History behind friendship day
The tradition of celebrating Friendship Day began in 1935 when the US
Congress decided to dedicate a day in the honor of friends. Though it is
not known exactly what were the reasons that went into the making of
this day, the retrospection of the world scenario of those times can
lead us to an understanding. With the devastating effects of the First
World War still showing and increasing hostilities, mistrust and hatred
between countries providing the perfect conditions for another imminent
battle, there was a greater need for friendship and camaraderie not only
among nations but also among individuals.
Hence,
the US Congress decided to designate the first Sunday of the month of
August as Friendship Day and with a formal proclamation in 1935,
officially declared the occasion a holiday dedicated in the honour of
friends and friendship. Since then, celebration of National Friendship
Day became an annual event. The lofty idea of honoring the beautiful
relationship of friendship caught on with the people, particularly the
youngsters all over the country, and in no time Friendship Day became a
highly popular festival.
But the success of this wonderful occasion was not to be limited to the US alone. With time, several other countries followed suit in adopting the tradition of dedicating a day to the cause of friendship. The beautiful idea of having a day in the honor of friends was joyously taken over by several other countries across the world. With more and more nations joining in the celebrations, Friendship Day soon became International Friendship Day.
Today, Friendship Day is enthusiastically celebrated every year by many countries. The occasion is observed on the first Sunday of every August. The traditional celebrations include meeting with friends and exchanging of cards, flowers and gifts. Many social and cultural organizations also celebrate Friendship Day by hosting programs and get togethers. Special performances by rock bands are also organized in countries like the US to enhance the jubilations.
In 1997, the United Nations named Winnie - the Pooh, the famous cartoon character as the world's Ambassador of Friendship.
It is interesting to note how some associations observe Friendship Day with different customs, by giving the festival different names and holding it in times unlike that of the actual festival.
For example, National Friendship Day is held on the first Sunday in August; Women's Friendship Day is on the third Sunday in August; the third week of May is the Old Friends, New Friends Week and the whole of February is designated as the International Friendship Month.
These days, Friendship Day is celebrated with a lot of fanfare and great expenses. Just as in US and several other countries, the festival has been greatly commercialized.
Days before the festival, card and gift companies launch an extensive campaign to lure people into buying cards and gift items for their friends. Companies indulge in aggressive marketing to target youngsters, the main celebrators of festivals as these, and entice them into purchasing expensive articles for their pals. Restaurateurs too offer special discounts to make the most of the time. This marketing strategy has been severely criticized by many people and is a subject of debate every year. Many feel that such rampant commercialization has marred the very concept of Friendship Day and has turned it into a mere formality. Many on the other hand think that greater hype and hoopla around the occasion has helped to generate awareness about Friendship Day festival which was till recently a low-key affair (compared to occasions as "Mother's Day" and "Father's Day") and thus promote friendship and brotherhood.
The popular customs of Friendship Day includes handing over roses, especially the pink and yellow ones. The day is observed with great exhilaration and merriment, with friends throwing parties, gorging on lip-smacking dishes and drinking hard (be it at home or at restaurants that offer special discounts for this occasion).
A highly popular thing associated with the day is the well-known Friendship Band - the modern day token of friendship that friends gift to one another to form an everlasting bond. Friendship bands are favorite items for youngsters and are available in stores all over the country. Girls go in for friendship bracelets instead of the conventional friendship wristbands. Friendship Poems and Friendship Day Gifts are exchanged between best friends to renew the bond of friendship and express gratitude and love for each other. These are new ways of celebration of this day that the GenX has invented.
Since its inception in 1935, Friendship Day and Friendship Day celebrations have come a long way. But however much the ways of celebration have changed, the basic idea behind the occasion remains the same. Friendship Day remains the time when you acknowledge your friends' contribution in your life, express love for them, cherish their presence in your life and pay them a tribute.
Today, Friendship Day is being celebrated around the globe, across diverse cultures and social segments.
Read more at http://www.theholidayspot.com/friendship/history.htm#JshUXDFi1X7dgOJo.99
But the success of this wonderful occasion was not to be limited to the US alone. With time, several other countries followed suit in adopting the tradition of dedicating a day to the cause of friendship. The beautiful idea of having a day in the honor of friends was joyously taken over by several other countries across the world. With more and more nations joining in the celebrations, Friendship Day soon became International Friendship Day.
