The Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh (RSS), the parent organization of the BJP, is quite often discussed in the public domain for its non-participation in the freedom movement. While it has grown tremendously during the last few years, there are attempts by its ideologues to prove that it was a major player in the freedom struggle.
Rakesh Sinha, an RSS ideologue and BJP Member of Parliament, claims that the participation of K.B. Hedgewar, the founder of the RSS, invigorated the Civil Disobedience movement. There are other claims which go farther. C K Saji Narayan, the RSS in-charge of the labour front, states that the RSS was in the thick of the Indian freedom movement. One also recalls that the onetime RSS pracharak and Ex-Prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had claimed to have participated in the freedom movement.
The debate came to the fore once again when the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Uddhav Thackeray, while speaking in Maharashtra Assembly, stated that the RSS never participated in the freedom movement and merely chanting ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai (Hail Mother India) does not make one patriotic. In response to Thackeray’s statement, the RSS groomed ex-Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadanvis, went on to say that the RSS founder (Dr K. B. Hedgewar) was a freedom fighter.
A deeper analysis of the issue reveals that the ‘Muslim nationalists’ (the Muslim League) and the ‘Hindu nationalists’ (the Hindu Mahasabha and RSS) did not participate in the struggle for India’s Independence. India’s struggle against the British was led by Mahatma Gandhi. It was all-inclusive. Cutting across linguistic and religious boundaries, it gave an overarching Indian identity to the majority of the people.
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Have you always wondered what being a wizard felt like? Now’s your chance.
The Corpus Christi Science and History Museum is set to host its “Wizarding World of Science” event from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, April 17.
After passing through the brick entry, all attendees will be sorted into their house and sent off to partake in numerous wizarding activities.
Some of the activities will give attendees the chance to make their very own wand, find their way through an interactive magical maze and interact with exotic birds. Also, don’t forgot to show up in your favorite wizard attire.
It was an unusual season in the Premier League due to COVID-19, but we reached the finish line. Man City were crowned champions, Man United, Liverpool and Chelsea will join them in the Champions League, and Sheffield United, West Bromwich Albion and Fulham suffered relegation. There was also great disappointment at Arsenal and Spurs, unexpected European qualifiers in West Ham, four managerial changes and even an all-English Champions League final, won by Chelsea.
With the dust and drama now settled, Ian Darke takes a closer look at each Premier League club and grades them for their performance over the 2020-21 campaign.
Arsenal: A run of five straight wins to close the campaign can’t mask another very disappointing season for the Gunners. An eighth-place finish means no European football for the first time in 25 years, which will serve as a huge blow to the finances and reputation of the famous club. Mikel Arteta will not survive another year like this, while fans continue to hope absentee owner Stan Kroenke sells the club or finances some major signings to change the mood. Grade: D+
Aston Villa: An early 7-2 win over Liverpool served notice that Villa were a different proposition this season. Aided by Jack Grealish‘s magic and 14 goals from Ollie Watkins in his debut Premier League season, Dean Smith’s team were lively in attack and tough enough in defence for a comfortable midtable finish. Can they fight off transfer interest in Grealish again? Grade: B+
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Brighton Hove Albion: Graham Potter’s side were often a delight to watch, but still battled relegation for most of the season. A league-high 14 draws and a failure to convert chances held them back, though keeper Robert Sanchez, and defenders Lewis Dunk, Adam Webster and Ben White, made them hard to beat. Midfielder Yves Bissouma is a target for bigger clubs and they definitely need to find a goal poacher. Grade: B-
Burnley: Recovered well from a dreadful start once they got key players fit again and, despite finishing 17th, they were 11 points clear of relegation. The unquestioned highlight of the season came in January when they improbably ended Liverpool’s 68-game unbeaten run at Anfield thanks to a late Ashley Barnes penalty. It remains to be seen if a low-key takeover will change things at a club who look to be staying afloat as long as Sean Dyche is there to keep this band of brothers together. Grade: C
Chelsea: Produced an inspired tactical performance to foil Man City in the Champions League final. It rather looks as if, for the moment at least, Thomas Tuchel has Pep Guardiola’s number: that was his third win over City in six weeks. Only an FA Cup final defeat to Leicester City blotted Tuchel’s stellar start at Stamford Bridge. Grade: A
Crystal Palace: The security and stability that the departing Roy Hodgson brought to Palace was reflected in a comfortable 14th-place finish. Wilfried Zaha scored a career-best 11 goals and new arrival Eberechi Eze added much-needed flair. With 11 players out of contract and a new boss to be appointed, it will be a very different-looking Eagles side next season. Grade: C
It’s being made by Avalanche Software, which worked on games including Disney Infinity, Toy Story 3 and Cars 3 before being closed when former owner Disney stepped away from game development in 2016.
