Daily Current Affairs 13th April 2020 iasshiksha.com/daily-current-affair/daily-current-affairs-13th-april-2020/
Today’s Important Topic’s For UPSC Preparation 1. KALARIPAYATTU- THE MOTHER OF ALL MARTIAL ARTS. 2. NIHANGS, A SIKH WARRIOR SECT. 3. INDIA TALKING TO U.S. OVER VISA SANCTIONS. 4. 30 FOREIGNERS DEAD IN DETENTION CENTRES.
KALARIPAYATTU- THE MOTHER OF ALL MARTIAL ARTS Kalaripayattualso known simply as Kalari, is an Indian martial art and fighting style that originated in modern-day Kerala. It is believed to be the oldest surviving martial art in India. It originated inKerala during 3nd century BC to the 2nd century AD. The place where this martial art is practised is called a ‘Kalari’. It is a Malayalam word that signifies a kind of gymnasium. The word kalari first appears in Sangam literatureto describe both a battlefield and combat arena. It is also considered as the father of modern Kung – Fu. According to ancient folklore, Lord Vishnu’s disciple Parasurama who was an avatar of Lord Vishnu is believed to be the founder of martial arts in India. Kalaripayattu, which is the most popular amongst many martial arts practiced in India, is believed to have been founded by Parasurama. Kalaripayattu reach its zenith during the hundred years of war between the Cholas, Pandyas and Cheras.
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Today martial arts in India are back in focus. Kalaripayattu is now practiced widely across Kerala, fringes of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and also in Sri Lanka .
How other Martial Arts derived from Kalaripayattu? The ethnic Indian martial art of Kalari Payat (Kalaripayattu) – meaning ‘Battleground‘ or ‘Gymnasium‘ – (Kalari), ‘ Method‘ or ‘Art‘ – (Payatt), has a special significance for practitioners of the Tibetan and Chinese martial arts. In tradition, the Shaolin Temple martial art of China was introduced by the Indian Buddhist Patriarch and founder of Ch’an’ (Zen) Buddhism; Bodhidharma (450-523 AD).
Styles of Kalaripayattu: There are 3 acknowledged styles of Kalaripayattu – 1. Northern, 2. Southern and 3. Central with the names referring to different parts of the Kerala region. The Northern and the Southern styles each have their own mythical gurus – Parashurama and Agastya Muni, respectively. Kalaripayattu masters practiced not only the martial craft, but also medicine ( kalari chikitsa) and herbalism, which they used to heal the wounds of soldiers who had been hurt in battle.
Decline of Kalaripayattu: They started becoming less arcane around the 10th-12th century AD, when Keralite society became militarised due to fights between kingdoms and dynasties.
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After a heydey in the 16th and 17th centuries, the importance of Kalaripayattu and the warriors who practiced it gradually declined due to developments in societal structure and military technique. When the British colonised India in the mid- 19th century, they considered the warriors a threat to British authority, and the practice of Kalaripayattu was banned on penalty of death or exile.
Revival of Kalari: It wasn’t until the 1920s, when a wave of rediscovery of historic traditions swept over India, that we saw the rise of Kalaripayattu schools. As well as a revival of the spirit of the martial art itself. Kalaripayattu presentations became very popular, as people enthusiastically recalled the heroic past of their country. Nowadays, there are many kalaris in Kerala, with dozens of schools in every town, and quite a few in other parts of India, in big cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai or Bangalore. There are also teachers operating in countries all over the world.
Kalari Movements: Kalaripayattu movements find their inspiration in the power and strength of animals. There are around 10 animal postures – depending on different Kalaripayattu schools – such as the: 1. Elephant, 2. Lion, 3. Boar, 4/12
4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Cock, Peacock, Fish, Horse, Cat, Turtle and Snake.
For each of them, a specific kind of energy is presented. It is a combination of tension, relaxation, focus and readiness – all at the same time.
Marmas: ‘Marmas’ is a popular term in the vocabulary of Kalari experts. It refers to weak pressure points that the practitioners take advantage of, to disable or kill an opponent. 5/12
The Ayurveda places the number of lethal Marmas at 64, an unfortunate victim of a bull’s eye hit would surely see his/her lights go out.
Kalariyapayattu Benefits: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.
It boosts flexibility. It improves the strength in an individual’s body. It ensures to make you fast. It cuts down the ‘laziness” in your body. Your concentration power increases the more you practice this art. Your patience is improved with the practice of this art. If you are stressed, the hatha yoga Asana’s taught in this art ensure to de-stress you. Your presence of mind is improved as you learn new moves for the battlefield. You can survive a real attack as well. Helps in self defence. Increases immunity and overall health. Improves self-discipline and self-awareness.
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Why in News? With focus of Kerala turning to wellness tourism and in view of the corona pandemic, Ayurveda has been given prominence among the microsites added to the official website www. keralatourism.org.
New Microsites in Kerala: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Yoga, Kalaripayattu, Temples of Kerala, Judaism in Kerala and Discovering Malabar.