Today, Friendship Day is enthusiastically celebrated every year by many countries. The occasion is observed on the first Sunday of every August. The traditional celebrations include meeting with friends and exchanging of cards, flowers and gifts. Many social and cultural organizations also celebrate Friendship Day by hosting programs and get togethers. Special performances by rock bands are also organized in countries like the US to enhance the jubilations.
In 1997, the United Nations named Winnie - the Pooh, the famous cartoon character as the world's Ambassador of Friendship.
It is interesting to note how some associations observe Friendship Day with different customs, by giving the festival different names and holding it in times unlike that of the actual festival.
For example, National Friendship Day is held on the first Sunday in August; Women's Friendship Day is on the third Sunday in August; the third week of May is the Old Friends, New Friends Week and the whole of February is designated as the International Friendship Month.
These days, Friendship Day is celebrated with a lot of fanfare and great expenses. Just as in US and several other countries, the festival has been greatly commercialized.
Days before the festival, card and gift companies launch an extensive campaign to lure people into buying cards and gift items for their friends. Companies indulge in aggressive marketing to target youngsters, the main celebrators of festivals as these, and entice them into purchasing expensive articles for their pals. Restaurateurs too offer special discounts to make the most of the time. This marketing strategy has been severely criticized by many people and is a subject of debate every year. Many feel that such rampant commercialization has marred the very concept of Friendship Day and has turned it into a mere formality. Many on the other hand think that greater hype and hoopla around the occasion has helped to generate awareness about Friendship Day festival which was till recently a low-key affair (compared to occasions as "Mother's Day" and "Father's Day") and thus promote friendship and brotherhood.
The popular customs of Friendship Day includes handing over roses, especially the pink and yellow ones. The day is observed with great exhilaration and merriment, with friends throwing parties, gorging on lip-smacking dishes and drinking hard (be it at home or at restaurants that offer special discounts for this occasion).
A highly popular thing associated with the day is the well-known Friendship Band - the modern day token of friendship that friends gift to one another to form an everlasting bond. Friendship bands are favorite items for youngsters and are available in stores all over the country. Girls go in for friendship bracelets instead of the conventional friendship wristbands. Friendship Poems and Friendship Day Gifts are exchanged between best friends to renew the bond of friendship and express gratitude and love for each other. These are new ways of celebration of this day that the GenX has invented.
Since its inception in 1935, Friendship Day and Friendship Day celebrations have come a long way. But however much the ways of celebration have changed, the basic idea behind the occasion remains the same. Friendship Day remains the time when you acknowledge your friends' contribution in your life, express love for them, cherish their presence in your life and pay them a tribute.
Today, Friendship Day is being celebrated around the globe, across diverse cultures and social segments.
Read more at http://www.theholidayspot.com/friendship/history.htm#JshUXDFi1X7dgOJo.99
AAP to hold rally at Jantar Mantar today
,
August 03, 2014
This is a welcome gesture, says Cong spokesperson Sachin Sawant
Mumbai : Nationalist
Congress Party’s state president Sunil Tatkare, on Saturday, sent
Friendship Day wishes to his counterpart in the Congress. “May our
friendship last long” the message in Marathi meant. This is significant
given that the NCP had issued an ultimatum to the Congress over
seat-sharing agreement on Friday.
Tatkare has sent friendship day wishes
to all workers of NCP and Congress both, a party press release said. It
also stated that the message from Tatkare reiterates party’s resolve for
the alliance.
As Tatkare sent the friendship day
message to MPCC chief Manikrao Thakre, he said, “Our parties, through a
friendly and successful alliance, have given a stable government to
Maharashtra over last 15 years. We together have taken Maharashtra ahead
on the development track. We have shown a good performance till now and
we shall keep it on. Our friendship is unbreakable,” the NCP press
release said.
“This is a welcome gesture,” Congress
spokesperson Sachin Sawant said. “Our resolve is to keep the communalist
elements out of power and we shall be always together for that, no
matter howsoever the differences,” he added reiterating that the
alliance will be intact.
