This Week in Explainers: What happens if Indians cancel the Maldives
Indians spent a lot of time discussing (and probably even daydreaming) about clear blue waters and pristine beaches this week. Yes, both Lakshadweep and the Maldives were at the top of many minds. Some were planning trips to the Indian island and others were cancelling their holidays to the foreign shore. It’s all because of the diplomatic row between Male and New Delhi. We tell you how it started and where it is heading.
Another story that grabbed headlines was that of a murder. A shocker from Goa, a mother killing her four-year-old son. Suchana Seth, the 39-year-old CEO of a Bengaluru start-up, allegedly smothered her child to death in a hotel in Candolim and then tried to flee with his body in a suitcase. The story of the killing continues to unravel.
In other news, the opening of the grand Ram Mandir in Ayodhya is nearing, India got its longest sea bridge, and the Supreme Court ordered the rapists of Bilkis Bano to return to jail. All this and more in our weekly roundup of explainers, where we don’t just give you the news but help you understand it.
1. Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Lakshadweep and gave us #travelgoals. Yes, we were in awe but in the Maldives social media users and some ministers were not. Derogatory comments were made about the PM and Indians by some Maldivian ministers. Soon, the controversy snowballed into a diplomatic row. We tell you how the spat began.
Angry Indians decided to cancel the Maldives. Turns out, Indian travellers are its biggest source of tourism. Will that hurt the island nation? We explain.
Tourists on the sandy beach of Olhuveli island in the Maldives. In 2023, the maximum number of tourists who visited the nation were from India. File photo/Reuters
2. From the world of crime, some stories and more chilling than others. The murder of a four-year-old by his mother in a Goa hotel is one such tale. Suchana Seth, the 39-year-old CEO of a Bengaluru start-up, allegedly smothered her son the death, then stuffed the body in a suitcase and attempted to flee. She was caught because of a clever cab driver. But why did Seth kill her child? Was it because she did not want him to meet her estranged husband? The investigation continues and the police piece together more clues.
Suchana Seth, the Bengaluru CEO who allegedly murdered her son, is in police custody
3. Bilkis Bano’s fight is not over yet. But a Supreme Court ruling came as a big relief. It ordered her rapists to return to jail, quashing the Gujarat government’s decision granting remission to 11 convicts in the 2002 gang rape and murder case.
Why were the men let off and what did the Supreme Court say? What next for Bilkis Bano? Our explainers tell you all about the case.
A woman holds a placard during a protest, demanding justice for Bilkis Bano, in Mumbai. File photo/AFP
4. Kashmir’s Gulmarg is synonymous with snow. It’s where people throng to ski every winter. But this year, it’s dry. The snow has disappeared and the mountain slopes lay barren. The Valley witnessed a 79 per cent drop in rainfall and hardly any snow in December.
If the dry spell continues, tourism could be hit. But why is it not snowing yet? This story has some answers.
A deserted ski resort at Gulmarg, in Baramulla district. A large number of tourists, who arrived here on New Year’s Eve in the hope of enjoying skiing and other snow-related activities, had to go back disappointed due to the lack of snowfall. PTI
5. From picturesque Kashmir, we move to chaotic Mumbai – the city that is known for its fast pace, busy life, and notorious traffic snarls. The financial capital is seeing a major infrastructure overhaul. On Friday, it got India’s longest sea bridge. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link. It will reduce the travel time between the city and Navi Mumbai from two hours to 20 minutes.
We tell you all about the sea bridge and who can use it. For those commuting to Mumbai from the adjacent city, this is like a dream come true.
The newly constructed Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sewri-Nhava Sheva Atal Setu was inaugurated by PM Modi on Friday. PTI
6. The talk of dreams and aspirations brings us to our most-read explainer of the week. It’s the inspirational story of Manoj Kumar Sharma, the IPS officer who inspired Vikrant Massey’s 12th Fail. The movie now available on OTT is a sleeper hit. We tell you the real-life struggles of Sharma, who has become a household name.
शादी के कुछ दिन बाद का एक फ़ोटो मिला आज
….🙏 pic.twitter.com/kPqSsbcWt9
— Manoj Sharma (@ManojSharmaIPS) January 10, 2024
Hope you enjoy our recommendations for the week. You can find more such stories here.
PS: This week, CNN-News18 declared Shah Rukh Khan the “Indian of the Year”. Accepting the award, the superstar said in classic SRK style, that he is the Indian for all ages. It is difficult to disagree.
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