Making India proud, 31-year-old Arif Khan has become the only Indian to qualify for winter Olympics 2022. Arif has participated in 127 international Skiing events across the world.

31-year-old Kashmiri man becomes only Indian to qualify for winter Olympics 2022

A fierce gunfight broke out between security forces and terrorists in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir in India.

India: Anti-terror operations continue in Jammu & Kashmir, 5 terrorists killed in 2 encounters

India and Oman are set to take defence ties to next level with a number of high-profile visits like by Omani Defence Ministry Secretary General Mohammed Nasser Al Zaabi. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Zaabi, who is the executive head of the Omani defence establishment, will visit India from January 30 to February 4.&nbsp;

During the visit, he will co-chair the 10th Joint Military Cooperation Committee (JMMC) with Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar. JMMC is the top forum of engagement between India and Oman in the field of defence and gives a framework to defence exchanges between the two sides. The last JMCC was held in Oman in 2018. &nbsp;

Being held after a gap of three years, largely due to Covid crisis, the 10th JMCC is expected to evaluate the ongoing defence exchanges and provide a roadmap for strengthening defence ties further. Indian side has been working for a long time so that the visit can happen soon. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/why-india-observes-martyrs-day-and-how-is-it-connected-to-mahatma-gandhi-448860" hreflang="en">Why India observes ‘Martyr’s Day’ and how is it connected to Mahatma Gandhi?</a>

Zaabi during India visit will call on Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. It is understood that he will also be given an overview of Indian defence production industry for possibilities of procurement and joint production of defence equipment. &nbsp;

Visit by Secretary General Zaabi kick starts a month of intensive defence exchanges with Oman. February will see high profile defence engagements, which includes visits of chief of Oman's Royal&nbsp;Air Force, chief of Oman's Royal Navy, and talks between Indian Navy officials and commander of Royal Navy of Oman (CRNO). The visits of the naval and air force chiefs of Oman are taking place after a gap of five years and is expected to enable a high-level re-engagement between the forces of two sides. &nbsp;

February will also witness a bilateral air force exercise in Jodhpur between India and Oman Air force. The annual bilateral air exercise this year will see the participation of over 150 personnel from Oman. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-modi-hails-special-friendship-with-israel-on-30th-anniversary-of-establishment-of-diplomatic-ties-448809" hreflang="en">PM Modi hails 'special friendship' with Israel on 30th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic ties</a>

Oman is the only country in the Gulf region with which all three services of the Indian armed forces conduct regular bilateral exercises and staff talks. The country also provides critical operational support to Indian naval deployments in the Arabian sea for anti-piracy missions. The country also actively participates in the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS). &nbsp;

Defence cooperation has emerged as a key pillar of India-Oman strategic partnership. Oman is India’s closest defence partner in the Gulf region and an important anchor for India’s defence and strategic interests. Defence exchanges are a part of a framework MoU, which was renewed in 2021. &nbsp;

Apart from the engagements in defence, training is a key component in the ties. Omani forces regularly take part in training courses in India both at professional as well as higher command level. Same stands true for Indian armed forces, who take part in the staff and command courses conducted at NDC, Oman.&nbsp;

India and Oman are set to take defence ties to next level with a number of high-profile visits like by Omani Defence Ministry Secretary General Mohammed Nasser Al Zaabi.

India and Oman are set to take defence ties to next level with a number of high-profile visits like by Omani Defence Ministry Secretary General Mohammed Nasser Al Zaabi. Zaabi, who is the executive head of the Omani defence establishment, will visit India from January 30 to February 4. During the visit, he will co-chair the 10th Joint Military Cooperation Committee (JMMC) with Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar. JMMC is the top forum of engagement between India and Oman in the field of defence and gives a framework to defence exchanges between the two sides. The last JMCC was held in Oman in 2018. Being held after a gap of three years, largely due to Covid crisis, the 10th JMCC is expected to evaluate the ongoing defence exchanges and provide a roadmap for strengthening defence ties further. Indian side has been working for a long time so that the visit can happen soon. Also Read: Why India observes ‘Martyr’s Day’ and how is it connected to Mahatma Gandhi? Zaabi during India visit will call on Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. It is understood that he will also be given an overview of Indian defence production industry for possibilities of procurement and joint production of defence equipment. Visit by Secretary General Zaabi kick starts a month of intensive defence exchanges with Oman. February will see high profile defence engagements, which includes visits of chief of Oman's Royal Air Force, chief of Oman's Royal Navy, and talks between Indian Navy officials and commander of Royal Navy of Oman (CRNO). The visits of the naval and air force chiefs of Oman are taking place after a gap of five years and is expected to enable a high-level re-engagement between the forces of two sides. February will also witness a bilateral air force exercise in Jodhpur between India and Oman Air force. The annual bilateral air exercise this year will see the participation of over 150 personnel from Oman. Also Read: PM Modi hails 'special friendship' with Israel on 30th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic ties Oman is the only country in the Gulf region with which all three services of the Indian armed forces conduct regular bilateral exercises and staff talks. The country also provides critical operational support to Indian naval deployments in the Arabian sea for anti-piracy missions. The country also actively participates in the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS). Defence cooperation has emerged as a key pillar of India-Oman strategic partnership. Oman is India’s closest defence partner in the Gulf region and an important anchor for India’s defence and strategic interests. Defence exchanges are a part of a framework MoU, which was renewed in 2021. Apart from the engagements in defence, training is a key component in the ties. Omani forces regularly take part in training courses in India both at professional as well as higher command level. Same stands true for Indian armed forces, who take part in the staff and command courses conducted at NDC, Oman.

Oman defence ministry's secretary general, air and navy chief to visit India to strengthen ties

India's Freedom Fighters Do you know about the sacrifices made by Rani Gaidinliu and Birsa Munda? Why were great leaders like Netaji and Sardar Patel sidelined? Watch 'India's Forgotten Heroes'

India's forgotten heroes

In what comes as a remarkable achievement for India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that about 75 per cent of the country's adult population has received two vaccine doses against the deadly coronavirus. "Congratulations to our fellow citizens for this momentous feat. Proud of all those who are making our vaccination drive a success," PM Modi wrote in a tweet.&nbsp;

This comes in at a time when the country is battling against the highly contagious Omicron variant.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
75% of all adults are fully vaccinated. 
 
Congratulations to our fellow citizens for this momentous feat. 
 
Proud of all those who are making our vaccination drive a success. <a href="https://t.co/OeCJddtAL8">https://t.co/OeCJddtAL8</a>
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1487641114504957956?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

As per the health ministry data, India reported 234,281 new Covid infections over the last 24 hours, taking the overall tally to 41.09 million. A total of 893 fatalities were recorded as the total death toll reached 494,091.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-jem-commander-zahid-wani-among-five-terrorists-killed-in-twin-operations-in-jk-448893">Also read |&nbsp;India: JeM commander Zahid Wani among five terrorists killed in twin operations in J&amp;K</a>

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya in a tweet said, "With the mantra of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Prayas', India has vaccinated 75 per cent of its adult population with both doses of the vaccine. We are getting stronger in the fight against Corona. We have to follow all the rules and administer the vaccine as soon as possible."

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
'सबका साथ, सबका प्रयास' के मंत्र के साथ, भारत ने अपनी 75% वयस्क आबादी को वैक्सीन की दोनों डोज लगाने का लक्ष्य हासिल कर लिया है। 
 
कोरोना से लड़ाई में हम निरंतर मज़बूत हो रहें है। हमें सभी नियमों का पालन करते रहना है और जल्द से जल्द वैक्सीन लगवानी है। <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SabkoVaccineMuftVaccine?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SabkoVaccineMuftVaccine</a> <a href="https://t.co/wSBg9AQphx">pic.twitter.com/wSBg9AQphx</a>
— Dr Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) <a href="https://twitter.com/mansukhmandviya/status/1487630605688860683?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Earlier in October,&nbsp;the number of Covid&nbsp;vaccine doses delivered in India surpassed the one billion mark.

