Shail looks at this week’s news in her column. A Puri priest was robbed by a Facebook friend, executions have returned to Taliban ruled Afghanistan, to raise awareness and stop poaching Assam CM burned 2400 rhino horns on World Rhino Day and a cruel reminder of nature was that flood waters following heavy rains drowned the Ashoka Pillar, exclusively for Different Truths.

Puri Priest Robbed by Facebook Friend

Imagine a temple priest
seated at his Facebook account
chatting with a friend!
No mantra chanting episode this.
God and temple intermediary
of the famous Jagannath Temple
at Puri
was robbed of cash and jewellery
by a woman he befriended on the net.
All a plan to drown him set.
Posing as an insurance company official
she went on to get cosy on Whatsapp legal
and then, landed at his home
offering him sweets laced
with smiles and sedatives.
Who needs wily relatives?
Down to the ground
the priest fell, losing consciousness
enabling the Baliapanda area resident
to pick her fill
of jewels and cash bills.

Executions Back to Normal in Afghanistan

So, it is official now.
Executions and cutting off hands
will return
to the new Taliban urn.
Former head of the Ministry
of Propagation of Virtue and
Prevention of Vice
is in no disguise.
At an Associated Press interview
bringing back terrorising techniques
in full view
were the talk of the season
for all ‘security’ reason.
White turbaned Turabi,
limping on his artificial leg
watching the press with his single
hawk like eye
warned the world from interfering
with Afghanistan’s new rulers.
The Cabinet is fine;
The only thing left to ponder, he said
was whether the punishments
should be made public or not.
Technology beneficial, he said
in propagating extreme rules –
Afghanistan’s new governing tools.

Burning Horns on World Rhino Day

The one horned rhino,
the Taj of Assam,
a symbol of a prized heritage
and a beautiful civilisation
let out a message – loud and clear
for all rhino lovers, near and dear.
Rhino Day, celebrated in Assam
with the Chief Minister
burning 2,400 rhino horns
busting the myth of horn thorns –
to be used for medicinal purposes.
The rhinos were special,
to be preserved.
So, 94 horns reserved
for academic use
bringing about a one horn truce.

Ashoka Pillar Gives a Warning

When Nature roars,
it rains and pours.
She cares not for ancient structures
or historical monuments.
All she knows is to balance
the unequal imbalance
left behind by man –
He could do better. He really can!
So, the famous 18.3 metre high
Ashoka Pillar of red sandstone
at Vishali, Bihar
is under water due to extreme rain
drowning all human pride
reflecting Nature’s pain.
Also waterlogged
is the renowned Buddha Relic Stupa
stated to house Lord Buddha’s ashes.
Are all these messages we need
to understand and reflect upon?
of realisation at dawn?

Reference

1.       https://www.latestly.com/india/news/puri-jagannath-temple-priest-robbed-by-facebook-friend-accused-arrested-2881342.html/amp?utm_campaign=fullarticle&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=inshorts 

2.       https://apnews.com/article/religion-afghanistan-kabul-taliban-22f5107f1dbd19c8605b5b5435a9de54 

3.       https://www.aninews.in/news/national/general-news/assam-govt-burns-around-2500-rhino-horns-to-mark-world-rhino-day20210922150553/?utm_campaign=fullarticle&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=inshorts 

4.       https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/ashoka-pillar-buddha-relic-stupa-submerged-under-floodwater-in-bihar-s-vaishali-101630491558114-amp.html?utm_campaign=fullarticle&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=inshorts

Visuals by Different Truths

Shail Raghuvanshi

Shail Raghuvanshi is a poet, freelance journalist, copyeditor, voice actor, and artist with 30 years of experience in various media. She has worked as the Cultural Correspondent for India's first integrated media company, PLUS Channel, and has written course material for Madurai Kamaraj University's Post Graduate Programme in Advertising and Public Relations. She has also been a coach of Communicative English. She has published poems, short stories, and articles in leading magazines and anthologies.

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