March 24, 2025

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A CONFLUENCE OF FAITH

Fresh off the success of the 2025 Mahakumbh in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath was at his buoyant best at the India Today Conclave, speaking at length on several issues, including the mega event and the criticism around it. Calling the grand congregation a testament to unity and discipline, he explained how the holy dip had played the great leveller, erased differences such as rich-poor or that between castes. "The so-called seculars alleged that there is discrimination in the Sanatan tradition, but the Mahakumbh has put a stop to that, for everyone was bathing in the same sangam.... The Kumbh gave a message of unity, and it was there for everyone to see." The CM elaborated on the extensive planning behind the Mahakumbh, highlighting how his administration had spatially budgeted for 400-450 million devotees but ended up seeing much higher numbers. On the tragic stampede on Mauni Amavasya which took many lives, he emphasised how the government's swift response and foresight had saved thousands more. "There were 40 million pilgrims in the area, another 40 million were expected during the day and from 4 am, the amrit snan of the akharas was planned. Our first responsibility was to take the injured to hospital through the green corridors. We achieved that within 15 minutes. We also wanted to ensure that there was no panic. The first rule of crisis management is to take care of the survivors and provide critical medical attention to those injured. We fulfilled both duties. We will now wait for the commission report on what went wrong, and take action based on that," Yogi saidHigh polemic on controversial matters is an expected flavour from him, and Yogi didn't disappoint. On Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi's statement hailing Aurangzeb, he said, "If someone considers Aurangzeb their idol, he must be suffering from a mental disorder.... It was Aurangzeb who got the Kashi Vishwanath temple demolished, razed the Sri Krishna temple in Mathura, imposed jaziya tax on Hindus. He played with the faith of India. In Uttar Pradesh, we have the best treatment for people who give such statements." Again, on the Sambhal Juma Masjid issue, the CM claimed the place is mentioned in the Puranas. "There was no Islam at that time, but our Puranas say that the 10th incarnation of Lord Vishnu (Kalki) will be in Sambhal. These are places of pilgrimage that were plundered and destroyed.... Now the ASI is doing a survey based on court orders," he saidThe take-no-prisoners stand continued on matters like Holi celebrations and, of course, the UP assembly election in 2027, which Yogi framed as a contest between the 80 per cent and the 20 per cent. So the predictions are in: another win for the saffron side. KEY TAKEAWAYS 450 million people were expected for the Mahakumbh, but some 660 mn took the holy dip instead, says UP govt For the first time, people from the South and even the Northeast actively participated in the Mahakumbh Religious tourism has taken off in UP. The govt has created five `spiritual corridors' for the benefit of devotees Heritage and development have to go hand in hand. If you don't consider India's traditions ideal, it'll be a barrier to development Sambhal is a reality, the mosque was built over a temple. The 10th incarnation of Vishnu will appear here

TRUMP IS AN IDEA WHOSE TIME HAS COME

MIKE POMPEO Former US Secretary of State (2018-2021); former Director, CIA (2017-2018)Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo believes that Donald Trump's second term is largely a continuation of his first, the key difference being that Trump is now more prepared. While the first 50 days of Trump 2.0 have been full of "noise", Pompeo sees in them not flux but the enduring of consistent Trumpian themes. At the India Today Conclave, as he offered insightful commentary on global institutions, US foreign policy and the shifting geopolitical landscape, the only drastic departure from the past Pompeo presented was in his own dramatic physical transformation-- the former CIA director appeared leaner, reportedly having lost 90 pounds in six monthsDiscussing the Russia-Ukraine war, Pompeo acknowledged that the confrontation between Trump and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House was "unfortunate", but assured it would not impact US policy on Ukraine. He reiterated Trump's long-standing stance that Europe must take greater responsibility for its own security, rather than relying on US military and economic support. "The President has been clear: we need Europeans to invest, to stop buying Russian natural gas--these were the things he spoke about throughout his campaign," Pompeo remarkedHe justified Trump's decision to withdraw funding from bodies like the World Health Organization and the UN Human Rights Council, stating that they had strayed from their original purpose. He argued that multilateral organisations like the United Nations--once pillars of global stability--are ineffective and "broken" and influenced by the Chinese Communist Party. He stressed that Trump was not abandoning multilateralism but rather redefining it through alternative alliances like the Abraham Accords and the Quad alliance as a counter to growing Chinese aggressionOn asked why illegal Indian immigrants to the US, while being deported back, were handcuffed, shackled and videographed, Pompeo asserted that they were "all convicted criminals who were in American jails". He said deportation of illegal immigrants was needed to protect American sovereignty and that Trump had done more in this regard "in 20 days" than had happened in the term of his predecessor Joe BidenThe former secretary of state replied in the affirmative when asked if the US would honour its promise to come to the military aid of Taiwan if it faced aggression from China, though Don't listen to the noise, don't listen to the soundbite, don't follow tweet by tweet. Look at the things the Trump administration does and delivers I think the meeting with President Zelensky... was very unfortunate. But it's not going to change much in terms of how the US is going to interact with the conflict in Ukraine Global multilateral institutions are broken, they no longer serve their purpose. They've walked away from their charters, and are dominated by the Chinese Communist Party