The Evening Wrap: India proved sceptics wrong, says President Murmu

Addressing the nation on the eve of 76th Independence Day, President Droupadi Murmu, on Sunday greeted all Indians and said August 15, 2022 marks the day when the people had freed themselves from the shackles of colonial rulers and decided to reshape the country’s destiny. “As all of us celebrate the anniversary of that day, we bow to all those men and women who made enormous sacrifices to make it possible for us to live in a free India,” the President said and added that August 14 is observed as ‘Partition Horrors Remembrance Day’ so as to promote social harmony, unity and empowerment of people. Ms. Murmu said the 76th Independence Day is a cause of celebration not only for all Indians but also for every advocate of democracy around the world. She said India proved the sceptics who believed about the success of democratic form of government in the country wrong. “India, after so many years of exploitation at the hands of foreign rulers, was marked by poverty and illiteracy. But we Indians proved the sceptics wrong. Democracy not only grew roots in this soil, it was enriched too,” she said citing the example of universal adult franchise right for every adults since the beginning of the Republic. She said at the beginning of civilisation, saints and seers of this land had developed a vision of humanity that was defined by equality of all; indeed, oneness of all. She said the celebrations of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav are dedicated to the people of India. “The Indian tricolours are fluttering in every nook and corner of the country. Great martyrs would have been thrilled to see the spirit of the Independence Movement coming alive again on such a massive scale,” she said in the speech. She said for a country like India, the passage of 75 years is merely a blink of an eye. “But for us as individuals, it is a lifetime. Senior citizens among us have witnessed a dramatic change in their lifetime. They have seen how, after Independence, all the generations have toiled hard; how we met great challenges and how we have taken charge of our destiny. Full text of the President Murmu’s address to the nation Mahatma Gandhi’s mistake led to Partition, says RSS leader Indresh Kumar Senior RSS leader Indresh Kumar stoked a controversy after his speech at an event in Jaipur during which he said Mahatma Gandhi’s mistake led to the Partition of India. He also said that Gandhi should have picked Sardar Patel, and Subhash Chandra Bose as “aide-de-camp” instead of Jinnah and Nehru and this would have avoided the division of Bharat. “India got freedom 75 years ago but in the form of partition. If Bapu (Mahatma Gandhi) had not chosen Jinna (Muhammad Ali Jinnah) and Nehru (Pandit Jawaha lal Nehru) as aide-de-camp for talks with the British, India would not have been divided. Had Sardar Patel, Subhash Chandra Bose or Maharishi Aurobindo been the aide-de-camps in their place, India would not have been partitioned. Bapu’s small mistake split India into two pieces,” Mr. Kumar said. Congress leaders like Gaurav Gogoi and Digvijaya Singh questioned the RSS stand on Mr. Kumar’s statement. Mr. Gogoi tweeted that he is not surprised to see this remark from Mr. Kumar. “This is what Nathuram Godse also believed before he assassinated Mahatma Gandhi. It is this ideology which pulled the trigger on Father of our nation Mahatma Gandhi,” he tweeted. Mr. Singh said that Mr. Kumar is the same leader whose name was registered in the FIR of Ajmer bomb blast. “Mohan Bhagwat ji, is Indresh Kumar ji a member of RSS or related to you? On his statement on Gandhi ji, would you like to say something,” Mr. Singh asked. Partition Horrors Remembrance Day | PM Modi pays homage to lives lost Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid homage to all those who lost their lives during the Partition of India, and applauded the resilience as well as grit of those who suffered during that period of history. The Centre announced in 2021 that August 14 will be observed as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day in memory of the struggles and sacrifices of people. “Today, on Partition Horrors Remembrance Day, I pay homage to all those who lost their lives during Partition, and applaud the resilience as well as grit of all those who suffered during that tragic period of our history,” Mr. Modi said in a tweet. Union Home Minister Amit Shah also paid his tributes to those who suffered during the Partition and said it was an "inhuman" chapter of India's history that can never be forgotten. 