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IOL News
5 hours ago
- Politics
- IOL News
Preah Vihear: A reflection of colonial legacies
This handout photo from the Royal Thai Government taken and released on June 11, 2025 shows Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra (C) with government officials during a visit to Kap Choeng District in Surin Province near the border with Cambodia. Thailand and Cambodia on June 8 reached an agreement to reposition their troops in a disputed border area where a Cambodian soldier was killed last month in a military clash, both sides announced. On the 28th of May, a routine border patrol between Thailand and Cambodia turned deadly. The exchange of fire near the sacred Preah Vihear temple, lasting ten minutes, may seem like just another regional skirmish. However, in reality, the situation represents a far more complex dynamic, one that collides nationalism, memory, colonial borders, and contested sovereignty that continues to unravel communities across the Global South; particularly formerly colonised nations. While Cambodia asserts defence and Thailand claims trespass, the crucial question transcends politics: how much longer will the people of this region pay the price for borders never drawn to serve them? The temple at the heart of this conflict is no ordinary site. Preah Vihear, a 9th-12th century Khmer Empire dedication to Shiva, a prominent god in Hinduism, boasting architecture so exceptional it arguably surpasses even Angkor Wat. Perched atop the Dângrêk Mountains, its panoramic views were meant to symbolise a profound spiritual link between heaven and earth. Yet, since the 20th century, this sacred meaning has been perversely politicised, caught between aggressive narratives of national pride. Despite the International Court of Justice (ICJ) unequivocally ruling in 1962 that the temple belongs to Cambodia, and again in 2013 reaffirming Cambodian sovereignty over the surrounding land, many in Thailand reject these decisions. This persistent defiance, despite formal legal proceedings, ensures the region remains a zone of friction revealing how unresolved history and nationalist sentiment can ignite violence with alarming ease. This conflict isn't an isolated incident; it's just one of countless scars from arbitrary colonial map-making. Across the global south, from the family-disrupting borders of Lesotho and South Africa to the volatile lines in Kashmir between India and Pakistan, and between Rwanda and the DRC; we see nations grappling with inherited disputes that blur the sacred and the sovereign. Even in the 20th century, a highly televised and symbolic example was the Berlin Wall and its collapse in 1989. The Berlin Wall's fall was a historic moment, exposing how these man-made, imperial divisions continue to fracture societies, divide families, disrupt trade, stifle cultural expression, and transform places of unity into battlegrounds. As Thai and Cambodian commanders negotiate ceasefires, a profound question lingers, what if this entire region could be shared and celebrated, rather than eternally contested? The recent clash is also linked to Thailand's internal political tensions. The return of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, now facing charges under strict lese-majesté and Computer Crime Acts for alleged remarks deemed insulting towards the monarchy, has intensified political polarisation. This may explain the rise in nationalist rhetoric, and the incident's timing appears suspiciously convenient for factions seeking to deflect attention or consolidate influence. When colonial empires carved up the global south, often with no understanding of local languages, cultures, or histories they created borders for their benefit to extend power and control. Communities that once shared land, language, and lineage were suddenly split apart. The Preah Vihear temple is just one among thousands of sites now weaponised by states clinging to boundaries they never chose, but were forced to inherit. And now, as Thailand and Cambodia slash each other's visa-free entry periods to just seven days- from 60 days for Thais and 30 for Cambodians (by land)- a move that affects traders, workers, students, and families, who suffers most? Not the politicians, rather the general population who may regularly cross these artificial lines for numerous reasons whether it be the pursuit of love, food, work, or exploration. What's happening in Southeast Asia is part of a global pattern. Currently in Los Angeles, migrant communities are protesting against intensified immigration enforcement and deportation raids carried out by ICE. The very same America that brands itself the 'land of immigrants' is now criminalising the very people it once relied on to build its economy, culture, and strength. A characteristic extremely emphasised widespread globally. Children are being separated from their parents, workers are denied fair wages, and people are deported to countries they haven't seen since infancy or at all. A global wave of nationalism and anti-immigrant sentiment is gripping the world, fueled by a manipulated fear of 'the other', cultural dilution, and loss of societal standing. This fear is turning into hate with devastating consequences. We're witnessing the rise of narrow, inward-looking ideologies that dangerously ignore the historical truth: nations have always been built by movement and exchange. Migrants are not burdens; they are the teachers, nurses, vendors, and scholars who sustain our cities. This surge in nationalist policies and border restrictions isn't a sign of strength, but of profound insecurity. It reveals a need to confront colonial legacies and an unwillingness to envision an inclusive future. It offers only the illusion of safety through walls, papers, and passports. What occurred at Preah Vihear is merely a symptom of a deeper, more widespread issue. Unless we confront this underlying problem, history will tragically repeat itself, bringing more borders, more bullets, and more broken families. By: Banthati Sekwala Associate at BRICS+ Consulting Group Egyptian & South African Specialist **The Views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of Independent Media or IOL. ** MORE ARTICLES ON OUR WEBSITE ** Follow @brics_daily on X/Twitter & @brics_daily on Instagram for daily BRICS+ updates
Hindustan Times
7 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Kanpur Metro employee drowns while bathing in Saryu River in UP's Ballia
A 28-year-old man working with the Kanpur Metro drowned while bathing in the Saryu river at the Shiv Mandir Ghat in Ubhaon here, the police said on Friday. Ranjeet, a local of Guloura Mathia village, was on leave and had returned home a few days ago. On Thursday evening, he went to bathe in the river near the local Shiva temple. When he did not emerge from the water for a long time, the concerned locals nearby alerted the police. Ubhaon Station House Officer Rajendra Prasad Singh said the police reached the spot and, with the help of locals, pulled Ranjeet out of the river. Ranjeet was taken to the Community Health Centre in Siyar, where doctors declared him dead. His body has been sent for post-mortem, the SHO added.
