STUCK in a muck of negativity peddled by India haters through their own mediums of convenience, the Indian society needs frequent reminders to look at the positives in the country. The achievements accomplished by India in various disciplines including science, health, commerce and sports clearly surpass the misses on a few fronts. In wake of the war of narratives going on in the social media and other platforms, the words from Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi hailing multiple developments in the country ahead of the 75th anniversary of Independence must be taken to the last man standing by the society. Mr. Modi has rightly noted the developments which send a happy feeling in every Indian heart but are rarely discussed as part of a bigger public discourse. The PM was to the point in showing the country the record vaccination India has managed against the coronavirus. Add the high GST collections and Indian women’s sterling show at the ongoing Olympics to it and a heartening package of positivity is delivered. These positives will only help India to achieve its newer goals in the coming years. Highlighting these beyond political alignments is moral duty of every Indian.

 

AFTER its historic entry into the Olympics semi-finals in men’s hockey, the Indian team was tipped to cross the hurdle and take a shot at gold medal. Alas! The old follies came back to haunt Indian hockey at the most crucial juncture as the team went down to Belgium 2-5 in a hard-fought semi-final. The term hard-fought does give an idea of how the men’s team stood up to the challenge but the distressing point yet again for the fans is the team’s failure to cross the line. Yet again, as it has happened over years, India stumbled in the last lap. The nemesis was again the set-piece strategy that opponents like Belgium use to perfection. Not that India were not aware of the challenge but the fact remains that the defence simply wilted under relentless pressure in the dying moments after holding on to a 2-2 score. So it again boils down to the mental aspect of the team. They had shown exemplary skills and temperament to enter semis after 41 years but perhaps were weighed down by the occasion and expectations. There is no denying the accolades they earned with their showing. They have shown lot of promise for the future. A bronze medal now should cap their Tokyo sojourn.