'Partition Horrors Remembrance Day' will remind the younger generation the torture and pain suffered by the countrymen and will inspire citizens to maintain peace and harmony ‘forever’, he said. "The partition of the country in 1947 is that inhuman chapter of Indian history which can never be forgotten. The violence and hatred claimed millions of lives and displaced innumerable people. Today, on 'Partition Horrors Remembrance Day', I bow to the lakhs of people who suffered the brunt of partition," Mr. Shah tweeted. BJP gets plum portfolios in Maharashtra Cabinet; Shinde faction inherits Sena’s past positions Less than a week after the expansion of the new Maharashtra cabinet, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced the portfolios for the 18 Ministers inducted in the first phase. While BJP Ministers largely kept the portfolios that were held by the Nationalist Congress Party in the erstwhile Maha Vikas Aghadi government, the Sena faction led by Mr. Shinde kept those that were held by the Shiv Sena and the Congress in the previous regime. With more than 20 Cabinet berths yet to be filled, Mr. Shinde decided to keep the Urban Development portfolio along with General Administration, Information and Technology, Public Works (Public Projects), Transport, Relief and Rehabilitation, along with others yet to be allotted. The BJP now holds many of the plum portfolios. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was given Home, Finance and Planning, Law and Justice, and Water Resources. Senior BJP leader Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, a long-time Congressman who switched sides in 2019, was given the Revenue, and Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development portfolios. Atul Save, BJP MLA from Aurangabad and a first-time Cabinet Minister, was given the crucial Cooperation portfolio, which many thought would be allotted to Mr. Vikhe-Patil. Sudhir Mungantiwar was allotted the Forest, Cultural Affairs and Fisheries portfolio, while former BJP State president Chandrakant Patil was given Higher and Technical Education. In contrast to the fellow BJP leaders, other Ministers of the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) seem to have been allotted ‘lesser’ portfolios. Exceptions in the Shinde faction were Tanaji Sawant, who was given Public Health and Welfare; Uday Samant, who was given Industries; and Abdul Sattar, who was allotted the Agriculture portfolio. Meanwhile, Mr. Fadnavis said that there was “no rift” whatsoever between the two coalition allies over portfolio allocation and the arrangement was “not a watertight one.” About the next phase of Cabinet expansion, he said that it was the CM’s prerogative and that only Mr. Shinde knows when it will take place. Salman Rushdie on the road to recovery, says his agent Author Salman Rushdie is “on the road to recovery”, his agent Andrew Wylie confirmed, two days after he suffered serious injuries in a stabbing at a lecture in upstate New York. The announcement followed news that the lauded writer was removed from a ventilator, on Saturday, and was able to talk and joke. Mr. Wylie continued to caution that although Mr. Rushdie’s “condition is headed in the right direction”, his recovery would be a long process. Mr. Rushdie (75) suffered a damaged liver and severed nerves in an arm and an eye, Mr. Wylie had previously said, and was likely to lose the injured eye. Earlier in the day, Hadi Matar, the man accused of attacking Mr. Rushdie at the Chautauqua Institution in New York, pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and assault charges in what a prosecutor called a “preplanned” crime. An attorney for Matar entered the plea on his behalf during an arraignment in western New York. A judge ordered him held without bail after District Attorney Jason Schmidt told her Matar, 24, took steps to purposely put himself in position to harm Mr. Rushdie, getting an advance pass to the event where the author was speaking and arriving a day early bearing a fake ID. In Brief Veteran stock investor and newly-launched Akasa Air founder Rakesh Jhunjhunwala passed away on Sunday morning in Mumbai following a prolonged illness. He was 62. He is survived by his wife and three children. Jhunjhunwala’s net worth is estimated at $5.8 billion (approximately ₹46,000 crore) by Forbes and was India’s 36th wealthiest individual. Several leaders, including Prime Minister Modi, took to Twitter to pay tributes to Jhunjhunwala and offered condolences to his family. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow [logo] The Evening Wrap 14 AUGUST 2022 [The Hindu logo] Welcome to the Evening Wrap newsletter, your guide to the day’s biggest stories with concise analysis from The Hindu. [[Arrow]Open in browser]( [[Mail icon]More newsletters]( India proved sceptics wrong, says President Murmu Addressing the nation on the eve of 76th Independence Day, President Droupadi Murmu, on Sunday greeted all Indians and said August 15, 2022 marks the day when the people had freed themselves from the shackles of colonial rulers and decided to reshape the country’s destiny. “As all of us celebrate the anniversary of that day, we bow to all those men and women who made enormous sacrifices to make it possible for us to live in a free India,” the President said and added that August 14 is observed as ‘Partition Horrors Remembrance Day’ so as to promote social harmony, unity and empowerment of people. [President Droupadi Murmu addresses the nation on the eve of the 76th Independence Day on August 14, 2022. Photo: Twitter/@rashtrapatibhvn via PTI] Ms. Murmu said the 76th Independence Day is a cause of celebration not only for all Indians but also for every advocate of democracy around the world. [She said India proved the sceptics who believed about the success of democratic form of government in the country wrong](. “India, after so many years of exploitation at the hands of foreign rulers, was marked by poverty and illiteracy. But we Indians proved the sceptics wrong. Democracy not only grew roots in this soil, it was enriched too,” she said citing the example of universal adult franchise right for every adults since the beginning of the Republic. She said at the beginning of civilisation, saints and seers of this land had developed a vision of humanity that was defined by equality of all; indeed, oneness of all. She said the celebrations of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav are dedicated to the people of India. “The Indian tricolours are fluttering in every nook and corner of the country. Great martyrs would have been thrilled to see the spirit of the Independence Movement coming alive again on such a massive scale,” she said in the speech. She said for a country like India, the passage of 75 years is merely a blink of an eye. “But for us as individuals, it is a lifetime. Senior citizens among us have witnessed a dramatic change in their lifetime. They have seen how, after Independence, all the generations have toiled hard; how we met great challenges and how we have taken charge of our destiny. [Full text of the President Murmu’s address to the nation]( Mahatma Gandhi’s mistake led to Partition, says RSS leader Indresh Kumar Senior RSS leader Indresh Kumar stoked a controversy after his speech at an event in Jaipur during which [he said Mahatma Gandhi’s mistake led to the Partition of India](. He also said that Gandhi should have picked Sardar Patel, and Subhash Chandra Bose as “aide-de-camp” instead of Jinnah and Nehru and this would have avoided the division of Bharat. “India got freedom 75 years ago but in the form of partition. If Bapu (Mahatma Gandhi) had not chosen Jinna (Muhammad Ali Jinnah) and Nehru (Pandit Jawaha lal Nehru) as aide-de-camp for talks with the British, India would not have been divided. Had Sardar Patel, Subhash Chandra Bose or Maharishi Aurobindo been the aide-de-camps in their place, India would not have been partitioned. Bapu’s small mistake split India into two pieces,” Mr. Kumar said. Congress leaders like Gaurav Gogoi and Digvijaya Singh questioned the RSS stand on Mr. Kumar’s statement. Mr. Gogoi tweeted that he is not surprised to see this remark from Mr. Kumar. “This is what Nathuram Godse also believed before he assassinated Mahatma Gandhi. It is this ideology which pulled the trigger on Father of our nation Mahatma Gandhi,” he tweeted. Mr. Singh said that Mr. Kumar is the same leader whose name was registered in the FIR of Ajmer bomb blast. “Mohan Bhagwat ji, is Indresh Kumar ji a member of RSS or related to you? On his statement on Gandhi ji, would you like to say something,” Mr. Singh asked. Partition Horrors Remembrance Day | PM Modi pays homage to lives lost Prime Minister [Narendra Modi paid homage]( to all those who lost their lives during the Partition of India, and applauded the resilience as well as grit of those who suffered during that period of history. The Centre announced in 2021 that August 14 will be observed as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day in memory of the struggles and sacrifices of people. “Today, on Partition Horrors Remembrance Day, I pay homage to all those who lost their lives during Partition, and applaud the resilience as well as grit of all those who suffered during that tragic period of our history,” Mr. Modi said in a tweet. Union Home Minister[Amit Shah also paid his tributes]( to those who suffered during the Partition and said it was an "inhuman" chapter of India's history that can never be forgotten. 