India Today
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- India Today
Man climbs in and out of well in Spider-Man-like stunt, viral video stuns Internet
A video of a man climbing in and out of a deep well using only his hands and legs has left the internet a fitness trainer by profession, posted a video of his extraordinary feat of calisthenics on Instagram that has gone viral with millions of views. Calisthenics, a form of exercise that relies on body weight rather than equipment, focusses on strength, flexibility, and his legs stretched wide and braced against the curved walls of the well, Shiva climbed up and down with effortless ease, suspended mid-air in a Spider-Man-like pose. 'First try,' read the caption of the the video here: View this post on Instagram A post shared by (@shivazfitzone)Shiva's Instagram account is filled with similar videos as viewers marvelled at his body control, balance, and upper body the videos here: advertisement View this post on Instagram A post shared by (@shivazfitzone) View this post on Instagram A post shared by (@shivazfitzone) View this post on Instagram A post shared by (@shivazfitzone)Many called it a perfect example of what calisthenics training can help achieve.
Indian Express
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Real-life Spider-Man? Man scales well using only limbs, the Internet says ‘peak human strength'
A man named Shiva is taking the Internet by storm for his unbelievable callisthenics skills and sheer physical strength. Shiva's jaw-dropping callisthenics videos are leaving social media users stunned. He scales wells and defies gravity with ease. His strength and control have turned him into a viral sensation. In an Instagram Reel that has now gone viral, Shiva performs a gravity-defying stunt – scaling a deep well using nothing but his hands and legs. With his limbs pressed against the well's walls, he scales up and down effortlessly, resembling Spider-Man as he hovers mid-air, body stretched wide across the circular pit. The video, posted on his official Instagram page (@shivazfitzone), has already garnered 3.8 million views and left users awestruck. A post shared by 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐯𝐚 (@shivazfitzone) Reacting to the video, one Instagram user commented, 'Not Frist time bro practice unlimited time.' Another user wrote, 'Bhai teri taqat ko salaam' (Salute to your strength). A third user said, 'Peak human strength.' In another mind-blowing Reel, Shiva is seen hanging above the same well, supported only by his torso resting on a rod. With no help from his hands or legs and two heavy stones placed on his thighs, Shiva holds himself up in complete stillness. The video begins with him meditating under a cloth, before dramatically revealing the stunt. A post shared by 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐯𝐚 (@shivazfitzone) This second performance also went viral, leaving viewers speechless. One user responded saying, 'I thought this was a photo created with AI Amazing,' while another said, 'If there was a 1000 like button, I would press the same.' A third user commented, 'Video dekhte ve goodsbump aa gaye' (I got goosebumps watching the video). Shiva regularly shares his incredible yoga and callisthenics skills on Instagram. This isn't the first time he has pulled off such jaw-dropping stunts.
Hindustan Times
18 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Delhi home minister reviews preparations ahead of Kanwar Yatra
Delhi home minister Ashish Sood on Thursday held a meeting to review preparations for the Kanwar Yatra that begins next month. Sood said that Kanwar organising committees will be provided with all necessary administrative support at a single window system. 'A single-window system will be set up at the district magistrate offices to facilitate approvals and permissions from various departments in a streamlined manner. The safety, service, and convenience of hundreds of thousands of devotees entering Delhi during the yatra will be a top priority,' he added. The Kanwar Yatra is a religious tradition where millions of devotees collect water from the Ganga at Haridwar, Gangotri and other sacred places to offer at Shiva temples in the month of Savan. Every year, thousands of kanwars pass through Delhi en route to other states. Sood said all departments have been directed to ensure that pilgrims face no inconvenience on their designated routes. 'Arrangements related to sanitation, drinking water, uninterrupted electricity supply, and traffic management will be made in a timely, coordinated, and effective manner. We have instructed power department officials to ensure that any issues related to electricity disruptions or leakage risks during rains are addressed promptly during the Yatra days,' he added. The meeting was held with representatives of the fire services department, police, Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board, power department and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi. Sood also directed police to monitor sound systems in camps located near residential areas and ensure that devotional songs played over loudspeakers are limited to permitted hours to avoid disturbing local residents. Police personnel have been asked to politely request pilgrims to avoid playing loud music late at night. Coordination with police forces of neighbouring states has also been advised to ensure the safety and welfare of pilgrims. The Delhi Fire Services has been asked to prepare a plan for deploying small fire tenders near Kanwar camps to respond quickly in case of fire-related emergencies and prevent any mishaps.
