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Source: The post is based on the article “Scientists detect ‘microplastics’ in human heart for first time: Report” published in Hindustan Times on 16th August 2023.
What is the news?
Scientists at Beijing Anzhen Hospital in China found microplastics in the heart tissues of patients who had heart surgery.
They also found Polyethylene terephthalate, commonly used in clothing and food containers, as well as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which is commonly used in window frames, drainage pipes, paint, and other applications.
What are the issues with the findings?
Microplastics have been suggested to have an indirect role in conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and chronic liver disease by affecting the gastrointestinal tract.
Hence, the discovery of microplastics in heart tissues is concerning. Further research is needed to understand how these microplastics enter the heart tissues and their long-term impact on health after heart surgery.
What are Microplastics?
President Murmu pays tribute to Matangini Hazra, Kanaklata Barua: Who were these freedom fighters
Source: The post is based on the article “President Murmu pays tribute to Matangini Hazra, Kanaklata Barua: Who were these freedom fighters” published in The Indian Express on 16th August 2023.
What is the news?
President Droupadi Murmu, in her speech on the eve of Independence Day, honored two women freedom fighters – Matangini Hazra and Kanaklata Barua.
Who was Matangini Hazra?
-She was born in 1869 in a village named Hogla, near Tamluk, West Bengal. She was the daughter of a poor farmer. She got married at the age of 12 and became a divorcee at the age of 18. She did not have any children.
-She followed the path of Mahatma Gandhi. Due to her love for Gandhi, she became to be known as Gandhiburi (the old Gandhian woman).
-She was arrested at the age of 61 for joining the Civil Disobedience Movement in 1930 and Gandhi’s Salt March. During this period, she became an active member of the Indian National Congress and began spinning khadi, following Gandhi’s footsteps.
-She became more deeply engaged in the freedom movement during Gandhi’s Quit India Movement in August 1942.
-In September 1942, at 73 years old, Hazra led 6,000 mainly women protestors to take over Tamluk police station from the British. She clashed with the police, got shot three times, and fell, chanting ‘Vande Mataram’.
-Due to her sacrifice for the nation, in 1977, the first statue in the Kolkata Maidan was dedicated to Matangini Hazra. Several schools and streets in West Bengal have been named after her.
Who was Kanaklata Barua?
-She belonged to Assam. She was one of the youngest martyrs of the Quit India Movement.
-At the age of 17, she became the leader of a group of freedom fighters known as the “Mrityu Bahini“. She guided the group to hoist the Tricolour at Gohpur police station on September 20, 1942.
-This led to clashes between the protestors and the police. The police firing took the life of Barua.
-Despite being shot, Barua held onto the flag to prevent it from touching the ground. Mukunda Kakoty, another volunteer, also got shot while trying to support the flag.
-In 2020, the Coast Guard honored her memory by naming a Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) after her, known as the ICGS Kanaklata Barua.