NIHANGS, A SIKH WARRIOR SECT The Nihangs are a Sikh sect whose members live on the fringes of society and dress up as medieval warriors owing allegiance to Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Guru, specialising in the traditional martial art of gatka (similar to the modern sport of fencing). The Nihang or Akali is an armed Sikh warrior order originating in the Indian subcontinent. Early Sikh military history was dominated by the Nihang, known for their victories where they were heavily outnumbered. Traditionally known for their bravery and ruthlessness in the battlefield, the Nihang once formed the irregular guerrilla squads of the armed forces of the Sikh Empire. Traditional Nihang dress is known as Khalsa Swarupa. The Nihang were particularly famous for their high turbans (dastar bunga) and their extensive use of the chakramor war-quoit.
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A Nihang in the 1860’s with a characteristically elaborate turban.
Gatka: Gatka is the name of an Indian martial art associated with the Sikhs of the Punjab and the Tanoli and Gujjar It is a style of stick-fighting, with wooden sticksintended to simulate swords. Gatka, a traditional martial art with a prominent place in Sikh history, is played with wooden sticks also called ‘Khutka’. Gatka is a unique and inexpensive fighting art developed to defend and display fighting skills and to better exercise self-control. Gatka promotes physical, mental and spiritual well-being. Now in its revival phase, it was earlier considered a diminishing art by UNESCO. The Sikh fighters also called Nihangs have a long history of performing Gatka. The Nihangs have passed down this Sikh Martial art, through generations, since the sixth Sikh Guru Hargobind Ji. The tenth Guru, Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji was known as the greatest master of weaponry of his time. The Sikhs successfully used this weaponry art in the 16th- 17th centuries for their protection against Mogul aggressions. 8/12
The modern-day Gatka was developed in the 19th century. It is divided in two sub-styles, called Rasmi (traditional) and Khel (sport) from the year 1920. Gatka was standardized as a sport and rules were drafted since 1936. Punjabi University Patiala, Punjab is the only university that offers a one-year diploma course in Gatka. Gatka is an integral part of Hola Mohalla celebrations at the Sikh holy town of Anandpur Sahib.
Why in News? Eleven persons were arrested on Sunday for an attack on a police party by a group of Nihangs, a Sikh warrior sect, at a vegetable market in Punjab’s Patiala.
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INDIA TALKING TO U.S. OVER VISA SANCTIONS The government is “engaged” in talks with the U.S. administration to reconsider President Donald Trump’s orders to impose visa sanctions on countries that don’t take back illegal “aliens” in the U.S. within a week. In particular, the order clashed with New Delhi’s decision to restrict all passengers, including Indian citizens from any other country, owing to the coronavirus pandemic. If Washington refuses to relent on its seven-day deadline, or New Delhi refuses to lift the ban on incoming travel within the week, Indians could face a major cut in U.S. visas granted this year. Like all incoming international travel, the deportation of illegal immigrants to India has also been affected by the lockdown and COVID-19-related travel restrictions. India had been cooperating with the U.S. to repatriate illegal Indian nationals from the U.S. as it is the government’s policy “not to encourage illegal immigration to any country. According to the Department of Homeland Security’s 2018 survey, Indians constitute one of the largest groups of illegal aliens in the U.S., numbering an estimated 4,70,000 who had entered by 2015. However, the Trump administration has pushed for India to tighten its controls on emigration, and accept more deportations in the past few years. In October and November 2019, India brought back 150 citizens who had entered the U.S. illegally, and accepted 311 others deported by Mexico who were trying to enter the U.S. illegally. 10/12
At present, the Ministry of External Affairs estimates that there are about 25,000 Indians stranded in different parts of the world who roughly fall into three categories: business travellers, tourists and students whose colleges and schools have been shut down owing to the pandemic. However, the U.S. President has also used the COVID-19 situation to justify cracking down on countries that “deny or delay” the acceptance of aliens who are citizens.
30 FOREIGNERS DEAD IN DETENTION CENTRES All but four of the 30 “declared foreigners” who had died in Assam’s detention centres till date were Bengali speakers. Of the rest, two each belonged to the Adivasi and Koch-Rajbongshi communities, according to State government records. The official list shows 16 of the dead were Hindus and 14 Muslims. Six detention centres were established in as many central jails in 2009, four years after the contentious Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunal) Act, 1983 was scrapped for suspected foreigners to be tried under the Foreigners’ Act, 1946.
Koch-Rajbongshi: The Rajbongshiis an ethnic group inhabiting parts of Assam, Meghalaya, northern West Bengal,some parts of Bihar and on the eastern parts of Nepal, Bhutan and northern Bangladesh. The word “Rajbongshi” literally means “royal community”. They speak Rajbongshi/Rajbanshi language. This language is also spoken in Bangladesh and Nepal. The Rajbongshi was primarily animist(perceiving all things animated and alive.), but later on, they followed Hinduism/Sanatana (both Shaiva and Vaishnavite). A few sections of Rajbongshi people were also found to be followers of Christianity.
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WORD OF THE DAY Detention: The action of detaining someone or the state of being detained in official custody.
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