India's status as a worldwide vaccine and biologics production powerhouse has grown because the government has been conducting a massive vaccination campaign for its massive eligible population.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

In what comes as a remarkable achievement for India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that about 75 per cent of the country's adult population has received two vaccine doses against the deadly coronavirus.

In what comes as a remarkable achievement for India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that about 75 per cent of the country's adult population has received two vaccine doses against the deadly coronavirus. "Congratulations to our fellow citizens for this momentous feat. Proud of all those who are making our vaccination drive a success," PM Modi wrote in a tweet. This comes in at a time when the country is battling against the highly contagious Omicron variant. 75% of all adults are fully vaccinated. Congratulations to our fellow citizens for this momentous feat. Proud of all those who are making our vaccination drive a success. https://t.co/OeCJddtAL8 — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 30, 2022 × As per the health ministry data, India reported 234,281 new Covid infections over the last 24 hours, taking the overall tally to 41.09 million. A total of 893 fatalities were recorded as the total death toll reached 494,091. Also read | India: JeM commander Zahid Wani among five terrorists killed in twin operations in J&K Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya in a tweet said, "With the mantra of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Prayas', India has vaccinated 75 per cent of its adult population with both doses of the vaccine. We are getting stronger in the fight against Corona. We have to follow all the rules and administer the vaccine as soon as possible." 'सबका साथ, सबका प्रयास' के मंत्र के साथ, भारत ने अपनी 75% वयस्क आबादी को वैक्सीन की दोनों डोज लगाने का लक्ष्य हासिल कर लिया है। कोरोना से लड़ाई में हम निरंतर मज़बूत हो रहें है। हमें सभी नियमों का पालन करते रहना है और जल्द से जल्द वैक्सीन लगवानी है। #SabkoVaccineMuftVaccine pic.twitter.com/wSBg9AQphx — Dr Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) January 30, 2022 × Earlier in October, the number of Covid vaccine doses delivered in India surpassed the one billion mark. India's status as a worldwide vaccine and biologics production powerhouse has grown because the government has been conducting a massive vaccination campaign for its massive eligible population. (With inputs from agencies)

India vaccinates 75% of its adult population: PM Modi

Indian PM Narendra Modi addressed the nation with the 85th edition of Mann ki Baat. It is also the first edition of this year.

Watch Indian PM Narendra Modi's first 'Mann Ki Baat' of year 2022

India and Israel celebrated 30th anniversary of full diplomatic relations. While COVID has meant that some planned celebrations have had to go online, the two countries have jointly launched the anniversary year virtually with a logo marking the occasion.

30 years of India, Israel ties: PM Naftali Bennett shares heartfelt message

In a special video message released on Saturday to commemorate thirty years of full diplomatic relations between India and Israel, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that there could not be a better time to set new goals to take forward relations between the two countries.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks on India-Israel ties, says no better time to set new goals

Drones and projection mapping show: Here are a few stunning images from India's Beating Retreat ceremony

Today marks the 30th anniversary of full diplomatic relations between India and Israel. While COVID has meant that some planned celebrations have had to go online, the two countries have jointly launched the anniversary year virtually with a logo marking the occasion.

India & Israel to mark 30 years of diplomatic ties

Pics: To spread awareness, Covid-inspired murals created in this Indian city

With India’s Budget announcement round the corner, every tax payer longs for some pleasing announcements to be made by the government. &nbsp;

The best examples are the hike in the standard deduction and new ways to save tax. &nbsp;

The standard deduction is actually a relief allowed in gross salary income for salaried individuals and pensioners by the government under the rules. &nbsp;

Although the standard deduction affects every individual, whether one has opted for old or new tax regime, the ways to save tax, such as kids' education, belong to only the people, who have gone for old regime. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/indias-budget-2022-important-terms-you-should-know-448628" hreflang="en">India's Budget 2022: Important terms you should know</a>

This year would not be any different. The citizens of the country have already pinned hopes on the Indian Finance Minister’s announcement about the Budget in this regard. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Till now, the standard deduction for salaried taxpayers, who are below the age of 60 years, is Rs 2,50,000. The rate is same for both tax regimes, new and old. &nbsp;&nbsp;

In the old tax regime, the deduction is Rs 3,00,000 for taxpayers above 60 years of age and Rs 5,00,000 for people above 80 years of age. In new regime, the deduction is Rs 2,50,000 for everyone. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/indias-budget-2022-what-is-the-sin-tax-is-it-in-this-years-budget-448627" hreflang="en">India's Budget 2022: What is the Sin Tax? Is it in this year's budget?&nbsp;</a>

Another standard deduction of Rs 50,000 is allowed for every individual going for old regime as per rules. &nbsp;

The deduction for the children’s tuition fee comes under section 80C and has a limit of Rs 1,50,000. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The raising of these limits by around 20% would be warmly welcomed by citizens as they have been witnessing tough times for last two years due to coronavirus pandemic. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The hike in the above limits would also encourage people to do more savings for future. If the government comes up with a tax relief related to COVID-19, the citizens will get the much-needed respite. &nbsp;&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

With India’s Budget announcement round the corner, every tax payer longs for some pleasing announcements to be made by the government. The best examples are the hike in the standard deduction and new ways to save tax.

With India’s Budget announcement round the corner, every tax payer longs for some pleasing announcements to be made by the government. The best examples are the hike in the standard deduction and new ways to save tax. The standard deduction is actually a relief allowed in gross salary income for salaried individuals and pensioners by the government under the rules. Although the standard deduction affects every individual, whether one has opted for old or new tax regime, the ways to save tax, such as kids' education, belong to only the people, who have gone for old regime. Also Read: India's Budget 2022: Important terms you should know This year would not be any different. The citizens of the country have already pinned hopes on the Indian Finance Minister’s announcement about the Budget in this regard. Till now, the standard deduction for salaried taxpayers, who are below the age of 60 years, is Rs 2,50,000. The rate is same for both tax regimes, new and old. In the old tax regime, the deduction is Rs 3,00,000 for taxpayers above 60 years of age and Rs 5,00,000 for people above 80 years of age. In new regime, the deduction is Rs 2,50,000 for everyone. Also Read: India's Budget 2022: What is the Sin Tax? Is it in this year's budget? Another standard deduction of Rs 50,000 is allowed for every individual going for old regime as per rules. The deduction for the children’s tuition fee comes under section 80C and has a limit of Rs 1,50,000. The raising of these limits by around 20% would be warmly welcomed by citizens as they have been witnessing tough times for last two years due to coronavirus pandemic. The hike in the above limits would also encourage people to do more savings for future. If the government comes up with a tax relief related to COVID-19, the citizens will get the much-needed respite. (With inputs from agencies)

India’s Budget 2022 expectations: Hike in standard deduction, tuition fee relief under income tax rules

With focus on trade, security and connectivity, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds first-of-its-kind summit with leaders of Central Asian nations. WION's Siddhant Sibbal brings you more details.

Mutual cooperation between India & Central Asia necessary for regional security, says PM Modi

India has raised with United States government attempts to desecrate Mahatma Gandhi's statue by Khalistani mob in Washington. This came after the mob attempted to desecrate the statue on India's Republic Day as a show of protest.

In response to questions at the weekly presser, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, "There was also an attempt to desecrate the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Washington DC. We have taken up all these unfortunate incidents with the host governments and conveyed our concerns".&nbsp;

He further added, "We have requested a thorough investigation, action against all those involved and prevention of such incidents from happening in the future."

