INFIDEL

  BEAUTIFUL............ In 2003, a German film crew followed a nomadic family in Mongolia's Gobi Desert. The film, The Story of the Weeping Camel, was nominated for an Oscar. A mother camel had rejected her newborn after a brutal two-day labour. Without her milk, the calf would die. The family knew one option. They sent their two young sons on a journey across the desert to find a musician who could perform a ritual called Hoos, a chanting ceremony passed down for centuries specifically for this moment. The musician came. The ritual was performed. The mother camel wept real tears and turned to her calf for the first time. The film crew had gone to document a way of life. They had no idea they would capture that. The Mongolian "Hoos" (or Khuush) ritual is an ancient, unique musical tradition practiced by Mongolian nomads to help a mother camel accept a rejected or orphaned calf. To save the calf, the nomads perform a "coaxing ritual." A musician plays the morin k...

"Halalkhor", "Momin" are Muslim backward castes/community among the OBC and EBC list of Bihar state Halalkhor (Extremely Backward Class - EBC) is one of the most marginalized groups in the state. Traditionally associated with sanitation work and sweeping. They are often referred to as "Dalit Muslims." While they share a similar socio-economic status with Scheduled Castes (SC), under current Indian law, SC status is largely restricted to Hindus, Sikhs, and Buddhists. They are often listed alongside or interchangeably with Mehtar, Lal Begi, or Bhangi in government notifications. The word Halalkhor literally means "One who eats what is lawful" or "One who earns an honest living". The word Halalkhor is a mix of Arabic "Halal" and Persian "khor". In the past, the community was often referred to by terms like Khakrob (sweeper/earth-cleaner) or Kannas, which carried heavy social stigma. Akbar reportedly introduced "Hal...

There is so much history about the British and Calcutta that people simply forget about European possession around Calcutta Serampore (The Danish Colony): Frederiksnagore (named after King Frederick V of Denmark). Chandannagar/Chandannagore (The French Colony): The French held onto it until 1950, long after the British left India. Chinsurah (The Dutch Colony): The Dutch East India Company (VOC) traded opium, saltpeter, and textiles here from the mid-1600s until 1825, when they swapped their Indian holdings with the British for Sumatra (Indonesia). Bandel (The Portuguese Colony): The Portuguese were the first Europeans to settle in Bengal (late 1500s). The famous Bandel Cheese comes from here. When India gained independence in 1947, the Portuguese "settlement" in Bandel wasn't a sovereign territory like Goa was. It had already been integrated into British India administratively. The Portuguese administrators and soldiers left, but the Roman Catholic Diocese (which had deep...

If you thought that among Kashmiris, there are only pandits aka Brahmins and the Kashmiri Muslims who are basically Kashmiri Pandits who converted to Islam, then you are wrong. While the Kashmiri Pandits(KP) and by extension the Kashmiri Muslim(KM) are not indigenous Kashmiri populations. They are said to be Saraswat Brahmin communities who settled in the valley thousands of years ago. Interestingly the Saraswat Brahmin (known as Gauda Saraswats) of the Konkan coastal region(Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka etc) claim a completely different origin rooted in the Saraswati River (modern-day Haryana/Rajasthan). According to the Sahyadri Khanda of the Skanda Purana, the Saraswats migrated south after the Saraswati River dried up. The Saraswats became part of the "KoBra" community ie; Konkanastha Brahmins who are different from the Deshastha Brahmins. Saraswat "KoBra" are fair skinned, light eyes (blue/grey) mostly. They share traits with the Chitpavan Brahmins (Konkanastha)....

  Jammu and Kashmir has two Regiments named after the state, three actually Two of Indian Army and one of Pakistan Army INDIAN ARMY Jammu Kashmir Rifles or Jak Rif was the erstwhile J&K State forces absorbed and regularised in the Indian Army. Unlike other princely state forces that were disbanded or merged into various existing regiments, the J&K State Forces were kept intact. They were formally absorbed into the Indian Army in 1954 and redesignated as the Jammu and Kashmir Rifles or Jak Rif in 1956. Jammu and Kashmir Militia was an irregular force which emerged during the 1948-1949 Kashmir war with Pakistan. Various Jammu and Kashmir domiciled officers and soldiers who were on leave in their homes organised local militias to fight the invading forces of Pakistan. JAK militia for a very long time was under the ministry of defence and its funding and other logistics were paid from Home Ministry on book debit. JAK Militia was regularised after 1971 war and redesignated as Ja...

  Tokyo Narita International Airport (NRT) still contains several active plots of private farmland right in the middle of its taxiways and runways. This is the result of the Sanrizuka Struggle, a decades-long (and often violent) conflict between the Japanese government and local farmers that began in the 1960s. The most famous is Takao Shito, a third-generation farmer who continues to cultivate organic vegetables on land that is literally surrounded by the airport's infrastructure. Mr. Shito refused to sell, even after being offered over $1.7 million. If you look at a satellite map of Narita, you’ll notice a taxiway that takes a sharp, unnecessary curve. It was forced to go around Mr. Shito’s property Special tunnels were built to provide access to Mr Shito and others to access their homestead and farmland. The presence of these residents is one of the primary reasons Narita has a strict curfew (usually no flights between 12:00 AM and 6:00 AM), as the noise levels for the families ...

  The reported loss of 7 F-35 stealth fighters at Al Dhafra Air Base in the UAE has become one of the most controversial and viral topics of the current conflict. The official situation is a mix of confirmed structural damage and unverified aircraft losses. During a massive "saturation attack" by the IRGC involving Fattah-3 hypersonic missiles and Shahed-type drones, several projectiles penetrated the advanced air defense layers (including THAAD and Patriot systems) protecting Al Dhafra. Satellite imagery from Airbus Defence and Space (dated March 12 and 15) confirms that at least three to four reinforced aircraft shelters (HAS) in the northwestern and southeastern sectors of the base were hit directly. These hangars show collapsed roofs and significant fire-blackening. However, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has not confirmed the loss of any F-35s on the ground. They have acknowledged "minor structural damage" and injuries to personnel but have remained silent on s...