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Rahul Gandhi and the VIP mangoes of Uttar Pradesh

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By Vikram Kilpady

Rahul Gandhi has been a target for the media from 2007 onwards when he was appointed party general secretary during the first United Progressive Alliance government led by Manmohan Singh. A constant stream of twitter abuse ended with people calling him Pappu and other pejoratives. While it was Jupiter’s escape velocity in 2013, a simile to illustrate the immense effort and force needed for Dalits to escape societal abuse under the caste system, this time he’s getting the stick for apparently not liking a certain mango, popular in Uttar Pradesh. Ergo, he is now The Man who Hates UP’s Mangoes!

The escape velocity comment was milked dry a year ahead of the 2014 elections when Narendra Modi led the BJP and the NDA to power thanks to the media’s eagerness to evict the Congress from its minority government perch. Gandhi’s harmless dislike for mangoes from Uttar Pradesh  has now turned into another opportunity for TV channels to juice it up ahead of UP Assembly elections next year.  

Here’s one case:

Please hear the voiceover repeatedly play up the word “bilkul” when Gandhi just said he doesn’t like, and NOT that he can’t stand or some other stronger word.  

In the usual pre-presser banter, Gandhi said he likes mangoes from Andhra Pradesh and not UP, he said Langdas are doable but Dussehris are too sweet for his liking. But in the quote hungry world of TV news, that was enough. This morning he’s been charged with divisive regionalism by UP CM Yogi Adityanath. The TV media has spun the remark in such a way that any dislike of mangoes from UP and liking mangoes from elsewhere becomes regional chauvinism since Rahul Gandhi is now tied to the South only because Wayanad chose to send him to the Lok Sabha while Amethi chose Smriti Irani as its MP in 2019.

Maybe Yogi Adityanath could have just sent the Gandhi scion some choice UP mangoes to convince him otherwise, but present-day take-no-prisoner politics usually leaves such grace of the old times behind.

Like the Dussehris, Langdas and Ratauls, the last of which would bring Pakistani mango lovers into the picture. They too swear by their Anwar Ratauls, which are said to be a version of the UP original. Imagine Pakistanis and the UP CM on one side, defending their province/state’s produce against Rahul Gandhi. Sigh!

While we don’t know for certain if Rahul Gandhi is referring to the Banganapalle variety, which Andhra Pradesh touts as its best (he may well have been),the political significance of the state and its Telugu twin Telangana for the Congress cannot be ignored.

After all, it is only since the division of the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh into Telangana and the new Andhra, with Amaravati as its capital, that the Congress has warmed the opposition benches in the Lok Sabha.

A similar decimation of the Congress in Delhi happened when Gandhi’s brother-in-law Robert Vadra called Arvind Kejriwal mango man in reference to the aam aadmi. The Congress is still unrepresented in the Delhi Assembly after that quote.

Though Mani Shankar Aiyar’s chaiwala-neech comment backfired, social media has been serenading the Congress leader for his farsightedness in identifying the chinks in the BJP, given the depths plumbed in the Pegasus spying scandal.  

It is indeed fortunate that Gandhi didn’t say he liked Alphonsos better, which would have brought in other mango loyalties into the picture. But given his complaint about UP mangoes, he may end up drinking a lot of Chausa/Dussehri/Rataul smoothies from the residence of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the Congress general secretary for UP. And the Langda faithful among the media could revisit their biases against Rahul Gandhi, who would now be praised for his good taste.

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Jammu & Kashmir: 5 soldiers killed after Army vehicle plunges into gorge in Poonch

“Today at around 17:40 hrs (5.40 pm), an Army vehicle of 11 Maratha Light Infantry, which was on its way from from Nilam headquarters to Balnoi Ghora Post along the LoC, met with an accident near Ghora Post,” said officials.

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Five soldiers lost their lives and several others were injured when an Army vehicle veered off the road and fell into a deep gorge in the Balnoi area of Mendhar, Poonch district, Jammu and Kashmir, on Tuesday, according to officials.

The incident occurred as the vehicle, part of the 11 Madras Light Infantry (11 MLI), was traveling from Nilam Headquarters to Balnoi Ghora Post. Reports indicate that the vehicle plunged approximately 350 feet into a steep gorge near its destination.

Upon learning of the accident, the Quick Reaction Team from 11 MLI rapidly mobilized to the scene to initiate rescue operations. The injured personnel received immediate medical attention, and efforts are currently underway to evacuate them for further treatment.

In a message on X, the White Knight Corps expressed their deep condolences for the tragic loss of five courageous soldiers, stating, “All ranks of #WhiteKnightCorps extend their deepest condolences on the tragic loss of five brave soldiers in a vehicle accident during operational duty in the #Poonch sector. Rescue operations are ongoing, and the injured personnel are receiving medical care.”

“Today at around 17:40 hrs (5.40 pm), an Army vehicle of 11 Maratha Light Infantry, which was on its way from from Nilam headquarters to Balnoi Ghora Post along the LoC, met with an accident near Ghora Post,” said officials.