In the past, many attempts have been noticed for the desecration of Mahatma's statue in the US by extremist elements.&nbsp;

This has not just happened in Washington but similar instances have also taken place in front of the Indian consulate in Milan where Khalistani elements had put up their flag.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/indian-man-gets-visa-to-visit-pakistani-brother-separated-during-partition-448547">Also read |&nbsp;Indian man gets visa to visit Pakistani brother separated during Partition</a>

Khalistanis have been active in several European countries, like Italy and the UK, where such kinds of activities have been noticed in the past as well.

The MEA spokesman highlighted that India attaches "utmost priority to the security of our diplomats abroad and the premises in which they work and live in" and "work closely with local authorities and host governments to ensure that adequate security is provided".

Many of these Khalistani elements have support from Pakistan as these protestors have been seen chanting pro-Pakistan slogans.

During PM Modi's visit to the US last year, Khalistani protestors were seen chanting pro-Pakistan slogans.&nbsp;

Interestingly, a strong social media presence has also been seen as videos of acts of desecration and acts of vandalisation in front of Indian missions have been instantly uploaded by Pro Khalistani anonymous Twitter handles.

India has raised with United States government attempts to desecrate Mahatma Gandhi's statue by Khalistani mob in Washington. This came after the mob attempted to desecrate the statue on India's Republic Day as a show of protest.

India has raised with United States government attempts to desecrate Mahatma Gandhi's statue by Khalistani mob in Washington. This came after the mob attempted to desecrate the statue on India's Republic Day as a show of protest. In response to questions at the weekly presser, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, "There was also an attempt to desecrate the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Washington DC. We have taken up all these unfortunate incidents with the host governments and conveyed our concerns". He further added, "We have requested a thorough investigation, action against all those involved and prevention of such incidents from happening in the future." In the past, many attempts have been noticed for the desecration of Mahatma's statue in the US by extremist elements. This has not just happened in Washington but similar instances have also taken place in front of the Indian consulate in Milan where Khalistani elements had put up their flag. Also read | Indian man gets visa to visit Pakistani brother separated during Partition Khalistanis have been active in several European countries, like Italy and the UK, where such kinds of activities have been noticed in the past as well. The MEA spokesman highlighted that India attaches "utmost priority to the security of our diplomats abroad and the premises in which they work and live in" and "work closely with local authorities and host governments to ensure that adequate security is provided". Many of these Khalistani elements have support from Pakistan as these protestors have been seen chanting pro-Pakistan slogans. During PM Modi's visit to the US last year, Khalistani protestors were seen chanting pro-Pakistan slogans. Interestingly, a strong social media presence has also been seen as videos of acts of desecration and acts of vandalisation in front of Indian missions have been instantly uploaded by Pro Khalistani anonymous Twitter handles.

India raises attempts to desecrate Gandhi statue by Khalistanis with US

India's High Commission in the Canadian capital of Ottawa has confirmed the identities of the four Indians who were frozen to death near the border between the United States and Canada last week. Earlier, it was revealed that the family belonged to&nbsp;the western state of Gujarat.&nbsp;

The High Commission revealed the deceased as 39-year-old Jagdish Baldevbhai Patel, 37-year-old Vaishaliben Jagdishkumar Patel, 11-year-old Vihangi Jagdishkumar Patel and 3-year-old Dharmik Jagdishkumar Patel.&nbsp;

The family of four were found dead near Emerson, Manitoba, approximately 12 metres from the Canada-US border on January 19 by Canadian police.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/watch-central-asia-is-central-to-indias-vision-of-a-stable-neighbourhood-pm-modi-448140">Watch:&nbsp;‘Central Asia is central to India's vision of a stable neighbourhood': PM Modi&nbsp;</a>

Previously, the authorities had said that the family included an adult male, adult female, teen male and infant. Now, they have revealed that the victims included a young girl and not a teen male.&nbsp;

The identities of all four victims were confirmed after the autopsies were completed on January 26 and the next of kin of the deceased have been informed.&nbsp;

It has been understood that the four were among four families from the same village who had travelled to the border this month but got separated from the group and probably caught in a blizzard.&nbsp;

The press release from the Indian High Commission added that after medical examination the death of all the persons have been determined to be consistent with exposure to the outdoor elements.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/amid-tense-situation-over-ukraine-russian-foreign-ministry-says-india-kept-in-loop-448229">Amid tense situation over Ukraine, Russian foreign ministry says India kept in loop</a>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The Identities of four victims, whose bodies were recovered near the Canada-US border in Manitoba on 19 January 2022, have now been confirmed.<a href="https://twitter.com/MEAIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MEAIndia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/IndiainToronto?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IndiainToronto</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/rcmpmb?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@rcmpmb</a> <a href="https://t.co/ptwj2ER0Uf">pic.twitter.com/ptwj2ER0Uf</a>
— India in Canada (@HCI_Ottawa) <a href="https://twitter.com/HCI_Ottawa/status/1486879600978407435?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Meanwhile, authorities in India have initiated a probe into illegal immigration in the aftermath of the horrific tragedy. Indian police have detained six people in connection, the officials informed on Thursday (January 27).

As informed by the Indian police, the people who are detained were running a travel and tourism company in&nbsp;Gujarat.&nbsp;

Police official AK Jhala in the state capital of Gandhinagar said, "We are now trying to nab the human traffickers who managed to send this family and others abroad via illegal channels."

A foreign ministry official in India's capital New Delhi said authorities were coordinating with US and Canadian border officials to investigate the illegal immigration case.

(With inputs from agencies)

India's High Commission in the Canadian capital of Ottawa has confirmed the identities of the four Indians who were frozen to death near the border between the United States and Canada last week.

India's High Commission in the Canadian capital of Ottawa has confirmed the identities of the four Indians who were frozen to death near the border between the United States and Canada last week. Earlier, it was revealed that the family belonged to the western state of Gujarat. The High Commission revealed the deceased as 39-year-old Jagdish Baldevbhai Patel, 37-year-old Vaishaliben Jagdishkumar Patel, 11-year-old Vihangi Jagdishkumar Patel and 3-year-old Dharmik Jagdishkumar Patel. The family of four were found dead near Emerson, Manitoba, approximately 12 metres from the Canada-US border on January 19 by Canadian police. ALSO READ | Watch: ‘Central Asia is central to India's vision of a stable neighbourhood': PM Modi Previously, the authorities had said that the family included an adult male, adult female, teen male and infant. Now, they have revealed that the victims included a young girl and not a teen male. The identities of all four victims were confirmed after the autopsies were completed on January 26 and the next of kin of the deceased have been informed. It has been understood that the four were among four families from the same village who had travelled to the border this month but got separated from the group and probably caught in a blizzard. The press release from the Indian High Commission added that after medical examination the death of all the persons have been determined to be consistent with exposure to the outdoor elements. ALSO READ | Amid tense situation over Ukraine, Russian foreign ministry says India kept in loop The Identities of four victims, whose bodies were recovered near the Canada-US border in Manitoba on 19 January 2022, have now been confirmed.@MEAIndia @IndiainToronto @rcmpmb pic.twitter.com/ptwj2ER0Uf — India in Canada (@HCI_Ottawa) January 28, 2022 × Meanwhile, authorities in India have initiated a probe into illegal immigration in the aftermath of the horrific tragedy. Indian police have detained six people in connection, the officials informed on Thursday (January 27). As informed by the Indian police, the people who are detained were running a travel and tourism company in Gujarat. Police official AK Jhala in the state capital of Gandhinagar said, "We are now trying to nab the human traffickers who managed to send this family and others abroad via illegal channels." A foreign ministry official in India's capital New Delhi said authorities were coordinating with US and Canadian border officials to investigate the illegal immigration case. (With inputs from agencies)

Identities of Indian family found frozen to death near US-Canada border confirmed

Ottawa has now lifted India-specific Covid testing requirements making it easier to travel between India and Canada. The latest travel advisory no longer requires a negative RT-PCR test report before boarding. The travellers from India will also not be required a get a negative test result from a third country before leaving for Canada.