NCP has been demanding equal seats in the 288 member legislative assembly elections, while the Congress has rejected the demand.
NCP president Sharad Pawar had told his
state leaders that the seat-sharing formula would be decided by him and
Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, while senior NCP leader Praful Patel had,
on Thursday, said that it was not possible for the NCP to wait for a
prolonged period.
Even state NCP chief Sunil Tatkare and
Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar had reiterated their stand that the
party should get more seats for the assembly polls, at a party meeting
in Osmanabad on Friday.
Congress had contested 174 and NCP 114
seats in 2009. Congress sources say the party would yield maximum ten
more seats to the NCP, but equal sharing was ruled out.
CAG report: AAP calls for action against Dikshit for ‘wasting Rs 3,000 crore
The demand came a day after the CAG tabled a report in Parliament
stating that the Dikshit government “wasted around Rs 3,000 crore in the
name of providing basic services.The AAP on Saturday demanded that former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit be removed as Kerala Governor and a criminal case be registered against her and her erstwhile cabinet for “looting the people of Delhi.
The demand came a day after the CAG tabled a report in Parliament stating that the Dikshit government “wasted around Rs 3,000 crore in the name of providing basic services like sewer lines, water lines, roads and drainage to all the 895 unauthorised colonies — which in reality were not provided at all”.
“The CAG has corroborated the findings of the former Delhi Lokayukta Justice Manmohan Sarin on the issue. The onus of providing justice to the people of Delhi now squarely rests with the Narendra Modi-led BJP’s Central government. This government has over the past month removed governors appointed by the UPA on political grounds. Then the obvious question is why is it shying away from sacking Sheila Dikshit?” a senior AAP leader said.
The erstwhile AAP government had on February 3 recommended to the President action against Dikshit. The President had sought the government’s views on the findings of the Lokayukta report, submitted in November 2013, the AAP said.
“The Lokayukta’s findings, now corroborated by the CAG report, on unauthorised colonies have nailed Sheila Dikshit and her ministers beyond doubt. Her government had acted in complete violation of the Supreme Court judgment of 2006, in which it was clearly laid down that no government can regularise unauthorised colonies without providing basic facilities. It also needs to be investigated where this Rs 3,000 crore — shown in official papers as having been spent on providing basic facilities — has been siphoned off,” the AAP said.
Modi pulls out all the stops for Nepal trip: Will it be enough to counter China?
Narendra Modi,
accompanied by a 101-member delegation including seven ministers,
arrives in Nepal Sunday on a two-day visit, making it the first
bilateral visit by an Indian prime minister to the Himalayan nation in
17 years.
Both countries will also discuss a range of bilateral relations and some agreements are likely to be inked, including in the field of hydropower.
Nepal is the second neighbouring country Modi is visiting after Bhutan in June.
Meanwhile, in what is being seen as a major diplomatic push, Modi said he was "excited" about the visit.
"I am excited about my visit and pleased that I am able to go there within weeks of assuming office as prime minister," Modi said in a pre-departure statement. "My visit reflects our shared heritage of nature, history, culture, spiritualism and religion. It highlights the high priority that my government attaches to our relations with Nepal and our determination to take our relationship to an entirely new level," he said.
Foreign policy analysts have said that the focus on Nepal is significant, and have suggested that this is Modi's way of mitigating China's steadily growing influence in the country.
This theory gained further strength when the prime minister said the
visit would increase opportunity for a detailed discussion on bilateral
ties.
"During my visit, I will have the opportunity to hold detailed discussions with the Nepalese leadership on the entire gamut of bilateral relations. I look forward to working with the leadership of Nepal to forge a new relationship for the new century between our two rapidly transforming countries.
"We will identify steps to strengthen our bilateral cooperation in key sectors, including trade and investment, hydro power, agriculture and agro-processing, environment, tourism, education, culture and sports.
"I will also discuss with Nepali leadership and their business leaders how we can harness the full potential of the new digital age to empower and create new opportunities for the youth of the two countries," Modi said.
"We are committed to continuing our support to Nepal in its development efforts.
"During the visit, we will explore the ways to further strengthen our development cooperation.