This incident follows a similar accident last month, where one Army personnel died and another was injured when their vehicle skidded off the road and fell into a gorge in Rajouri district, Jammu and Kashmir. This crash, which occurred on November 4 near Badog village in Kalakote, resulted in Naik Badri Lal and Sepoy Jai Prakash suffering critical injuries; Lal ultimately succumbed to his injuries while in treatment.

On November 2, another tragedy struck when a vehicle skidded off a hilly road in Reasi district, claiming the lives of a woman and her 10-month-old son, while three others sustained serious injuries.

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Over 350 Himachal Pradesh roads shut amid snowfall, 4 dead

Meanwhile, post-monsoon rainfall from October 1 to December 24 has shown a deficit of 92% of the normal level of 70.4 mm.

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In Himachal Pradesh, a significant snowfall in the past 24 hours has resulted in four fatalities and the shutdown of approximately 700 electric transformers along with over 350 roads, including three national highways. This has left around 500 vehicles stranded, among which are more than 300 buses.

The snowfall, which began yesterday, has been recorded in various districts such as Kinnaur, Lahaul and Spiti, as well as the higher elevations of Shimla, Kullu, Mandi, Chamba, and Sirmaur.

On a positive note, the situation has attracted a large number of tourists heading to Shimla and nearby areas in hopes of enjoying a white Christmas. According to MK Seth, president of the Shimla Hotel and Tourism Stakeholders’ Association, hotel occupancy in the historic town has exceeded 70%, 30% higher than usual.

Tragically, four individuals lost their lives in accidents over the last day, with several others injured due to vehicles skidding in hazardous conditions. Key national highways connecting Attari to Leh, Sanj to Aut in Kullu, and Khab Sangam in Kinnaur to Gramphoo in Lahaul and Spiti are currently blocked.

Among the affected areas, Shimla has the highest number of closed roads, totaling 89, followed by Kinnaur with 44 and Mandi with 25. The State Emergency Operation Centre reported that 683 transformers are inactive, leaving some regions without electricity.

Authorities have urged tourists to follow the advice of district officials and police, heed local guidance, and avoid driving on snowy roads. Khadrala experienced the highest snowfall, receiving 24 cm, followed by Sangla with 16.5 cm, and Shillaro at 15.3 cm. Other areas such as Chopal and Jubbal recorded 15 cm each, while Kalpa received 13.7 cm, Nichar 10 cm, Shimla 7 cm, Pooh 6 cm, and Jot 5 cm.

Manali and Dalhousie suburbs also saw snowfall since Monday, with light rain experienced in parts of the mid and lower hills. An intense cold wave is affecting the lower hills of Mandi, while cold conditions are noted in Una and Chamba.

The Meteorological Office reported dense, moderate, and shallow fog in Bilaspur, Sundernagar, and Mandi. An ‘orange’ warning has been issued for severe cold in Bilaspur, Una, Hamirpur, and Mandi, and a ‘yellow’ warning for dense fog in areas around the Bhakra dam reservoir and Balh Valley in Mandi until Thursday.

The coldest recorded temperature was in Kukumseri, Lahaul and Spiti, at minus 6.9 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, post-monsoon rainfall from October 1 to December 24 has shown a deficit of 92% of the normal level of 70.4 mm.

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Delhi Pollution: GRAP 4 revoked in capital, NCR as air quality improves

The GRAP 4 measures were implemented in Delhi after the air quality index (AQI) hit alarming levels on 16th December 2024

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Delhi Pollution: GRAP 4 revoked in capital, NCR as air quality improves

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) today revoked Stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). Nonetheless, measures under stages 1, 2, and 3 will remain in force to manage pollution levels. The GRAP 4 measures have been in effect in the entire NCR since December 16 after deterioration in air quality. 

This move follows after the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) reported an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 401 at 8 AM. The AQI on Monday fell into the severe category, measuring 403 at 7 am. Reportedly, AQI in several areas of the national capital was also recorded as ‘severe.’

Reports said, Anand Vihar recorded an AQI at 439, 456 at Ashok Vihar, 473 at Bawana, 406 at CRRI Mathura Road and 430 at Narela. Notably, an AQI between 0-50 is considered good, 51-100 is satisfactory, 101-200 is moderate, 201-300 is poor, 301-400 is very poor, and 401-500 is severe.

The GRAP 4 measures were implemented in Delhi after the air quality index (AQI) hit alarming levels on 16th December 2024. The Air Quality Index breached the 350 mark during the day, prompting the GRAP Sub-Committee to implement Stage-III measures. On the same day, by 10 PM, the AQI soared to 401, surpassing the severe plus category threshold. According to the Supreme Court instructions, Stage-IV measures were immediately introduced to tackle the crisis.

The apex court had earlier mandated precautionary measures, requiring Stage-III actions for AQI above 350 and Stage-IV for AQI exceeding 400. These directions were reiterated on 5th, 12th, and 19th December 2024, underlining the urgency to address Delhi’s air pollution.

As Delhi continues to battle hazardous air quality, the intensified measures under GRAP Stages I, II, and III will focus on curbing pollution sources and improving monitoring. Furthermore, residents are urged to remain cautious and adhere to guidelines issued by the authorities to mitigate the impact of air pollution on health and daily life.

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