However, entry into Canada is restricted to fully vaccinated passengers.&nbsp;Both Indian vaccines, Covishield and Covaxin, are recognised in Canada for travel purposes. &nbsp;

Earlier, the norms read, “Passengers who travel from India to Canada via an indirect route still need to provide a pre-departure negative Covid-19 molecular test result from a third country before continuing their journey to Canada.”

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/omicron-wave-may-have-peaked-in-canada-says-top-health-official-446795">Also read |&nbsp;Omicron wave may have peaked in Canada, says top health official</a>

Meanwhile, Canada’s top health official has said that the fast-spreading Omicron variant of Covid may have peaked in the country.

Canada’s chief public health officer Dr Theresa Tam in a statement released on Friday said that there have been “early indications that infections may have peaked at the national level, including daily case counts, test positivity, Rt (or effective reproduction number), and wastewater surveillance trends”.

The average case count has decreased by 28 per cent compared with the previous week, according to Tam, but she warned that the 22 per cent test positivity rate indicates there is still “widespread” disease activity across the country.

Multiple Canadian provinces, including Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia, have started easing restrictions that were imposed when the Omicron fuelled the fifth wave in the country.

Ottawa has now lifted India-specific Covid testing requirements making it easier to travel between India and Canada. The latest travel advisory no longer requires a negative RT-PCR test report before boarding.

Ottawa has now lifted India-specific Covid testing requirements making it easier to travel between India and Canada. The latest travel advisory no longer requires a negative RT-PCR test report before boarding. The travellers from India will also not be required a get a negative test result from a third country before leaving for Canada. However, entry into Canada is restricted to fully vaccinated passengers. Both Indian vaccines, Covishield and Covaxin, are recognised in Canada for travel purposes. Earlier, the norms read, “Passengers who travel from India to Canada via an indirect route still need to provide a pre-departure negative Covid-19 molecular test result from a third country before continuing their journey to Canada.” Also read | Omicron wave may have peaked in Canada, says top health official Meanwhile, Canada’s top health official has said that the fast-spreading Omicron variant of Covid may have peaked in the country. Canada’s chief public health officer Dr Theresa Tam in a statement released on Friday said that there have been “early indications that infections may have peaked at the national level, including daily case counts, test positivity, Rt (or effective reproduction number), and wastewater surveillance trends”. The average case count has decreased by 28 per cent compared with the previous week, according to Tam, but she warned that the 22 per cent test positivity rate indicates there is still “widespread” disease activity across the country. Multiple Canadian provinces, including Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia, have started easing restrictions that were imposed when the Omicron fuelled the fifth wave in the country.

Travelling to Canada now becomes easier as country lifts India-specific testing rules

India is turning from an arms buyer to an arms maker. India and the Philippines have signed a contract for the shore-based anti-ship missile system acquisition project in what would formalise New Delhi's maiden export consignment of BrahMos missiles, which are jointly developed with Moscow.

India and Philippines ink contract for BrahMos missiles

"We are grateful for the friendship and support of the people of India," Israel's foreign minister Yair Lapid says in an exclusive message for WION viewers, as India and Israel mark 30 years of diplomatic ties.

Israel grateful for Indian support, says Yair Lapid

The hearing of the Thanjavur alleged 'Forced Conversion' case in the Madras High court witnessed fierce arguments being put forth by the petitioner's counsel (victim's parents' lawyer) and the counsel of the concerned school, where the victim had studied.&nbsp; 
Hearing both sides and the prosecution (government counsel), Justice GR Swaminathan reserved his order, without specifying a date.

This case was originally filed by the victim's parents, who sought a CB-CID probe in the matter and raised questions about the integrity of the police investigation, into their minor daughter's suicide.&nbsp;

Representing the government, the prosecutor informed the court that the cops were investigating all angles and that over 50 witnesses had been questioned.&nbsp;

It was also added that Muthuvel, the individual who shot the girl's 'dying declaration' video was not cooperating with the probe. 
The counsel for the girl's parents made a slew of points that needed to be investigated.&nbsp;

Some of them included how the victim managed to obtain poison in the children's hostel, the need for her 'dying declaration' video shot by a third party to be taken as direct evidence.&nbsp;

The manner in which the cops ruled out the religious conversion angle at an initial stage was pointed out.&nbsp;

In addition to this, the Education Minister terming the act of shooting the dying declaration video 'wrong' was also mentioned.

Referring to the cause of suicide as a continuous process and the alleged attempt to forcibly convert the girl to Christianity, around two years ago, the Counsel said that confidential details of the probe, including new videos, were being leaked out after the phone, where it was recorded, was handed over to the cops.&nbsp;

A similar case of Sukanya, a student in a missionary-run institution, who ended her life in 2006 under mysterious circumstances and how it turned out to be a case of gang rape, was also brought up.&nbsp;

Quoting the victim's parents, the prosecutor said that the dying declaration video was shot on January 17 and that the parents raised this issue only after the daughter's death, on January 19.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/examine-victims-video-that-mentions-forced-conversion-court-tells-tamil-nadu-govt-in-student-suicide-case-447226">Also read |&nbsp;Examine victim’s video that mentions ‘forced-conversion’, Court tells Tamil Nadu Govt in student suicide case&nbsp;</a>

Stating that the victim's parents' statements were recorded thrice, the prosecutor said that their further allegations could be filed as an affidavit.&nbsp;

The school's counsel informed the court of having shared a confidential affidavit with the judge. This was done to protect the privacy of the family.&nbsp;

The allegations of conversion were also denied, adding that they were in the field of education for many years and that there were no complaints so far.&nbsp;

Allegations were also made against the girl receiving stepmotherly treatment at her home and questions were raised over why the family kept quiet over the conversion allegations for two years.&nbsp;

The school's counsel alleged that the said 'dying declaration' video was tailored and doctored.

It was also stated that the girl was more attached to the school than her home and that she generally did not go home on short vacations. Allegations were also made about the victim not being on good terms with her stepmother.&nbsp;

The school's counsel also alleged that the victim was under depression and care was being provided by the school.&nbsp;

The case pertains to a 17-year old girl from a poor background, who studied in a Christian Missionary school in Tamil Nadu’s Thanjavur district. According to the police, the victim had consumed poisonous material on January 9 and had succumbed ten days later.&nbsp;

In an unverified video, she is seen saying, “In front of me also they asked my parents about converting me to Christianity so that she would make me study. She would also keep scolding me and not let me stay there”. When asked who she was referring to, the victim is heard saying, “Sister Rachel Mary."

When asked if she was tortured because she refused to convert to Christianity, the victim is heard saying “it could be possible”.

As per the Legal Rights Protection Forum’s (LRPF) complaint to India’s National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), the victim’s school had been illegally converting children into Christianity and was imposing corporal punishments on those who resisted.&nbsp;

It added that this was causing mental agony to students and driving them to extreme steps.

“The victim was forced to convert to Christianity and when she refused the same, she was refused permission to return home from the hostel. She was made to clean toilets and wash dishes,” read the complaint.&nbsp;

It also adds that the child tried to end her life due to the atrocities inflicted upon her.&nbsp;

Last week, the bereaved parents approached the Madras High Court, seeking a CB-CID probe in this matter.&nbsp;

Earlier this week, the Madras High court had ordered that the phone in which these videos were recorded was to be submitted for forensic examination.&nbsp;

It was also added that the individual who shot these videos had to appear before the investigators.&nbsp;

While the court had asked for the authenticity of the video to be ascertained, it had also stated that the cops must not harass the person who shot it.