"I will also discuss with the Nepalese leadership the steps to further strengthen people-to-people contacts between our countries, and how to connect lives across our open borders more seamlessly, particularly among the youth," the prime minister added.
He also expressed the hope that the India-Nepal relationship will serve as a "model and catalyst" for South Asian partnership for prosperity.
A series of tweets from the prime minister also revealed that he would be taking a boy he has been supporting for years back to his parents.
"...Long back, I met a young, helpless boy named Jeet Bahadur who had no idea about his whereabouts and also did not understand language properly... Inspired by the almighty, I started worrying about his future and soon he developed an interest in studies and also started understanding Gujarati...," Modi said.
Some time back, he managed to find Bahadur's parents and said it was all possible because the boy has "six fingers on his toes".
"I am glad that I will hand over their son to them tomorrow (Sunday)," he added.
The last bilateral visit by an Indian prime minister to Nepal was by IK Gujral in June 1997. Indian prime ministers have gone to Nepal but as part of multilateral visits.
Modi, who will also be accompanied by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval as well as captains of industry, will be the first foreign leader to address the Nepalese constituent assembly-cum-parliament on Sunday.
Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koirala, who was in New Delhi during Modi's swearing-in ceremony, will receive the Indian prime minister at the Tribhuvan International Airport here.
Modi will hold talks with Koirala on Sunday.
On Monday, Modi will pray at the Pashupatinath temple, and later meet President Ram Baran Yadav, who would host a dinner for him.
He will also interact with leaders of the Nepalese business community.
Modi's visit comes a week after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj went to Kathmandu. During her visit, the two countries revived their joint commission after a gap of 23 years.
Security agencies from both sides Saturday conducted a three-hour security drill on the routes where Modi will be travelling and at the Hotel Hyatt where he will stay. Three bullet-proof vehicles have already landed in Kathmandu.
The flags of Nepal and India were put up on the major streets of the city.
All preparations related to Modi's visit have been completed, said Dinesh Bhattaraio, foreign relations adviser to Sushil Koirala.
The hotel has been told to prepare special vegetarian items, including Gujarati food.
Ahead of his visit, Modi tweeted: "Looking forward to visiting Nepal. Nepal and India are time-tested friends & our two nations share a common culture & heritage."
"I hope to have fruitful discussions with leaders & lawmakers of Nepal that will take India-Nepal relations to even greater heights," he said in another tweet.
In a tweet in Hindi, Modi said his visit to Nepal was also important as he will be fortunate to pray to Lord Pashupatinath.
Nepal's Speaker Subash Chandra Nembang has ordered a special tea from Ilam, a place in the country that produces world class green tea.
The Nepal Army conducted aerial surveillance in which Indian commandos also took part.
The media here has been covering the visit extensively. News channels are running talk shows related to the visit.
"I have never seen such a massive coverage in my life. The Modi wave has taken a grip over the Nepali media," Ramesh Thapa, a 63-year-old businessman from the suburbs of Kathmandu told IANS.
Three hospitals have been kept on stand-by for medical emergencies.
IANS
Both countries will also discuss a range of bilateral relations and some agreements are likely to be inked, including in the field of hydropower.
Nepal is the second neighbouring country Modi is visiting after Bhutan in June.
Meanwhile, in what is being seen as a major diplomatic push, Modi said he was "excited" about the visit.
"I am excited about my visit and pleased that I am able to go there within weeks of assuming office as prime minister," Modi said in a pre-departure statement. "My visit reflects our shared heritage of nature, history, culture, spiritualism and religion. It highlights the high priority that my government attaches to our relations with Nepal and our determination to take our relationship to an entirely new level," he said.
Foreign policy analysts have said that the focus on Nepal is significant, and have suggested that this is Modi's way of mitigating China's steadily growing influence in the country.
"During my visit, I will have the opportunity to hold detailed discussions with the Nepalese leadership on the entire gamut of bilateral relations. I look forward to working with the leadership of Nepal to forge a new relationship for the new century between our two rapidly transforming countries.
"We will identify steps to strengthen our bilateral cooperation in key sectors, including trade and investment, hydro power, agriculture and agro-processing, environment, tourism, education, culture and sports.
"I will also discuss with Nepali leadership and their business leaders how we can harness the full potential of the new digital age to empower and create new opportunities for the youth of the two countries," Modi said.