Next year’s Harry Potter game, which is in development for PS5, Xbox Series X and other platforms, will be Avalanche’s first release since it was acquired and reopened by Warner in 2017, Bloomberg reports.
People said to be working on the project describe it as an open-world title in which players can explore a large recreation of Hogwarts and surrounding locations.
According to CNBC, Take-Two, Electronic Arts and Activision Blizzard have all expressed interest in buying the gaming division from Warner’s parent company ATT in a deal that could fetch around $4 billion.
If a sale were to go through, many of the Warner Bros. IP tied to in-development games, such as Harry Potter and Batman, would not be part of the acquisition but could be licensed, the publication’s sources said.
It has been almost 20 years since the first Harry Potter film was released, but the magic is far from dying out for fans across the globe.
Despite being predominately set in the magical wizarding world of Hogwarts, Surrey remains at heart of the adventure, and we think there may be evidence to claim the county as the true home of series.
Surrey’s links include the films featuring an array of local actors and scenes being filmed in the area, as well the county playing a key role in Harry’s childhood.
SurreyLive has explored the various links between Surrey and Harry Potter – with some more apparent than others.
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Harry Potter grew up in a Surrey town – but where?
The set of 4 Privet Drive, on display to visitors at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour (Image: Warner Bros.)
Little Winging and the iconic house where Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon begrudgingly brought up Harry Potter is in Surrey.
The fictional town, created by author JK Rowling, is where Harry lives and sleeps in a cupboard under the stairs.
Tom Felton at Dorking Domestic Appliances with his mum Sharon Felton. (Image: UGC TMS/Dorking Domestic Appliances)
Every Harry Potter fan will know this face. It’s Draco Malfoy, aka Tom Felton.
The villain of the series, but all-round nice guy in real life, spent part of his school days at Howard of Effingham School.
He was a member of four school choirs in his childhood and was even given the chance to be part of the Guildford Cathedral Choir.
He has previously been spotted in Dorking Domestic Appliances, helping out his mum when the wizard used his magic touch at the popular business.
The Battle of Seven Potters was fought over the county
The Battle of the Seven Potters, an aerial battle of the Second Wizarding War – took place above Little Whinging in Surrey.
The battle on July 27, 1997, featured several members of the Order of the Phoenix, who took Polyjuice Potion to resemble Harry Potter, who were ambushed by Death Eaters while removing Harry Potter from the home of his relatives.
It was one of many attempts on Harry Potter’s life by Tom Marvolo Riddle (Lord Voldemort). The Order managed to get Harry to safety, but suffered the loss of their leader, Alastor Moody, and Harry’s owl, Hedwig, according to website Hogwarts is Here.
Professor Filius Flitwick was born in Epsom
Warwick Davis at Woking’s New Victoria Theatre (Image: SurreyLive/Grahame Larter)
Warwick Davis, 51, played Professor Filius Flitwick and Griphook in the Harry Potter films and appeared in all film adaptations, expect Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1.
Bourne Woods, between Farnham and Tilford, is where the chase scene in the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 was shot. After taking such care with their protective enchantments as they camp out in the woods throughout the film, Harry, Ron and Hermione are rumbled by the ‘snatchers’,
Some woodland scenes from Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince were also filmed in the woods, which are managed by the Forestry Commission.
It was at the edge of Virginia Water Lake that Daniel Radcliffe shot the scene where dozens of dementors swoop down on Harry and try to perform their not-so-romantic kiss in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Part of the scene involving Buckbeak by a lake, in the same film, was shot here too.
Rufus Scrimgeour attended a Guildford drama school
Award-winning British actor Bill Nighy, who plays Rufus Scrimgeour in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, was born in Caterham in 1949.
He played a British wizard who was a powerful ranking official in the Ministry of Magic.
One of Bill’s first jobs was working for The Croydon Advertiser as a messenger boy. He also attended the Guildford School of Acting to train for stage and film.
Neville Longbottom drinks in Guildford
Harry Potter star Matthew Lewis at The Stoke Pub, Guildford (Image: The Stoke, Guildford)
Matthew starred in all eight Harry Potter films, the second-highest grossing film series in the world, but enjoyed interacting with fans at The Stoke in Guildford.
He has also starred in television dramas, playing Jamie Bradley in The Syndicate and Sean Balmforth in BBC crime drama Happy Valley.
A Harry Potter prop designer has a studio in Surrey
The sculptor with years of experience in sculpture, moulding and casting, said in 2015: “I started working for a theme park in 1992 building models, and then from there I went to work at Shepperton Studios working a little on things like Red Dwarf, Father Ted, and creating background props on Harry Potter.”