The hearing of the Thanjavur alleged 'Forced Conversion' case in the Madras High court witnessed fierce arguments being put forth by the petitioner's counsel (victim's parents' lawyer) and the counsel of the concerned school, where the victim had studied.

The hearing of the Thanjavur alleged 'Forced Conversion' case in the Madras High court witnessed fierce arguments being put forth by the petitioner's counsel (victim's parents' lawyer) and the counsel of the concerned school, where the victim had studied. Hearing both sides and the prosecution (government counsel), Justice GR Swaminathan reserved his order, without specifying a date. This case was originally filed by the victim's parents, who sought a CB-CID probe in the matter and raised questions about the integrity of the police investigation, into their minor daughter's suicide. Representing the government, the prosecutor informed the court that the cops were investigating all angles and that over 50 witnesses had been questioned. It was also added that Muthuvel, the individual who shot the girl's 'dying declaration' video was not cooperating with the probe. The counsel for the girl's parents made a slew of points that needed to be investigated. Some of them included how the victim managed to obtain poison in the children's hostel, the need for her 'dying declaration' video shot by a third party to be taken as direct evidence. The manner in which the cops ruled out the religious conversion angle at an initial stage was pointed out. In addition to this, the Education Minister terming the act of shooting the dying declaration video 'wrong' was also mentioned. Referring to the cause of suicide as a continuous process and the alleged attempt to forcibly convert the girl to Christianity, around two years ago, the Counsel said that confidential details of the probe, including new videos, were being leaked out after the phone, where it was recorded, was handed over to the cops. A similar case of Sukanya, a student in a missionary-run institution, who ended her life in 2006 under mysterious circumstances and how it turned out to be a case of gang rape, was also brought up. Quoting the victim's parents, the prosecutor said that the dying declaration video was shot on January 17 and that the parents raised this issue only after the daughter's death, on January 19. Also read | Examine victim’s video that mentions ‘forced-conversion’, Court tells Tamil Nadu Govt in student suicide case Stating that the victim's parents' statements were recorded thrice, the prosecutor said that their further allegations could be filed as an affidavit. The school's counsel informed the court of having shared a confidential affidavit with the judge. This was done to protect the privacy of the family. The allegations of conversion were also denied, adding that they were in the field of education for many years and that there were no complaints so far. Allegations were also made against the girl receiving stepmotherly treatment at her home and questions were raised over why the family kept quiet over the conversion allegations for two years. The school's counsel alleged that the said 'dying declaration' video was tailored and doctored. It was also stated that the girl was more attached to the school than her home and that she generally did not go home on short vacations. Allegations were also made about the victim not being on good terms with her stepmother. The school's counsel also alleged that the victim was under depression and care was being provided by the school. The case pertains to a 17-year old girl from a poor background, who studied in a Christian Missionary school in Tamil Nadu’s Thanjavur district. According to the police, the victim had consumed poisonous material on January 9 and had succumbed ten days later. In an unverified video, she is seen saying, “In front of me also they asked my parents about converting me to Christianity so that she would make me study. She would also keep scolding me and not let me stay there”. When asked who she was referring to, the victim is heard saying, “Sister Rachel Mary." When asked if she was tortured because she refused to convert to Christianity, the victim is heard saying “it could be possible”. As per the Legal Rights Protection Forum’s (LRPF) complaint to India’s National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), the victim’s school had been illegally converting children into Christianity and was imposing corporal punishments on those who resisted. It added that this was causing mental agony to students and driving them to extreme steps. “The victim was forced to convert to Christianity and when she refused the same, she was refused permission to return home from the hostel. She was made to clean toilets and wash dishes,” read the complaint. It also adds that the child tried to end her life due to the atrocities inflicted upon her. Last week, the bereaved parents approached the Madras High Court, seeking a CB-CID probe in this matter. Earlier this week, the Madras High court had ordered that the phone in which these videos were recorded was to be submitted for forensic examination. It was also added that the individual who shot these videos had to appear before the investigators. While the court had asked for the authenticity of the video to be ascertained, it had also stated that the cops must not harass the person who shot it.

'Forced Conversion' case: Madras High Court reserves order after hearing arguments of victim, school's counsel

India hosted its first ever summit with Central Asian countries. The situation in Afghanistan topped the agenda. What are the key takeaways? Palki Sharma brings you the highlights.

Gravitas: India-Central Asian countries discuss situation in Afghanistan

India has not issued an official statement on the Russia, Ukraine crisis. New Delhi has not sided with either party. Both, the West and Russia are strategically important to India. Which side will New Delhi lean? Palki Sharma brings you a report.

Gravitas: Ukraine, Russia crisis: Which side will India lean?

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote to some of the most loved overseas cricketers in the country on the occasion of India's 73rd Republic Day on January 26. India's constitution came to effect on January 26, 1950, and the date is celebrated every year as Republic Day. On Wednesday, India celebrated its 73rd Republic Day in the 75th year of independence making the day a lot more special.

Thus, PM Modi decided to personally write to some of the cricketers who have been great ambassadors to the country and have maintained a close connection with the Indian fans. The Indian Prime Minister wrote to the likes of Jonty Rhodes, Chris Gayle and Kevin Pietersen thanking them for their love and affection towards India.

After Gayle and Rhodes, Pietersen too took to social media to acknowledge PM Modi's kind words for him and expressed his love for India. The former England captain, who currently stays in South Africa, said he has grown more in love with India on every visit ever since he first stepped into the country in 2003.

"Dear, Mr&nbsp;@narendramodi, Thanks for the incredibly kind words in your letter to me. Ever since stepping foot in India in 2003, I’ve grown more in love with your country on every visit.&nbsp;I was recently asked, ‘what do you most like about India’ &amp; my answer was easy&nbsp;- THE PEOPLE," Pietersen wrote in a tweet.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Dear, Mr <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@narendramodi</a>, 
Thanks for the incredibly kind words in your letter to me. Ever since stepping foot in India in 2003, I’ve grown more in love with your country on every visit. 
I was recently asked, ‘what do you most like about India’ &amp; my answer was easy - THE PEOPLE 1/2 <a href="https://t.co/fHvMMWi4Mi">pic.twitter.com/fHvMMWi4Mi</a>
— Kevin Pietersen (@KP24) <a href="https://twitter.com/KP24/status/1486902394059378691?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Pietersen, who was one of the first England players to go against the English cricket board in taking part in the Indian Premier League (IPL), played in India in the IPL from 2009 to 2016. Post-retirement, he has been on several trips to India working as a commentator during the IPL.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/chris-gayle-jonty-rhodes-react-after-receiving-personal-message-from-pm-modi-on-indias-73rd-republic-day-447818">Gayle, Rhodes react after receiving personal message from PM Modi on India's 73rd Republic Day</a>

The former England cricketer sent his wishes to Indian fans on Republic Day and expressed his gratitude towards PM Modi for making India one of the world leaders when it comes to wildlife preservation.

