Bharat Jodo Yatra: A Congress journey; 1971: A love story; Nasal vaccine against Covid-19
Opinion Watch
Rahul Gandhi may be on a yatra for the first time in his political career, as Congress hopped on to the time-tested public outreach for 35700 kms Bharat Jodo journey from Kanyakumari to Srinagar.
The Times of India in its Edit almost called the effort futile, for Congress has not communicated a solid message yet, while the party as been lackadaisical after an electoral losing streak.
The daily argued that the road ahead for Congress is long and hard and the yatra certainly isn’t going there.
The ToI Edit is indeed off-track, and blinded by the electoral success of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Congress is harping on a few issues consistently, which include unemployment, agrarian distress, crony capitalism, and communal discord in the country.
Also, Congress is loudly saying that the mainstream media is compromised. That certainly makes the task of Congress tough, for a mass media is indeed the vehicle to connect with the people, which cannot be replaced by the social media platforms.
The ToI Edit, true to its half-baked opinion pieces, falls for the popular narrative that the BJP is too invincible and Congress much deeper in grave for any challenge in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
1971: A love story
Since 2009, Sheikh Hasina as Prime Minister of Bangladesh has steered her country from the path of Islamic fundamentalism, promoted by the previous dictators, to the trajectory of economic prosperity, and also mending relations with India by acting tough against the terror groups.
The Economic Times and The Hindu have paid rich tributes to the warmth in the bilateral ties, which get further momentum with the unveiling of $2 billion Rampal, Khulna coal-fired power plant, which accounts for $1.6 billion Indian assistance.
TH lauded the water sharing pact for the Kushiyara River, a first in 26 years after similar pact was inked for the Ganges, as the Narendra Modi government could take Assam onboard. Teesta pact remains a work in progress, noted TH, but hinted that Centre may not have a Assam like leverage in West Bengal to fulfil the long held aspirations of the people.
The Chennai-headquartered daily underlined that Hasina is keen to attract Indian investments to two special economic zones at Mongla and Mirsarai. In fact, Indian companies should seize opportunities in Bangladesh, and take advantage of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership that the two countries would work on.
The ET rightly made a passing reference that the Bay of Bengal is an area of interest for China. The Indian industry can certainly compliment the efforts of the government to keep the Chinese debt-trap net being thrown on Bangladesh.
Nasal vaccine against Covid-19
The Covid-19 cases have taken sharp plunge in the recent days. Yet, the vaccines are seen to be the main arsenal in the battle against the pandemic.
The Indian Express has hailed Bharat Biotech’s nasal vaccine, hailing the nod of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation for iNCOVACC as a game-changer.
Russia and China had previously approved the nasal vaccines against Covid-19, which give alternative to shots in the arms jabs.
The daily mapped the journey of iNNCOVACC, which was developed by the Washington University and manufactured by Bharat Biotech, using the harmless version of chimpanzee adenovirus to deliver the spike protein.
Indeed, the nasal vaccines supplement an ever growing bouquet of vaccines against the Covid-19 pandemic that must steady the Indian response to the imported virus.
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