As much as we’d love it to be true, this is, in fact, an April Fool. Thanks for reading and, Tom, we’d love to have you back in Surrey. You can still read the original story below.
Surrey-born Harry Potter actor Tom Felton has submitted a jaw dropping proposal to build a real life Malfoy Manor in the county.
While Felton has lived in California for some time, he was born at Epsom Hospital and went to Howard of Effingham School, and is said to still be fond of the area where he grew up.
As well as his own links, the actor said in a supporting statement submitted with the application that he wants to celebrate Surrey’s many links with the Harry Potter stories.
The statement reads: “I have wanted to have a second home in the area I grew up for a while but I want this project to be something that will put Epsom on the map. People would come from all over the world to see it, so it would be great for local tourism.
“There are Harry Potter attractions all over the world but none in Surrey despite the county being central to the stories as the place where Harry, like me, grew up.”
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Malfoy Manor would be built on land off Headley Road and have 140 bedrooms, a cellar the entire length of the property and a huge banqueting room to replicate the one the Death Eaters meet in to discuss their attempted capture of Harry Potter in the Deathly Hallows Part 1.
The plans state that a high-tech keyless entry system will be created so that only specific people are able to enter the property.
Felton plans to get a tattoo on his arm of the Dark Mark – the symbol used by the dark lord Voldemort to both mark his most devoted followers and signify when someone has been killed by his hand.
The tattoo will have a microchip embedded in it with Bluetooth connectivity to the mansion’s security system so that Felton can simply touch the Dark Mark to gain entry through the imposing wrought iron gates.
A source close to Felton told SurreyLive he also plans to apply at a later date for a licence under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act to keep a 20ft long reticulated python at the mansion.
The source said: “Tom is really keen for this to be an authentic representation of the real Malfoy Manor and while he can’t exactly get himself a house elf and call it Dobby, at least he can have a real life Nagini.”
The deadline for comments on the application is midday on Thursday (April 1).
RSS (Really Simple Syndication) enables you to view lots of web content without needing to visit tons of individual websites or pages.
All this disparate content is presented in a single list, which saves time, and means you never need miss a story.
Choosing the pages you wish to see in this way is easy: click on the RSS icon when on the page, or select a page’s URL from the list below. You can then subscribe to the chosen RSS feed.
Reading an RSS feed
There are two ways to read an RSS feed: the first is through your web browser. All the latest browser releases support RSS viewing, including Chrome, Firefox and IE. The second method is to use a dedicated RSS reader. These programs check to see what feeds have been updated, and then display the stories as a list of clickable links.
An example of a web-based RSS reader is Google Reader, while you can also download RSS reading apps such as FeedDemon for Windows or Reeder for Mac, iPad and iPhone.
Subscribing to an RSS feed
Click on the link to any of the RSS feeds listed below. This will take you to a page of stories. Either subscribe to this page within your browser via the instructions on-screen. Or, if you wish to use an RSS reading app, simply copy the URL of this page from the address bar in your browser. Then go to your reader and paste it in the relevant place. See the documentation for your reader for precise instructions on how to subscribe to the feed you have chosen.
LEGO store is practically giving away a total of 150 free VIP store points for simply answering a Harry Potter online quiz. All you need is 6 out of 9 answers right and you’re set to receive them almost instantaneously.
Log in to the VIP Center to take the quiz. If you’re signing up a new VIP account, you can accumulate an additional 50 points totalling 200 points if you pass the quiz. If you’re already signed into your VIP account, click here to go directly to the quiz.
We do want to help you pass the quiz with flying colours, so here’s a refresher course on all things Harry Potter. Remember, all you need is 6 out of 9 questions answered correctly to grab the 150 VIP points. If you’ve been paying attention in class, use your wand to make the invisible appear!
1. What store in Diagon Alley has three Quaffles hanging from its sign? Clue: We were told it has nothing to do with Broomstix or Blotts.
Broomstix
Quality Quidditch Supplies —
Flourish and Blotts
2. What store sells wizard equipment in Diagon Alley? Clue: It is wise to think of an answer that has nine letters.
Scribbulus
Wiseacre’s—
Florean Fortescue’s
3. What type of animal does Hagrid buy Harry as a birthday present in Diagon Alley? Clue: It flies, nocturnal, scares folks with its big eyes and it’s not Batman
A toad
A cat
An owl—
4. How many times does Hagrid tap the wall with his umbrella to enter Diagon Alley Clue: 3+7-5=?
Three
Five—
Seven
5. How do the Weasleys travel from home to Diagon Alley to shop for school supplies Clue: fine, dry particles produced by the grinding, crushing, or disintegration of a solid substance.