"Happy Republic Day to all Indians for a couple days ago. A proud country &amp; a powerhouse globally!&nbsp;I look forward to meeting you in person soon, to thank you for how India is a global leader in protecting its wildlife!&nbsp;My best wishes," wrote Pietersen in another tweet.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Happy Republic Day to all Indians for a couple days ago. A proud country &amp; a powerhouse globally! 
I look forward to meeting you in person soon, to thank you for how India is a global leader in protecting its wildlife! 
My best wishes! 
<a href="https://t.co/oxcwWEgmuX">pic.twitter.com/oxcwWEgmuX</a>
— Kevin Pietersen (@KP24) <a href="https://twitter.com/KP24/status/1486902404008361990?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Pietersen, who has often expressed his love for India as a country, had also posted tweets in Hindi in the past to win the hearts of his fans. The former England captain played for teams like Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Rising Pune Supergiants during his IPL stint.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote to some of the most loved overseas cricketers in the country on the occasion of India's 73rd Republic Day on January 26.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote to some of the most loved overseas cricketers in the country on the occasion of India's 73rd Republic Day on January 26. India's constitution came to effect on January 26, 1950, and the date is celebrated every year as Republic Day. On Wednesday, India celebrated its 73rd Republic Day in the 75th year of independence making the day a lot more special. Thus, PM Modi decided to personally write to some of the cricketers who have been great ambassadors to the country and have maintained a close connection with the Indian fans. The Indian Prime Minister wrote to the likes of Jonty Rhodes, Chris Gayle and Kevin Pietersen thanking them for their love and affection towards India. After Gayle and Rhodes, Pietersen too took to social media to acknowledge PM Modi's kind words for him and expressed his love for India. The former England captain, who currently stays in South Africa, said he has grown more in love with India on every visit ever since he first stepped into the country in 2003. "Dear, Mr @narendramodi, Thanks for the incredibly kind words in your letter to me. Ever since stepping foot in India in 2003, I’ve grown more in love with your country on every visit. I was recently asked, ‘what do you most like about India’ & my answer was easy - THE PEOPLE," Pietersen wrote in a tweet. Dear, Mr @narendramodi, Thanks for the incredibly kind words in your letter to me. Ever since stepping foot in India in 2003, I’ve grown more in love with your country on every visit. I was recently asked, ‘what do you most like about India’ & my answer was easy - THE PEOPLE 1/2 pic.twitter.com/fHvMMWi4Mi — Kevin Pietersen (@KP24) January 28, 2022 × Pietersen, who was one of the first England players to go against the English cricket board in taking part in the Indian Premier League (IPL), played in India in the IPL from 2009 to 2016. Post-retirement, he has been on several trips to India working as a commentator during the IPL. Also Read: Gayle, Rhodes react after receiving personal message from PM Modi on India's 73rd Republic Day The former England cricketer sent his wishes to Indian fans on Republic Day and expressed his gratitude towards PM Modi for making India one of the world leaders when it comes to wildlife preservation. "Happy Republic Day to all Indians for a couple days ago. A proud country & a powerhouse globally! I look forward to meeting you in person soon, to thank you for how India is a global leader in protecting its wildlife! My best wishes," wrote Pietersen in another tweet. Happy Republic Day to all Indians for a couple days ago. A proud country & a powerhouse globally! I look forward to meeting you in person soon, to thank you for how India is a global leader in protecting its wildlife! My best wishes! pic.twitter.com/oxcwWEgmuX — Kevin Pietersen (@KP24) January 28, 2022 × Pietersen, who has often expressed his love for India as a country, had also posted tweets in Hindi in the past to win the hearts of his fans. The former England captain played for teams like Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Rising Pune Supergiants during his IPL stint.

'I've grown more in love with India': Kevin Pietersen responds after PM Modi writes to him on Republic Day

'Doolally Sahib and the Black Zamindar', the new book by Indian parliamentarian, author and eminent journalist MJ Akbar, is a chronicle of racial relations between Indians and their last foreign invaders, sometimes infuriating but always compelling.

The book draws upon the letters, memoirs and journals of traders, travellers, bureaucrats, officials, officers and the occasional bishop.

A multitude of vignettes, combined with insight and analysis, reveal the deeply ingrained conviction of ‘white superiority’ that shaped this history.

How deep this conviction was is best illustrated by the fact that the British abandoned a large community of their own children because they were born of Indian mothers. The British took pride in being outsiders, even as their exploitative revenue policy turned periodic drought and famine into horrific catastrophes, killing impoverished Indians in millions.

There were also marvellous and heart-warming exceptions in this extraordinary panorama, people who transcended racial prejudice and served as a reminder of what might have been had the British made India a second home and merged with its culture instead of treating it as a fortune-hunter’s turf.

In these excerpts from the book, the author describes the intricacies of marital relations between the Portuguese and Indians and how the two cultures intertwined to influence the Goan cuisine.

What astonished early European contemporaries was the Portuguese willingness to marry Indian women. The reasons were practical rather than altruistic. It was an attempt&nbsp;to create a new loyal population through integration. Goa could be defended with forts, walls, ditches and cannon, but a long-term strategy required numbers.&nbsp;

Afonso de Albuquerque wrote to King Manuel that the Portuguese needed not only to build stone houses but to raise sons and daughters—with Indian wives—who would have a vested interest in Portuguese rule. This policy was approved but proved too radical for consensus and was discontinued after two years.&nbsp;

Social legitimacy, however, could not be so easily withdrawn in practice. Manuel’s successor, Joao III ‘the Pious’, famously ruled between 1521 and 1557 with the sword in one hand and a crucifix in the other. In 1522, Bishop Duarte Nunes advised the new king that it was&nbsp;a grave error to tolerate Hindu festivals and temples in Goa. In 1533, Pope Clement VII authorized the diocese of Goa with jurisdiction from the Cape of Good Hope to China and Japan, while King Joao reinforced his piety by introducing the Inquisition to Portugal in 1536. The Society of Jesus arrived in 1540. The charismatic Jesuit icon, St Francis Xavier, reached Goa in May 1542, on board the&nbsp;same ship as the new viceroy, Martim Afonso de Souza. The two dined at the same table.&nbsp;

Francis Xavier, bearing the title of Papal Nuncio, carried letters of introduction from the king to major rulers of the east. Goa’s Vicar General Miguel Vaz had already done some vigorous proselytization with the support of the government, implementing the policy of rigor de misericordia (pressure of moral&nbsp;force, which had been successfully used to expel Jews and Muslims in Portugal).

Xavier’s mission was to multiply the number of saved souls through conversion. He established institutions for religious administration and schools before he died on the Chinese island of Sancian in 1552. Miraculously, his corpse did not deteriorate and was

sent back to Goa in 1554, where it is preserved in the Basilica of Bom Jesus. Dr Fryer, as both an Anglican visitor and a medical doctor,&nbsp;was awed by the ‘Miraculous Relick’. Francis Xavier was canonized in 1622.

Portuguese policy served both God and Caesar. The church counted its blessings in numbers of new Catholics; the state needed loyalists in administration, military and trading. Privileges were granted to converts. By 1539, the five islands under Portuguese rule—Tiswadi, Divar, Chorao, Juv and Kumbarjuv—had an estimated 10,000 Catholics out of a population of about 40,000.

Priests of other Catholic orders flooded Goa. Conversion became competitive, and a saying became popular: viceroys come and go, Jesuits stay&nbsp;on forever.

The converts were reluctant to abandon all aspects of their traditional or ‘heathen’ culture, a fact which grated on the priests.&nbsp;While drinking water, for instance, they held the vessel above the mouth in the Indian manner and poured, for touching the vessel might invite ‘pollution’. There was relentless pressure to uproot tradition, inexorably linked as it was to the Hindu faith. King Joao III ordered all temples to be razed.

The Inquisition used torture in the service of religion. Dr Fryer describes a torture machine: Going the next Morning to the Palace-stairs, we saw their Sessions house, the bloody Prison of the Inquisition; and, in a principal Market-place, was raised an Engine a great height,&nbsp;at top like a Gibbet, with a Pulley, with steppings to go upon, as on a Flag staff, for the Strapado, which unhinges a man’s joints; a cruel Torture. Over against these Stairs, is an Island, where they burn (after exposing them to the Multitude) all those condemned by the Inquisitor, which are brought from the Sancto Officio dress’d up in the most horrid Shapes of Imps and Devils, and so delivered to the Executioner.&nbsp;

Fryer was prudent enough to ask no questions. The tribunal was particularly harsh on lower caste converts&nbsp;who, often attracted only by the worldly advantages of adopting Christianity, maintained convivial relations with ‘Gentoo’ relatives or went to local doctors when ill. They were consigned to the flames for apostasy or sorcery. There were instances of Hindus being smeared&nbsp;with beef. Soldiers were ordered to disperse any multitude at a Hindu festival; idol-worship was forbidden and many Brahmins decided to sell their property and leave. Official jobs were reserved for Catholics.&nbsp;

During the century of intense oppression, between 1550 and 1650, the Christian population rose from one-fifth to two-thirds. High-caste converts managed to protect their privileged cocoons, retaining old surnames, marrying and socializing within their old kin, creating a Catholic Christianity with Hindu characteristics.

