Pakistani Army Chief last week blamed Shia community for outbreak of violence during protests following the killing of Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei by the US and Israel.
There was little Shia-Sunni conflict in the pre-colonial era. In early 20th century, the struggle for political power sharpened the boundaries, increasingly leading to violence.
Traditionally, BJP’s outreach to Shias, who make up an estimated 15% of India's Muslim population, has been predicated on community’s religious leadership. But that is now changing.
From the time of before Aurangzeb and EIC to the Dogras and now. Shias have been sidelined and systematically targeted. This procession is a step towards coexistence.
In episode 579 of #CutTheClutter, Shekhar Gupta delves into the historical discord between Shias and Sunnis, and why the timing of the latest Sunni protests in Pakistan is odd.
Claims that the conflict is an Indian conspiracy or a distraction from the Bajwa corruption scam don’t explain why Deobandi & militant groups are harassing Shias.
The US and Israel’s assassinations of Iranian leadership ended up bestowing martyrdom on those killed. Shias saw the deaths as a continuity of martyrdom from the Battle of Karbala.
India’s fast-growing data centre sector may strain state electricity networks; Central Electricity Authority has urged Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu to boost capacity.
Theaterisation, which aims to divide the forces into three theatres with specific areas of responsibility, will become the single most far-reaching reform that the Indian military has witnessed since independence.
China patiently invested capital, skill and technology in coal gasification. Unlike it, we won’t move from words to action. As crude prices decline, we lose interest.
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