On broomsticks
They use Floo powder—
By flying car
6. What is the name of the Weasleys’ joke shop in Diagon Alley? Clue: It’s almost a tongue twister like the World Wide Web
Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes—
Weasleys’ Funhouse
Weasley Brothers Laugh Emporium
7. When Harry accidentally says “diagonally” instead of “Diagon Alley”, where does the Floo Network take him? Clue: We spotted Harry in a narrow passageway between or behind buildings.
Hogsmeade
Knockturn Alley—
Back to Hogwarts
8. What is the name of the wizarding world newspaper Harry and his friends often read? Clue: Newspapers typically are published at this frequency
The Wizard Press
The Daily Prophet—
The Weekly Wand
9. In what bookstore do Harry and Gilderoy Lockhart meet? Clue: It has nothing to do with spells, books, bats or things beyond.
Books, Bats and Beyond
Flourish and Blotts—
Spells and Things
It takes a couple of minutes for your account to be credited with the points, remember to refresh your browser. There’s no indication of when when this giveaway will end, so forward this to a family or friend while you can, because sharing is caring. If you studied hard enough at Hogwarts and paid attention, apply the Wingardium-SelectAll spell on this page and the invisible becomes visible. Congratulations! You’ve passed your class subject of Charms with flying colours. Professor Flitwick would be proud of you! Look out for the arrows for correct answers.
ONEIDA – As if they were in a “Harry Potter” film, antique portraits will come to life, talking to each other and to visitors in an upcoming exhibit on the Oneida Reservation.
The portraits feature tribal citizens acting in roles of their individual ancestors who played important parts in the two-century history of the Oneida Nation in Wisconsin.
The panels will be displayed as part of a cultural and tourism exhibit on the reservation later this year.
Oneida officials came up with the idea of the digital portraits during the pandemic as a way to promote virtual tourism.
“We had to think about how to make tourism more accessible and exciting,” said Michelle Danforth-Anderson, Oneida Nation director of tourism and marketing.
The pandemic shut down virtually everything on the reservation, including the casinos, which have since reopened with partial crowd capacity.
Oneida officials are looking to welcome back a limited number of visitors safely this year as the pandemic wanes, but with cases still rising in some parts of the country and uncertainty about the COVID-19 variants, they are still looking for ways to limit close contact among people.
The digital portraits are a fun and safe way for the tribe to tell its story to visitors, Danforth-Anderson said.
“We don’t have to be face-to-face giving a tour,” she said. “People can self-tour.”
The digital portraits will be inside 1800s-themed log cabin exhibits at the Amelia Cornelius Culture Park named after the prominent Oneida official, artist and historian who died in 2016.
The park on the corner of Brown County FF and Wisconsin 54 was dedicated months before the pandemic started.
Telling the Oneida story is even more important this year because this is the 200th anniversary of the tribe establishing itself as an Indigenous nation in Wisconsin.
In one digital portrait, tribal citizen Christopher Powless portrays his three-times great-grandfather, Daniel Bread, who was one of the tribe’s leaders during the move to Wisconsin in 1821.
After bantering with a character in another portrait, Bread (portrayed by Powless) explains how tribal leaders fought against forced relocation and pleaded with the New York governor to be allowed to stay.
“Deep down I had this feeling we were going to move, anyway,” he says.
Powless explained how people could take only one trunk of belongings and had to leave the rest behind for their move to Menominee and Ho-Chunk land that had been set aside for them in northeast Wisconsin.
“This was a new frontier,” he said. “Our people did not want to go.”
Another portrait talks about how Oneida men would serve in another man’s place during the Civil War for $300, and explains that many residents lost their property through allotment to non-tribal people.
The three panels were made by Digital Designs of Green Bay and paid for with $23,000 from the federal coronavirus economic relief package.
Three more digital portraits are being made and will include stories of the infamous boarding schools, which are blamed for forced assimilation and loss of language and culture for most Indigenous people in the U.S.
“Some elders didn’t mind (the boarding school) because they had food, shelter and clothing,” Danforth-Anderson said. “Others have horror stories.”
She said the digital portraits will be ready for display and the park opened likely by the Nation’s Fall Fest during the first weekend of October.
The Oneida Nation Pow-Wow also is being tentatively planned for Aug. 28 and 29 with a 9,000-visitor capacity each day as tribal officials are focusing on holding more outdoor events.
“We’re slowly rebuilding tourism,” she said.
Frank Vaisvilas is a Report For America corps member based at the Green Bay Press-Gazette covering Native American issues in Wisconsin. He can be reached at 920-228-0437 or fvaisvilas@gannett.com, or on Twitter at @vaisvilas_frank. Please consider supporting journalism that informs our democracy with a tax-deductible gift to this reporting effort at GreenBayPressGazette.com/RFA.