Edicts were often ignored rather than resisted—the church had to keep renewing its list of taboos. Try as they might, the authorities&nbsp;could not force people to end their reverence for the cow. When temples were destroyed, worshippers hid their deities or sent them to a sanctuary outside Goa, bringing them back to the village annually to display their true fealty. There were economic reasons as well for the survival of Hinduism—a mass departure of Hindus would have led to scarcity in farm labour, artisans and sailing crew, thereby undermining the colonial project. Business required existing expertise. Merchants, tax collectors and bankers were Hindus, while most contracts were handled by the elite Saraswat Brahmins.

The Goan Indian kitchen, allied with clothes and manners, won a splendid victory over any attempt at ostracization or European&nbsp;snobbery.&nbsp;

In her fascinating study of food and colonial culture, Lizzie Collingham writes: When the Dutchman Jan Huyghen van Linschoten arrived in&nbsp;Goa in September 1583, almost a century after Vasco da Gama landed at Calicut, he was surprised to discover the wives of the Portuguese eating Indian food. A typical meal was boiled rice with a thin watery soup poured over it, salt fish, mango&nbsp;pickle, and a fish or meat sauce. These were dishes strange to a 16th century European whose staple diet was wheat bread and roast meats. Not only did the Portuguese in India eat unfamiliar food, they ate it with their hands in the Indian manner. Indeed, the women laughed at anyone they observed using a spoon.

The Portuguese were equally flexible in dress and personal habits. Adds Collingham: Many of the Portuguese settlers had adopted a variety of Indian habits. The men had discarded their tight knee-length hose for ‘a sort of breeches, called Candales, the like whereof I never saw in any part of Europe; for when they are ty’d they leave something like the tops of Boots on the&nbsp;Leg. Others under a short Doublet, wear wide silk Breeches; and some have them hand down to their Ankles’. Even more peculiar, they regularly changed their underclothes. In Europe, it was customary to rub oneself down with one’s old linen underclothes before putting on a fresh undershirt, and a bath was out of the question.

In contrast, the Portuguese in India were scrupulously clean. Besides regularly changing their linen, they took a bath at least once, and sometimes twice, a day. Nor did the women ever fail to wash ‘as often as they ease themselves or make water, or use the companiesof their husbands’… The women observed purdah, and wore veils when they went outside. Although the wealthy hung themselves with ‘jewels, and rosaries of Gold and Silver many times double’, to indicate their Christian faith, they wore Indian clothes: thin, almost transparent, swathes of material above the waist and petticoats, bare legs and colourful slippers below… the wives were said to spend their days idly chewing betel nut, and washing and rubbing themselves with sweet-smelling perfumes and sandalwood. These were all practices,

Linschoten observed, they had learned and ‘received of the Indian Heathens, which have these customs of long time’. Despite the ruthless demands of the Inquisition, which began to peter out towards the second half of the 18th century, the Portuguese were more comfortable with eastern culture than the English who followed them, perhaps because they understood the east far better than north Europeans. Portugal was ruled by Arab-Moor Muslims for more than five centuries, between 712 and 1249.

Goan fishermen found an effective way to keep churchmen content: the best of the daily catch was reserved for priests. Food was a synthesizer, if not an equalizer. Portuguese-Goan cooks used toddy, in the absence of yeast, to ferment dough, adding to the repertoire of a staple like bread. The Bebinca cake was made from milk, eggs and jaggery, a local substitute for sugar. They introduced confections like the marzipan, tart and Florentine. The spicy vindaloo was a meat preparation, a chilli-soaked variation of carne de vinho ealhos, or pork cooked in wine vinegar and garlic. The fame of Goan cooks spread.

John Ovington records in 1689 that the East India Company kitchen in Surat had an Indian and a Portuguese cook in addition to an Englishman. This eclectic popularity became more mainstream when the British took along Goan cooks to their Raj in 1814 at the end of their friendly occupation of Goa during the Napoleonic wars. Lizzie Collingham writes that by the middle of the 19th century: Goan cooks were especially sought after… These cooks introduced vindaloo into the repertoire of Anglo-Indian curries… Goan cookery books referred to it as a ‘Portuguese curry’. For the British, the Goans applied the techniques of vindaloo to all sorts of meats, with duck being the favourite.

By the 1920s a Goan cook had become a marker of status…The Goans had preserved the Portuguese talent for magical desserts and the British enthused over their chocolate fondants and sugar-coated fruits. A classic Anglo-Indian dish known as beveca, made from sugar, rice flour, coconut cream and rose water, was a simplified version of the Goan layered coconut&nbsp;cake, bebinca.

'Doolally Sahib and the Black Zamindar', the new book by Indian parliamentarian, author and eminent journalist MJ Akbar, is a chronicle of racial relations between Indians and their last foreign invaders, sometimes infuriating but always compelling.