'Partition Horrors Remembrance Day' will remind the younger generation the torture and pain suffered by the countrymen and will inspire citizens to maintain peace and harmony ‘forever’, he said. "The partition of the country in 1947 is that inhuman chapter of Indian history which can never be forgotten. The violence and hatred claimed millions of lives and displaced innumerable people. Today, on 'Partition Horrors Remembrance Day', I bow to the lakhs of people who suffered the brunt of partition," Mr. Shah tweeted. BJP gets plum portfolios in Maharashtra Cabinet; Shinde faction inherits Sena’s past positions Less than a week after the expansion of the new Maharashtra cabinet, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced the portfolios for the 18 Ministers inducted in the first phase. While BJP Ministers largely kept the portfolios that were held by the Nationalist Congress Party in the erstwhile Maha Vikas Aghadi government, the Sena faction led by Mr. Shinde kept those that were held by the Shiv Sena and the Congress in the previous regime. With more than 20 Cabinet berths yet to be filled, Mr. Shinde decided to keep the Urban Development portfolio along with General Administration, Information and Technology, Public Works (Public Projects), Transport, Relief and Rehabilitation, along with others yet to be allotted. The [BJP now holds many of the plum portfolios](. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was given Home, Finance and Planning, Law and Justice, and Water Resources. Senior BJP leader Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, a long-time Congressman who switched sides in 2019, was given the Revenue, and Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development portfolios. Atul Save, BJP MLA from Aurangabad and a first-time Cabinet Minister, was given the crucial Cooperation portfolio, which many thought would be allotted to Mr. Vikhe-Patil. Sudhir Mungantiwar was allotted the Forest, Cultural Affairs and Fisheries portfolio, while former BJP State president Chandrakant Patil was given Higher and Technical Education. In contrast to the fellow BJP leaders, other Ministers of the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) seem to have been allotted ‘lesser’ portfolios. Exceptions in the Shinde faction were Tanaji Sawant, who was given Public Health and Welfare; Uday Samant, who was given Industries; and Abdul Sattar, who was allotted the Agriculture portfolio. Meanwhile, Mr. Fadnavis said that there was “no rift” whatsoever between the two coalition allies over portfolio allocation and the arrangement was “not a watertight one.” About the next phase of Cabinet expansion, he said that it was the CM’s prerogative and that only Mr. Shinde knows when it will take place. Salman Rushdie on the road to recovery, says his agent Author Salman Rushdie is “on the road to recovery”, [his agent Andrew Wylie confirmed]( two days after he suffered serious injuries in a stabbing at a lecture in upstate New York. The announcement followed news that the lauded writer was removed from a ventilator, on Saturday, and was able to talk and joke. Mr. Wylie continued to caution that although Mr. Rushdie’s “condition is headed in the right direction”, his recovery would be a long process. Mr. Rushdie (75) suffered a damaged liver and severed nerves in an arm and an eye, Mr. Wylie had previously said, and was likely to lose the injured eye. [Hadi Matar of Fairview, New Jersey, who pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted murder and assault of acclaimed author Salman Rushdie, appears in booking photographs at Chautauqua County Jail in Mayville, New York on August 12, 2022. Photo: Chautauqua County Jail via Reuters] Earlier in the day, Hadi Matar, the man accused of attacking Mr. Rushdie at the Chautauqua Institution in New York, [pleaded not guilty]( to attempted murder and assault charges in what a prosecutor called a “preplanned” crime. An attorney for Matar entered the plea on his behalf during an arraignment in western New York. A judge ordered him held without bail after District Attorney Jason Schmidt told her Matar, 24, took steps to purposely put himself in position to harm Mr. Rushdie, getting an advance pass to the event where the author was speaking and arriving a day early bearing a fake ID. In Brief Veteran stock investor and newly-launched Akasa Air founder [Rakesh Jhunjhunwala passed away]( on Sunday morning in Mumbai following a prolonged illness. He was 62. He is survived by his wife and three children. Jhunjhunwala’s net worth is estimated at $5.8 billion (approximately ₹46,000 crore) by Forbes and was India’s 36th wealthiest individual. Several leaders, including Prime Minister Modi, took to Twitter to pay tributes to Jhunjhunwala and offered condolences to his family. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow  Today’s Top Picks [[When Tirupati ‘Gandhi Road’ recalls the Mahatma’s visit in 1921] When Tirupati ‘Gandhi Road’ recalls the Mahatma’s visit in 1921]( [[Watch | Inside Afghanistan’s secret school] Watch | Inside Afghanistan’s secret school]( [[This cross-border family gets ‘visa freedom’ on I-Day] This cross-border family gets ‘visa freedom’ on I-Day]( [[A golden civilisation beckons from underground at Adichanallur] A golden civilisation beckons from underground at Adichanallur]( Copyright @ 2022, THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD. If you are facing any trouble in viewing this newsletter, please [try here]( If you do not wish to receive such emails [go here](