"We are committed to continuing our support to Nepal in its development efforts.
"During the visit, we will explore the ways to further strengthen our development cooperation.
"I will also discuss with the Nepalese leadership the steps to further strengthen people-to-people contacts between our countries, and how to connect lives across our open borders more seamlessly, particularly among the youth," the prime minister added.
He also expressed the hope that the India-Nepal relationship will serve as a "model and catalyst" for South Asian partnership for prosperity.
A series of tweets from the prime minister also revealed that he would be taking a boy he has been supporting for years back to his parents.
"...Long back, I met a young, helpless boy named Jeet Bahadur who had no idea about his whereabouts and also did not understand language properly... Inspired by the almighty, I started worrying about his future and soon he developed an interest in studies and also started understanding Gujarati...," Modi said.
Some time back, he managed to find Bahadur's parents and said it was all possible because the boy has "six fingers on his toes".
"I am glad that I will hand over their son to them tomorrow (Sunday)," he added.
The last bilateral visit by an Indian prime minister to Nepal was by IK Gujral in June 1997. Indian prime ministers have gone to Nepal but as part of multilateral visits.
Modi, who will also be accompanied by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval as well as captains of industry, will be the first foreign leader to address the Nepalese constituent assembly-cum-parliament on Sunday.
Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koirala, who was in New Delhi during Modi's swearing-in ceremony, will receive the Indian prime minister at the Tribhuvan International Airport here.
Modi will hold talks with Koirala on Sunday.
On Monday, Modi will pray at the Pashupatinath temple, and later meet President Ram Baran Yadav, who would host a dinner for him.
He will also interact with leaders of the Nepalese business community.
Modi's visit comes a week after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj went to Kathmandu. During her visit, the two countries revived their joint commission after a gap of 23 years.
Security agencies from both sides Saturday conducted a three-hour security drill on the routes where Modi will be travelling and at the Hotel Hyatt where he will stay. Three bullet-proof vehicles have already landed in Kathmandu.
The flags of Nepal and India were put up on the major streets of the city.
All preparations related to Modi's visit have been completed, said Dinesh Bhattaraio, foreign relations adviser to Sushil Koirala.
The hotel has been told to prepare special vegetarian items, including Gujarati food.
Ahead of his visit, Modi tweeted: "Looking forward to visiting Nepal. Nepal and India are time-tested friends & our two nations share a common culture & heritage."
"I hope to have fruitful discussions with leaders & lawmakers of Nepal that will take India-Nepal relations to even greater heights," he said in another tweet.
In a tweet in Hindi, Modi said his visit to Nepal was also important as he will be fortunate to pray to Lord Pashupatinath.
Nepal's Speaker Subash Chandra Nembang has ordered a special tea from Ilam, a place in the country that produces world class green tea.
The Nepal Army conducted aerial surveillance in which Indian commandos also took part.
The media here has been covering the visit extensively. News channels are running talk shows related to the visit.
"I have never seen such a massive coverage in my life. The Modi wave has taken a grip over the Nepali media," Ramesh Thapa, a 63-year-old businessman from the suburbs of Kathmandu told IANS.
Three hospitals have been kept on stand-by for medical emergencies.
IANS
Death of Salvador Allende
Salvador Allende, President of Chile, died during the Chilean coup of 1973 by the Chilean Army Commander-in-Chief Augusto Pinochet. Although he reportedly committed suicide
shortly after giving a radio speech to the Chilean people, there has
been great controversy regarding the circumstances of his death. Allende
supporters have always dismissed the military junta's version of events
because they believe he was assassinated. Allende's family stands by
the official version of events, in which he committed suicide.[1]
In May 2011, Allende's remains were exhumed and analyzed by a team of international experts, which concluded that the former president had shot himself with a rifle.[1][2] In December 2011 the judge in charge of the investigation affirmed the findings and ruled Allende's death a suicide.[3] On 11 September 2012, 39 years to the day after his death, an appeals court unanimously upheld the previous ruling, officially closing the case.