'Doolally Sahib and the Black Zamindar', the new book by Indian parliamentarian, author and eminent journalist MJ Akbar, is a chronicle of racial relations between Indians and their last foreign invaders, sometimes infuriating but always compelling. The book draws upon the letters, memoirs and journals of traders, travellers, bureaucrats, officials, officers and the occasional bishop. A multitude of vignettes, combined with insight and analysis, reveal the deeply ingrained conviction of ‘white superiority’ that shaped this history. How deep this conviction was is best illustrated by the fact that the British abandoned a large community of their own children because they were born of Indian mothers. The British took pride in being outsiders, even as their exploitative revenue policy turned periodic drought and famine into horrific catastrophes, killing impoverished Indians in millions. There were also marvellous and heart-warming exceptions in this extraordinary panorama, people who transcended racial prejudice and served as a reminder of what might have been had the British made India a second home and merged with its culture instead of treating it as a fortune-hunter’s turf. In these excerpts from the book, the author describes the intricacies of marital relations between the Portuguese and Indians and how the two cultures intertwined to influence the Goan cuisine. What astonished early European contemporaries was the Portuguese willingness to marry Indian women. The reasons were practical rather than altruistic. It was an attempt to create a new loyal population through integration. Goa could be defended with forts, walls, ditches and cannon, but a long-term strategy required numbers. Afonso de Albuquerque wrote to King Manuel that the Portuguese needed not only to build stone houses but to raise sons and daughters—with Indian wives—who would have a vested interest in Portuguese rule. This policy was approved but proved too radical for consensus and was discontinued after two years. Social legitimacy, however, could not be so easily withdrawn in practice. Manuel’s successor, Joao III ‘the Pious’, famously ruled between 1521 and 1557 with the sword in one hand and a crucifix in the other. In 1522, Bishop Duarte Nunes advised the new king that it was a grave error to tolerate Hindu festivals and temples in Goa. In 1533, Pope Clement VII authorized the diocese of Goa with jurisdiction from the Cape of Good Hope to China and Japan, while King Joao reinforced his piety by introducing the Inquisition to Portugal in 1536. The Society of Jesus arrived in 1540. The charismatic Jesuit icon, St Francis Xavier, reached Goa in May 1542, on board the same ship as the new viceroy, Martim Afonso de Souza. The two dined at the same table. Francis Xavier, bearing the title of Papal Nuncio, carried letters of introduction from the king to major rulers of the east. Goa’s Vicar General Miguel Vaz had already done some vigorous proselytization with the support of the government, implementing the policy of rigor de misericordia (pressure of moral force, which had been successfully used to expel Jews and Muslims in Portugal). Xavier’s mission was to multiply the number of saved souls through conversion. He established institutions for religious administration and schools before he died on the Chinese island of Sancian in 1552. Miraculously, his corpse did not deteriorate and was sent back to Goa in 1554, where it is preserved in the Basilica of Bom Jesus. Dr Fryer, as both an Anglican visitor and a medical doctor, was awed by the ‘Miraculous Relick’. Francis Xavier was canonized in 1622. Portuguese policy served both God and Caesar. The church counted its blessings in numbers of new Catholics; the state needed loyalists in administration, military and trading. Privileges were granted to converts. By 1539, the five islands under Portuguese rule—Tiswadi, Divar, Chorao, Juv and Kumbarjuv—had an estimated 10,000 Catholics out of a population of about 40,000. Priests of other Catholic orders flooded Goa. Conversion became competitive, and a saying became popular: viceroys come and go, Jesuits stay on forever. The converts were reluctant to abandon all aspects of their traditional or ‘heathen’ culture, a fact which grated on the priests. While drinking water, for instance, they held the vessel above the mouth in the Indian manner and poured, for touching the vessel might invite ‘pollution’. There was relentless pressure to uproot tradition, inexorably linked as it was to the Hindu faith. King Joao III ordered all temples to be razed. The Inquisition used torture in the service of religion. Dr Fryer describes a torture machine: Going the next Morning to the Palace-stairs, we saw their Sessions house, the bloody Prison of the Inquisition; and, in a principal Market-place, was raised an Engine a great height, at top like a Gibbet, with a Pulley, with steppings to go upon, as on a Flag staff, for the Strapado, which unhinges a man’s joints; a cruel Torture. Over against these Stairs, is an Island, where they burn (after exposing them to the Multitude) all those condemned by the Inquisitor, which are brought from the Sancto Officio dress’d up in the most horrid Shapes of Imps and Devils, and so delivered to the Executioner. Fryer was prudent enough to ask no questions. The tribunal was particularly harsh on lower caste converts who, often attracted only by the worldly advantages of adopting Christianity, maintained convivial relations with ‘Gentoo’ relatives or went to local doctors when ill. They were consigned to the flames for apostasy or sorcery. There were instances of Hindus being smeared with beef. Soldiers were ordered to disperse any multitude at a Hindu festival; idol-worship was forbidden and many Brahmins decided to sell their property and leave. Official jobs were reserved for Catholics. During the century of intense oppression, between 1550 and 1650, the Christian population rose from one-fifth to two-thirds. High-caste converts managed to protect their privileged cocoons, retaining old surnames, marrying and socializing within their old kin, creating a Catholic Christianity with Hindu characteristics. Edicts were often ignored rather than resisted—the church had to keep renewing its list of taboos. Try as they might, the authorities could not force people to end their reverence for the cow. When temples were destroyed, worshippers hid their deities or sent them to a sanctuary outside Goa, bringing them back to the village annually to display their true fealty. There were economic reasons as well for the survival of Hinduism—a mass departure of Hindus would have led to scarcity in farm labour, artisans and sailing crew, thereby undermining the colonial project. Business required existing expertise. Merchants, tax collectors and bankers were Hindus, while most contracts were handled by the elite Saraswat Brahmins. The Goan Indian kitchen, allied with clothes and manners, won a splendid victory over any attempt at ostracization or European snobbery. In her fascinating study of food and colonial culture, Lizzie Collingham writes: When the Dutchman Jan Huyghen van Linschoten arrived in Goa in September 1583, almost a century after Vasco da Gama landed at Calicut, he was surprised to discover the wives of the Portuguese eating Indian food. A typical meal was boiled rice with a thin watery soup poured over it, salt fish, mango pickle, and a fish or meat sauce. These were dishes strange to a 16th century European whose staple diet was wheat bread and roast meats. Not only did the Portuguese in India eat unfamiliar food, they ate it with their hands in the Indian manner. Indeed, the women laughed at anyone they observed using a spoon. The Portuguese were equally flexible in dress and personal habits. Adds Collingham: Many of the Portuguese settlers had adopted a variety of Indian habits. The men had discarded their tight knee-length hose for ‘a sort of breeches, called Candales, the like whereof I never saw in any part of Europe; for when they are ty’d they leave something like the tops of Boots on the Leg. Others under a short Doublet, wear wide silk Breeches; and some have them hand down to their Ankles’. Even more peculiar, they regularly changed their underclothes. In Europe, it was customary to rub oneself down with one’s old linen underclothes before putting on a fresh undershirt, and a bath was out of the question. In contrast, the Portuguese in India were scrupulously clean. Besides regularly changing their linen, they took a bath at least once, and sometimes twice, a day. Nor did the women ever fail to wash ‘as often as they ease themselves or make water, or use the companiesof their husbands’… The women observed purdah, and wore veils when they went outside. Although the wealthy hung themselves with ‘jewels, and rosaries of Gold and Silver many times double’, to indicate their Christian faith, they wore Indian clothes: thin, almost transparent, swathes of material above the waist and petticoats, bare legs and colourful slippers below… the wives were said to spend their days idly chewing betel nut, and washing and rubbing themselves with sweet-smelling perfumes and sandalwood. These were all practices, Linschoten observed, they had learned and ‘received of the Indian Heathens, which have these customs of long time’. Despite the ruthless demands of the Inquisition, which began to peter out towards the second half of the 18th century, the Portuguese were more comfortable with eastern culture than the English who followed them, perhaps because they understood the east far better than north Europeans. Portugal was ruled by Arab-Moor Muslims for more than five centuries, between 712 and 1249. Goan fishermen found an effective way to keep churchmen content: the best of the daily catch was reserved for priests. Food was a synthesizer, if not an equalizer. Portuguese-Goan cooks used toddy, in the absence of yeast, to ferment dough, adding to the repertoire of a staple like bread. The Bebinca cake was made from milk, eggs and jaggery, a local substitute for sugar. They introduced confections like the marzipan, tart and Florentine. The spicy vindaloo was a meat preparation, a chilli-soaked variation of carne de vinho ealhos, or pork cooked in wine vinegar and garlic. The fame of Goan cooks spread. John Ovington records in 1689 that the East India Company kitchen in Surat had an Indian and a Portuguese cook in addition to an Englishman. This eclectic popularity became more mainstream when the British took along Goan cooks to their Raj in 1814 at the end of their friendly occupation of Goa during the Napoleonic wars. Lizzie Collingham writes that by the middle of the 19th century: Goan cooks were especially sought after… These cooks introduced vindaloo into the repertoire of Anglo-Indian curries… Goan cookery books referred to it as a ‘Portuguese curry’. For the British, the Goans applied the techniques of vindaloo to all sorts of meats, with duck being the favourite. By the 1920s a Goan cook had become a marker of status…The Goans had preserved the Portuguese talent for magical desserts and the British enthused over their chocolate fondants and sugar-coated fruits. A classic Anglo-Indian dish known as beveca, made from sugar, rice flour, coconut cream and rose water, was a simplified version of the Goan layered coconut cake, bebinca.

Why did Portuguese colonialists marry Indian women? Book sheds light into the real reason

Budget 2022 is just around the corner and like other sectors, auto sector in India has its expectations as well. Around 50% of manufacturing contribution in India's GDP comes from auto sector so what are the expectations of this shining sector? Today we're joined by Santosh Iyer, VP of Mercedes-Benz.

50% of manufacturing contribution in India's GDP comes from auto sector

india

India, News on India, stories on India, articles on India, India stories at Wion, India news, India latest news