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Festival of Democracy
- The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, inaugurated the ‘Festival of Democracy’ in Thiruvananthapuram to mark the conclusion of the diamond jubilee celebrations of the Kerala legislative assembly.
- Speaking on the occasion, the President said that politics, public life and the quality of democracy are a reflection of the essential ethos of a society. As such, the Kerala assembly and its debates and discussions, the humanistic values that it has historically advocated and legislated on, are a mirror to the traditions of this state.
- Kerala’s social framework has encouraged debate and dialogue, this was the way of farsighted reformers such as Adi Shankaracharya, Sri Narayana Guru and Ayyankali.
- This was the motivation for the discourse between people of so many great faiths and spiritual traditions – Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam and others that have counted Kerala as among their earliest homes.
- Praising the civil and learned conduct of the Kerala legislative assembly over the past 60 years, the President said that nevertheless there remains the paradox of political violence in Kerala, especially in some regions of the state.
Indo – Thailand Joint Exercise Maitree 2018
- Exercise Maitree is a joint military exercise between Indian Army and Royal Thai Army which will be conducted from 06 to 19 August 2018 in Thailand.
- It is a platoon level exercise which comprises of infantry component. The opening ceremony started with familiarization of organisation and display of weapons & equipment of both armies.
- The exercise will emphasize to hone the tactical and technical skills in joint counter insurgency and counter terrorist operations in rural and urban scenario under UN mandate.
- Due emphasis will be laid on increasing interoperability between forces from both countries which is crucial for success of any joint operation.
- Both sides will jointly train, plan and execute a series of well developed tactical drills for neutralization of likely threats that may be encountered in urban warfare scenario.
- Experts from both sides will also hold detailed discussions to share their experience on varied topics for mutual benefit.
- Exercise Maitree will contribute immensely in developing mutual understanding and bonhomie between the two armies in order to counter terrorism.
Trailer Of Film “Halkaa”
- Shri Hardeep S Puri, Minister of State (I/C) for Housing and Urban Affairs launched the official trailer, music and poster of Bollywood film “Halkaa” under the aegis of the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban), in partnership with the New Delhi Municipal Council.
- “Halkaa” (Relief) is the story of an 8-year-old boy Pichku who aspires for a better quality of life. The film is a unique take on the child (Pichku)’s heroism: the boy refuses to be part of the age-old practice of open defecation and decides to make a change for his betterment. It is his dream to make a toilet of his own.
- “Halkaa” poignantly captures the journey of this simple and under privileged child’s dedication, struggle, and aspiration for achieving the goal of owning a personal toilet for his family despite resistance from his father. In turn, he becomes a hero in his slum community.
- Film director Nila Madhab Panda is a Padma Shri awardee whose earlier films include the highly-acclaimed “I Am Kalam”, “Jalpari-the desert Mermaid”, “Kaun Kitney Paani Mein” and ‘Kadvi Hawa’.
- While Halkaa is slated for release on 5thSeptember 2018 in India, the film has already won numerous awards and accolades in the international arena including two prestigious Grand Prix – Best Feature Film awards at Montreal International Children’s Film Festival and KINOLUB Film Festival for Children and Youth in Poland.
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