INFIDEL

  During the Second World War, various states and communities in the British Empire raised funds to contribute to the war effort. The princely state of Punjab gifted a squadron of Supermarine Spitfire fighter aircraft to the Royal Air Force. In recognition of this significant contribution, the No. 130 Squadron, which was formed on June 16, 1941, was officially known as "The Punjab Squadron" and its unit badge featured an Indian Elephant. No. 130 Squadron was disbanded in February 1944, to maintain the tradition of a Punjab squadron 186 Squadron at RAF Lympne was re-numbered as No. 130 (Punjab) on 5 April 1944. No. 186 Squadron RAF re-numbered as No. 130 (Punjab) was disbanded on 17 July 1945. The name "Punjab" has a lasting legacy in the RAF; the current No. 56 Squadron RAF was also known as the "56 (Punjab) Squadron". March 1946, the No. 56 (Punjab) Squadron nameplate was transferred over to No. 16 Squadron

  Late 19th Century. British India, Rawalpindi Military Accounts Office, Rawalpindi It was/is still called "Calcutta Daftar" because staff working in building mostly came from Calcutta The building continued to be used by the Military Accounts Department, Pakistan up to 1966. It is now Pakistan Ministry of Defence(MOD) office. Restoration and renovation work of the building was started in 2011 and completed in 2014. The same "Calcutta Dafter" today PS: The staff who worked at "Calcutta Daftar" were called "Babu". The adjoining residential area where these "Babus" used to live is called "Babu Mohalla", located between Massey Gate, Hathi chowk & railway station. Old Jewish Building is a residential building which was formerly a synagogue, located on Nishtar Street in the Babu Mohalla neighbourhood. The building is surrounded by a Bohra mosque, a Victorian church, and a Hindu temple. It is the only intact Jewish architecture ...

  Related terms with historical and geographical connections, both originating from the Sanskrit word "Sindhu," the name for the Indus River. "Sindh" refers specifically to the region around the lower Indus River, while "Hind" was a broader Persian and Greek term for the land beyond the Indus, often referring to the entire subcontinent Hind (also spelled Hindestan) was the name of a southeastern Sasanian province lying near the Indus River. The boundaries of the province are obscure. Shapur I installed his son Narseh as "King of the Sakas" in the areas of Eastern Iran as far as Sindh. Narseh is named "King of Sind" in the Naqsh-e Rostam inscription as well as in the Paikuli testament of his father Shapur I. The Buddhist caves of Ajanta have several frescos with characters with foreigners' faces or dresses, dating to circa 480 CE. These have been established to be Sasanians confirming trade and cultural connections between India and ...

  While it is true that the eldest son of the Hindu family commonly was given to the Sikh panth and that mixed Hindu Sikh families still exist. Hindus and Sikhs still intermarry. It is also true that Sikhi was not envisaged to be a hereditary system where the child of a Sikh will only be a Sikh. That is a later modification to the system. However, it is wrong to assert that there was no separate Sikh identity, it was just another Hindu panth. The Sikh panth clearly rejected the Vedas and Hindu deity worship system. Sikhism emphasised on Seva (selfless service) including seva of the Granth Sahab as a living guru. Nanak was a reformist who outright rejected the Brahminical Hindu ritualistic faith and social stratification prevalent in the Hindu society of his time. He championed a new egalitarian social order that became the foundation of Sikhism. Clearly Nanak was not on the same page with orthodox Hindu proponents. Sikhs did save Hinduism from Mughal atrocities, the Sikh class, esp...

  St. John's Church is the third oldest church in the city, next to the Armenian Church of the Holy Nazareth and the Old Mission Church. Construction started in 1784 and was completed in 1787 with Rs 30,000 raised through a public lottery. The land for the St. John's Church was donated by the Maharaja Nabo Kishen Bahadur(Maharaja Nabakrishna Deb), the founder of the Shovabazar Raj Family. Maharaja Nabakrishna Deb was a close confidant and friend of Robert Clive. The foundation stone was laid by Warren Hastings, the Governor General of India on 6 April 1784. BUT WHY IS IT CALLED "PATHURE GIRJA"(STONE CHURCH)? Well, the church is built with a combination of brick and stone. Stone was a rare material in the late 18th century Kolkata. The stones came from the medieval ruins of Gour and were shipped down the Hooghly River. Gour, Maldah was the ancient capital of Bengal, subsequently it was also the seat of power of the Bengal Sultanate. The East India company robbed the st...

The Suzuki Cultus is a supermini car from 1983 to 2016. Formally introduced to Japan in 1983 and ultimately sold in seven countries and marketed worldwide as the Suzuki Swift. The original 1983 first generation Suzuki Swift GL introduced in Australia looked curiously similar to the original Maurti 800 with the only difference being that the Australian car was a three door hatch while Maruti 800 was a five door hatch. However, the original Maruti 800 was based on the 1979 Suzuki Alto. The Maruti 800/Suzuki Alto became Suzuki Mehran in Pakistan In 1989 Suzuki Cultus went to Pakistan as Suzuki Khyber. Maruti Suzuki Swift hatchback was launched in India in May 2005.. The Maurti Suzuki Swift DZire was uniquely developed in India as a compact sedan when the GOI brought in the tax concession on the sub 4 meter compact segment. Finaly in its 2025 facelift, it no longer looks like Swift with a boot, The DZire now looks a car in its own form. The first company to seize the sub 4 meter opportuni...

