started flocking to Gulmarg and Pahalgam which are the most popular tourist spots in the valley.
Among those killed in the terror attack is Lt Vinay Narwal, a 26-year-old Naval officer who was on honeymoon with his wife. Survivors revealed that a group of six to eight terrorists came and asked them their names and told them to recite verses from the holy Quran to determine whom to kill. The terrorists struck around 1.30pm in the afternoon about seven kilometers from Pahalgam.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi cut short his visit to Saudi Arabia and returned to Delhi. The savage attack on innocent tourists has shaken the country and raised questions about the revocation of Article 370.

26 GOANS ESCAPED!
AND a few stray thoughts on 26 Goans escaping the terror attack on Pahalgam in Kashmir. It is now learnt that a group of 26 Goan tourists, having lunch at a restaurant just five kilometers away from the terror spot, escaped the terror attack.
In fact, tour manager Amit Sawant claimed several victims of the terror attack rushed towards the restaurant. The restaurant owner pulled down the shutters and told the Goans to hide. They remained trapped for 30 minutes before they were rescued. It has also been reported that DYSP of Goa police Shivram Vaigankar and his family narrowly escaped becoming victims of terror attack. They were saved because Shivram’s wife Shilpa, was unwilling to sit on a horse for a ride up the scenic tourist spot where other tourists were headed. When the attack took place close to where they were they heard the gunshots, and the couple with their child rushed back to Srinagar in their hired car.
Among those killed was pony handler Syed Adil Hussain who tried to save his tourist by attempting to snatch the gun from a terrorist. He got shot and became one of the victims of the terror attack. Back in Goa it’s been revealed that four girls from Bicholim, planning to go to Pahalgam, canceled their trip at the last moment. The situation as usual, has been exploited by those in the travel and tourism industry.
Stranded victims of the terror attack have revealed that air ticket prices shot up to Rs40,000 due to a huge rush for tickets to move out of Srinagar. There was panic after the terror attack, and over 12,000 passengers sought tickets out of Srinagar. Since all airlines now follow surge pricing, there has been a steep rise in the price of airline tickets to Delhi and other destinations.
The terror attack reveals a major breach of security as there were no police posted at popular tourism places despite the awareness that a large influx of tourists were in Jammu and Kashmir.
Though there is no threat perceived in holiday state Goa, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has directed Director General of Police Alok Kumar to set up security units at tourist spots. Though Goa is a popular tourist destination there have been no threats from Pakistani militants.

POLICE EXTORTION
AND a few stray thoughts on Goan police inspector Sunil Gudlar, posted at the Konkan railway station in Margao, who was arrested for extorting money from a meat trader from Belgavi. The meat trader has filed a complaint with an anti-corruption bureau against PI Sunil Gudlar for demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs25,000. The meat trader provided an audio record of the conversation, recorded by the complainant in the office of the PI.
On the basis of the complaint, Superintendent of Police Nelson Albuquerque, ordered the arrest of the police sub-inspector. Gudlar is expected to be suspended from police and may even be sacked. The investigation followed the alleged seizure of 347kg red meat transported from Belgavi worth Rs1 lakh. It was subsequently proved that the meat was goat meat and not cow meat. However, the police inspector had used the incident to target meat traders from Belgavi.

MEDIA FORGET POPE FRANCIS
AND a few stray thoughts on the electronic media, including “India Today,” virtually ignored the death of Pope Francis. While the world over media including BBC and major American channels, provided live coverage of the Pope Francis of events leading up to his passing away as also funeral plans under way, the Indian electronic media seems to have blacked him out after a brief mention of his death due to a stroke.
Many of the fascinating details were not covered. For instance, traditionally, no autopsy of the head of the Roman Catholic Church is done. Instead, senior cardinal calls out the baptismal name of the pope three times. If the pope does not respond, he is finally declared dead. The body of Pope Francis has been shifted to the Sistine Chapel where it will be on display till Saturday, April 26.
The funeral is expected to be held the same day at St Peter’s Square. The Vatican released photographs of Francis dressed in his vestments and holding a rosary in his hands, lying in an open coffin placed in a chapel of his Santa Marta residence where he lived for the last 12 years. The Swiss Guards at the Vatican stood on either side of the casket as world leaders including the Italian President Sergio Mattarella, paid homage to the first Latin American Pope. Pope Francis’ body was taken to St Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday, April 23.
US President Donald Trump, who had serious differences with Pope Francis, is planning to attend the funeral along with other world leaders, perhaps including Narendra Modi. Cardinal Filipe Neri has already left for Rome to attend the funeral and to take part in the election of the new pope for the Church.

SHARBAT JIHAD
AND a few stray thoughts on the Delhi High Court directing Baba Ramdev to remove Facebook videos and advertisements about “sharbat jihad.” While promoting soft drinks being marketed by Patanjali, Ramdev has launched a virulent campaign against Roohafza. This is a much loved summer drink beverage or sharbat made by Hamdard pharma. Patanjali has been claiming that its gulab sharbat sales promote gurukuls and Indian education. While Roohafza funds madrasas and mosques. A madrasa owner has approached the high court with a complaint about unfair trade practice indulged by Baba Ramdev. Baba Ramdev has gone to the extent of claiming, “just like the risk love jihad is also a sharbat jihad.” Baba Ranmdev has also attacked Coco-Cola and Pepsi, claiming they are toilet cleaners and have an unhealthy impact on children.
As Amit Pansal commented, “I couldn’t believe my eyes and ears when I saw the video. This kind of statements are not needed. He can hold them in his head but cannot express them.” The lawyers of Hamdard have pointed out that the video is communal and tries to provoke hatred between Hindus and Muslims vis-à-vis a sharbat.

NARI SHAKTI
AND a few stray thoughts on the power of nari shakti in the Union Public Service exam for the IAS, the IFS, and other central services. This year again there are 11 women in the top 25 rankings of the Union Public Service exams. The topper is Shakti Dube from Banaras, followed by Harishta Goel, a chartered accountant from Badodara. Interestingly, there are lot of engineers among the top five.
But these engineers are not from the IITs but regional engineering colleges such as the Vellore Institute of Technology and the Guru Govind Singh University. The topper Shakti, has a BSC degree from the Allahabad University and is the daughter of a police sub-inspector. Shakti has done work on cancer therapy and did not enroll in any coaching institute. The young lady who stood forth, Margi Chirag, is an engineer but secured top marks in sociology. There are no Goans among those who passed the UPSC this year.