In May 2011, Allende's remains were exhumed and analyzed by a team of international experts, which concluded that the former president had shot himself with a rifle.[1][2] In December 2011 the judge in charge of the investigation affirmed the findings and ruled Allende's death a suicide.[3] On 11 September 2012, 39 years to the day after his death, an appeals court unanimously upheld the previous ruling, officially closing the case.
Salvador Allende
Salvador Allende became Chile's first socialist president in 1970 before committing suicide during a 1973 military coup.
President (non-U.S.) (1908–1973)
Born on July 26, 1908, in Valparaíso, Chile, Salvador Allende co-founded Chile's Socialist Party and ran for the Chilean presidency several times before winning the 1970 election. His regime was supported by working-class constituencies, though opposed in covert actions by U.S. President Richard Nixon. Following a military coup led by General Augustine Pinochet, Allende took his own life on September 11, 1973.
In his youth, Allende was influenced by an anarchist shoemaker, Juan De Marchi, who promoted revolution and radical politics. Allende was arrested multiple times while a student at the University of Chile for protesting against the government. After receiving his medical degree in 1932, he co-founded Chile's Socialist Party.
Allende was elected to the Chilean Senate four times from 1945 to 1969. Early on, he declared his commitment to Marxism and desire to promote a socialist Chile. In the Senate, Allende consistently defended the interests of the working class and attacked capitalism and imperialism, siding with the Cuban Revolution. During this time, Allende also ran for president unsuccessfully in 1952, 1958 and 1964, before finally winning in 1970.
In addition to nationalizing many large-scale industries, Allende expropriated American-owned copper industries without compensation. This solidified opposition from U.S. President Richard Nixon's administration, which increased support to Allende's political opponents and led efforts to cut off international lines of credit to Chile.
Poor economic planning and a growing dysfunctional relationship between Allende and Congress deepened the country's economic difficulty. The president's inability to control his own radical left wing brought further hostility from the middle class, though he remained popular among workers and peasants.
President (non-U.S.) (1908–1973)
Born on July 26, 1908, in Valparaíso, Chile, Salvador Allende co-founded Chile's Socialist Party and ran for the Chilean presidency several times before winning the 1970 election. His regime was supported by working-class constituencies, though opposed in covert actions by U.S. President Richard Nixon. Following a military coup led by General Augustine Pinochet, Allende took his own life on September 11, 1973.
Early Life
Salvador Isabelino del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús Allende Gossens was born on July 26, 1908, in Valparaíso, Chile. The son of Salvador Allende Castro and Doña Laura Gossens Uribe, he was part of an upper-middle-class family that had a long tradition in progressive politics.In his youth, Allende was influenced by an anarchist shoemaker, Juan De Marchi, who promoted revolution and radical politics. Allende was arrested multiple times while a student at the University of Chile for protesting against the government. After receiving his medical degree in 1932, he co-founded Chile's Socialist Party.
Entry Into Politics
Allende was elected to the Chamber of Deputies in 1937, and eventually served as minister of health. During this time, he helped implement such social reforms as higher pensions, a free school lunch program and safety laws for factory workers. In 1940, he married Hortensia Bussi, with whom he had three daughters, Carmen Paz, Isabel and Beatriz.Allende was elected to the Chilean Senate four times from 1945 to 1969. Early on, he declared his commitment to Marxism and desire to promote a socialist Chile. In the Senate, Allende consistently defended the interests of the working class and attacked capitalism and imperialism, siding with the Cuban Revolution. During this time, Allende also ran for president unsuccessfully in 1952, 1958 and 1964, before finally winning in 1970.
President of Chile
When Allende took office, Chile was enduring a severe economic crisis. Unemployment was high and an estimated half of the country's children under the age of 15 were suffering from malnutrition. Allende immediately implemented his socialist agenda, increasing wages and freezing prices while taking steps to reform the education system, health care and government administration.In addition to nationalizing many large-scale industries, Allende expropriated American-owned copper industries without compensation. This solidified opposition from U.S. President Richard Nixon's administration, which increased support to Allende's political opponents and led efforts to cut off international lines of credit to Chile.
Poor economic planning and a growing dysfunctional relationship between Allende and Congress deepened the country's economic difficulty. The president's inability to control his own radical left wing brought further hostility from the middle class, though he remained popular among workers and peasants.