  "If Sonia Gandhi is opposing it, it must be good for India." Bhakts on social media are finding virtues in the latest Modi govt directive of changing the environmental status of the Aravalli hills and its destruction. As part of the definition, any landform that is at an elevation of 100 metres or more above the local relief will be considered as part of Aravalli Hills along with its slopes and adjacent land. By this definition, more than 90% of the Aravali Hills will not be counted as Aravalli anymore. //The entire landform lying within the area enclosed by such lowest contour, together with the hill, its supporting slopes and associated landforms irrespective of their gradient, shall be deemed to be part of the ‘Aravalli Hills’. Two or more Aravalli hills located within a proximity of 500 metres from each other, measured from the outermost point on the boundary of the lowest contour line on either side, form the ‘Aravalli Range’.// This will exclude more than 90% of the A...

  BJP spokesperson boldly claims on TV that Article 258 of the Constitution of India makes it mandatory duty of the state to identify and inform the central govt regarding illegal migrants. It is NOT the duty of the Union Home ministry. She says "Article 258 of the constitution mein likha hai............ " Well, PART XI RELATIONS BETWEEN THE UNION AND THE STATES ARTICLE 258 CONSTITUTION OF INDIA Article 258 of Indian Constitution highlights cooperative federalism. It allows the Union government to share its executive powers with State governments. Article 258 of Indian Constitution helps governance adapt, makes better use of resources, and strengthens ties between the Union and States. Article 258 of Indian Constitution by providing financial compensation for additional administrative costs, it maintains fairness and accountability in the delegation process. Article 258 of Indian Constitution shows how the Indian Constitution balances central power with State independence. Th...

  CROSSING "THE THIN RED LINE" The "Thin Red Line" often means the final boundary or division between order and chaos, or between good and evil. It is also used to denote a limit beyond which someone must not go without facing severe consequences. It suggests the idea of a physical boundary marking the limits between acceptable and unacceptable behaviour. The expression is part of the English language vocabulary. However, there is a military origin to this phrase which goes back to the British Crimean War, particularly the Balaklava Campaign. Though the Balaklava Campaign became infamous for one of the most infamous blunders in military history, the Charge of the Light Brigade, made immortal by Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson. Cannon to right of them, Cannon to left of them, Cannon behind them Volleyed and thundered; Stormed at with shot and shell, While horse and hero fell. They that had fought so well Came through the jaws of Death, Back from the mouth of h...

  ঢেমনা, ঢ্যামনা(ḍhēmanā, ḍhyāmanā) In Bengali this word commonly is used as a slang to denote an idiot, Someone is very bad and ugly, lewd or illegitimate. Oft used when there is a verbal fight and one is trying to insult the other person In reality, ঢেমনা, ঢ্যামনা is the non poisonous Oriental rat snake মাকাল(Makal) Common Bengali slang used as an insult to denote a person completely bereft of any good qualities, useless fellow etc In reality Makal is a type of fruit, specifically the bitter snake gourd (Trichosanthes bracteata). Bitter Snake Gourd is valued for its ornamental flowers and unique fruit used in traditional medicine and as a vegetable in some cultures, although the fruit is very bitter. The fruit of bitter snake gourd, is considered poisonous. It contains toxic compounds like cucurbitacins, which can cause gastrointestinal issues if ingested. While the plant is used in traditional medicine, caution is advised due to its toxicity. বুড়ো ভাম বুড়ো ভাম(Buro Bham) in Be...

  GHOSTS AND SPIRITS IN BENGALI CULTURE Like the wide variety of Shaak/Saag, Bengali eats virtually any green leaf converting it into a Shaak/Saag Like the wide variety of fish in Bengali cuisine Bengali culture has a wide variety of Bhoot Shakhchunni is a ghost of a married woman, who died young and had a lot of unfulfilled wishes and desires. The name Shakchunni derives from the word "Shankha Churni" or one who has shattered Shankha(bangles). A Bengali married woman wears a red Pola(coral) and white Shankha(sea shell) bangle. Petnis are the spirits of unmarried women and are said to inhabit marshy areas, near ponds and lakes. The name originates from the female form of the Sanskrit word "Pret" meaning Ghost, thus "Pretni" Daaini are old hags who practice black magic and live in a secluded area. They are rumoured to abduct children and turn them into animals. Mecho bhoot is a ghost which loves fish. They are said to live in ponds with lots of fish and it ...

  Subcontinental Islam has always had a very deep and rich Persian influence. Pakistanis made a conscious effort to break away from their "Indian" identity after partition and tried very hard to become Arabs. They even created a history that had nothing before Bin Qasim arrived in the 8th century. Thus shedding the Persian tradition and become pseudo Arabas whom Arabs despise. The Bangladeshis started with the Bengali-Persian Sufi tradition and progressively hardened into a pseudo Arab abomination which is neither here nor there. Simple changes like names being the traditional "Fariha Islam Trisna" which has both Arabic-Persian and Bengali combination to the hardcore Arabic "Fariha Bint Rashid" or "Zauja Al Shakib" In India too we see the change. Large expat population working in Saudi Arabia and Gulf have introduced Arab traditions and replaced the classical historical local traditions among the muslim societies. Kerala doesnt see the traditiona...

  "DOGS OF WAR" America’s Fallen In Ukraine Remain Missing & Unclaimed As casualties rise and many remain missing, the emotional stories of fallen soldiers like Zachary Ford, Corey Nawrocki, and Cedric Hamm highlight the struggles their families face, from the pain of uncertainty to the complexity of retrieving bodies from the front lines. Mercenaries are not entitled to POW rights. However, many are not mercenaries, they are regular soldiers and officers who "officially" arent supposed to be there. "Plausible deniability" is working against them. US soldiers in Ukraine, are paid mercenaries, so according to International Laws, Mercenaries, as defined in Additional Protocol I, do not have the right to combatant or prisoner-of-war status Americans should understand that it is not Libya, Iraq or Afghanistan. The repatriation of dead Americans is the culmination of a complex and emotional path for those involved. Lauren Guillaume, an American working for...