INFIDEL

  Alu in Persian means Plum, that's where dried Plums get their name "Alubukhara" from. Literally "Plum from Bukhara". Bukhara being the ancient hub of dry fruit trade on the silk route. However, in India, potato’s name is a classic example of "linguistic recycling." Potato came to India from South America with the Portuguese. Before the potato arrived in India, the word Aloo (from the Sanskrit Āluka) already existed. It was used to describe Elephant Foot Yam (Amorphophallus paeoniifolius) and other native tuberous roots. When the potato was introduced, it looked and cooked remarkably similarly to these native tubers. Over time, the name "Aloo" was simply transferred to the new, more popular vegetable, while the original owner of the name became specifically known as Ool (in Bangla) or Jimikand (in Hindi). The Persians call it Sib-zamini which is a literal translation of the French phrase pomme de terre, which means "apple of the earth...

  When Modi sarkar came into office in 2014, 1. Roughly 1,520 km of the total 2,216.7 km border was already fenced in West Bengal. All of it by UPA-I and UPA-II under Dr Manmohan Singh. 2. By August 2025, Modi sarkar managed to fence only 127km in 12 years. 3. Pending (Feasible): 456.2 km 4. Non-Feasible/Unfenceable: 112.8 km (Rivers/Swamps/Sundarbans mangroves etc) For 12 years Modi and Shah have been screaming Ghuspethiya because they failed to fence a mere 456 kms while past govts, UPA-I and UPA-II under Dr Manmohan Singh, since the year 2000 managed to complete 1,520 km of the total 2,216.7 km border in Bengal and also the rest of the Indo-Bangla border stretching across 4,096.7 km Nobody asked when over 3,232 km is already fenced and sealed, what prevented BSF from sealing a mere 456.2 km by physical control and patrolling? Border sealing in any case is the primary responsibility of the BSF. Suvendu Adhikar says that BSF will be provided land within 45 days for border fencing ...

Marshal of Finland (Suomen Marsalkka) Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim is the most towering figure in Finnish history—a man who was essentially a cosmopolitan Russian Imperial officer before becoming the "Father of Modern Finland." Surprisingly, the man who saved Finland from the USSR spent 30 years as a loyal servant to the Russian Tsar. He rose to the rank of Lieutenant General in the Imperial Russian Army. He was a highly decorated cavalry officer and even participated in the coronation of Tsar Nicholas II. When the Soviet Union invaded Finland in 1939, Mannerheim (at age 72) was the only choice for Commander-in-Chief. He oversaw two critical conflicts: The Winter War (1939–1940): This war saw the iconic use of ski troops and Molla-style (Molotov cocktails). Despite a massive disparity in aircraft and armor, Finland held out for 105 days, inflicting catastrophic losses on the Red Army. The Continuation War (1941–1944): Finland fought alongside Germany to reclaim lost territory,...

  Historically, the Island of Ireland never had any species of snakes living on it During the last glacial period, Ireland was too cold for any reptiles to survive. When the ice melted and the seas rose, Ireland was cut off from mainland Europe and Britain much earlier than Great Britain was cut off from the continent. Snakes are slow migrators. By the time the climate was warm enough for them to move north, the Irish Sea was already a formidable barrier that they couldn't cross. However, Christian belief says that St Patrick rid the island of snakes. Well, that is how you demonise others based on faith. Those "snakes" were actually widely understood as a symbol for Druidic or Pagan practices. By "driving them out," the story celebrates St. Patrick’s success in converting the Irish tribes to Christianity and ending the dominance of the old Celtic religions. In Christian iconography of that era, the serpent was a primary symbol of evil or the devil (stemming from...

After the Anglo-Bhutan War (1864–1865), the British annexed the region known as the Western Dooars. Following the war with Bhutan, the British formalized their control over these "Duars." The first part of the name, "Ali," refers to Colonel Hedayat Ali, who served as the first Extra Assistant Commissioner of the district during the British administration. Colonel Ali was a key figure in establishing the administrative headquarters in the area. The settlement that grew around his camp was named "Alipur" in his honor. The suffix "Duar" (meaning "door" or "gateway" in Bengali, Assamese, and Hindi) refers to the region's geographical position. The area consists of several "duars"(Dooars) or mountain passes that serve as the entrance from the plains of India into the foothills of the Himalayas and the Kingdom of Bhutan. Historically, there were 18 such gateways (11 on the Bengal side and 7 on the Assam side). Alipurdu...

  DO YOU KNOW Due to some twist of history, in case the French people decide to restore their monarchy, then the next King of France is an Indian?? Yes, the direct blood descendent of the House of Bourbon is a resident of Bhopal and practices law in the Courts in Bhopal. The gentleman I am referring to is Balthazar Napoleon IV de Bourbon. The lineage traces back to Prince Jean-Philippe de Bourbon. Jean-Philippe was a French nobleman (purportedly a nephew or cousin of King Henri IV) who fled France in 1560 after killing a man in a duel. After a series of events involving pirates and shipwrecks and being sold as a slave in the slave market in Egypt, he ended up at the court of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. He rose to prominence, married a sister of one of Akbar's wives (a Christian woman named Lady Juliana), and was given the title of "Raja of Shergar." Two sisters—Dona Maria Mascarenhas and Juliana—were captured by pirates and brought to Akbar's court. While the names soun...