Author: Amjad Izhar

  • 15 Side Hustles for Maximum Hourly Income

    15 Side Hustles for Maximum Hourly Income

    Why settle for just one stream of income when you can multiply your earnings with high-paying side hustles? Whether you’re looking to pay off debt, save for a major purchase, or simply want to boost your financial security, adding a side hustle to your routine can be a game-changer. The key is to choose side hustles that offer maximum hourly income, allowing you to make the most of your time and efforts.

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    Gone are the days when side jobs were synonymous with low wages and tedious tasks. Today, a wide range of lucrative opportunities exist that can fit around your full-time job or other commitments. From leveraging your existing skills to diving into new fields that offer quick returns, the possibilities are vast and varied. Not only can these side hustles bring in substantial income, but they can also offer professional growth, new experiences, and even a sense of accomplishment.

    If you’re ready to take control of your financial future, exploring side hustles with high hourly pay can be an excellent first step. In this blog, we’ll dive into 15 side hustles that not only promise to boost your bank account but also provide you with the flexibility and freedom to work on your terms. Let’s start with the first three opportunities that could transform your income potential.

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    1. Bookkeeper

    If you have a knack for numbers and an eye for detail, bookkeeping could be your ticket to a profitable side hustle. This role involves managing the financial records of businesses or individuals, ensuring that all transactions are accurately recorded. From reconciling bank statements to generating financial reports, a bookkeeper plays a crucial role in helping clients maintain their financial health. It’s a job that offers stability and the chance to work with various clients, making each day a little different.

    In addition to the financial benefits, bookkeeping can also provide a sense of satisfaction as you help businesses stay organized and financially sound. With an increasing demand for remote work, many bookkeepers can set their hours and work from home, making it an ideal side hustle for those looking for flexibility. The median hourly wage of $22.05 might be just the start, as experienced bookkeepers often command higher rates, especially when they specialize in niche industries.

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    2. Web Developer

    In a world where every business needs an online presence, web development is a side hustle that can easily translate into a high-paying career. As a web developer, you could be responsible for designing and maintaining websites, ensuring they are user-friendly, responsive, and visually appealing. Whether you’re writing code from scratch or using content management systems like WordPress, the demand for skilled web developers continues to grow.

    What makes web development particularly appealing as a side hustle is its scalability. You can start small by working on freelance projects, and gradually building a portfolio that showcases your skills. With the potential to earn a median hourly wage of $38.81, web development offers both financial rewards and the satisfaction of bringing a client’s vision to life. Plus, with the constant evolution of technology, there’s always something new to learn, keeping the work interesting and dynamic.

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    3. Project Manager

    If you excel at organization and communication, taking on a project manager role could be a highly lucrative side hustle. Project managers are the glue that holds a team together, overseeing the planning, execution, and closing of projects. This role requires a strategic mindset, as you’ll be responsible for setting goals, managing budgets, and ensuring that deadlines are met. It’s a position that not only pays well but also offers the opportunity to work across various industries, providing a broad range of experiences.

    As a project manager, you can choose to work on projects that align with your interests and expertise, whether it’s in technology, construction, marketing, or any other field. The ability to freelance in this role means you can take on as many or as few projects as your schedule allows. With a median hourly wage of $45.85, project management can be a highly rewarding side hustle, both financially and professionally. It’s a role that challenges you to think critically and adapt to different scenarios, making every project an exciting new venture.

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    4. Translator

    If you’re fluent in more than one language, translation could be an ideal side hustle that taps into a unique skill set while offering a solid hourly income. Translators work across various industries, from government agencies to healthcare, education, and even the corporate world. Whether you’re translating documents, interpreting conversations, or localizing content for different cultures, your ability to bridge language barriers can be highly valuable. The best part is that you can often choose your projects, allowing you to work as a freelancer and set your hours.

    With a growing demand for bilingual professionals, translation offers not only financial rewards but also the satisfaction of helping people communicate more effectively. The median hourly wage for translators is $25.79, with the potential for even higher earnings if you specialize in a particular industry or language pair. The job market for translators is expected to grow, making it a stable side hustle with opportunities for long-term success. Whether you prefer working remotely or on-site, translation can be a flexible and rewarding way to earn extra income.

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    5. Interior Designer

    If you have a flair for creating beautiful, functional spaces, interior design might be the perfect side hustle for you. As an interior designer, you’ll work with clients to bring their visions to life, choosing everything from color schemes to furniture and decor that reflect their style and needs. This side hustle allows you to express your creativity while helping others create spaces they love. Whether you’re working on residential projects or commercial spaces, the demand for skilled interior designers remains strong.

    One of the major benefits of interior design as a side hustle is the flexibility it offers. You can choose to work with clients on a project-by-project basis, allowing you to balance your design work with other commitments. With a median hourly income of $29.61, interior design can be both financially rewarding and personally fulfilling. Plus, as you build your portfolio, you can attract higher-paying clients and more complex projects, further increasing your earning potential.

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    6. Fashion Designer

    For those who are passionate about clothing and accessories, fashion design can be an exciting and profitable side hustle. As a fashion designer, you’ll have the opportunity to create unique pieces that reflect your style and creativity. Whether you’re designing a custom wardrobe for a client or creating a new line of clothing to sell online, this side hustle allows you to turn your love for fashion into a lucrative venture. Fashion designers often start small, working on individual pieces or limited collections, but the growth potential is significant.

    The fashion industry offers a variety of opportunities, from freelance design work to contracts with established brands. With a median hourly income of $36.87, fashion design can provide a substantial boost to your income while allowing you to explore your creative passions. As you gain experience and recognition, you can command higher rates and take on more prestigious projects, making this side hustle not only financially rewarding but also a platform for artistic expression.

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    7. Graphic Designer

    If you have a talent for creating eye-catching visuals, a side hustle as a graphic designer could be a great way to earn extra income. Graphic designers work on a wide range of projects, including posters, logos, advertisements, and other marketing materials. Your role would involve understanding the client’s vision and translating it into visually appealing designs that effectively communicate their message. This side hustle is perfect for those with an artistic flair and a passion for creativity.

    Graphic design offers a lot of flexibility, allowing you to take on projects that fit your schedule and interests. Whether you’re working on branding for a new startup or designing promotional materials for an event, the variety of work keeps things interesting. With a median hourly wage of $27.88, graphic design can be a lucrative side hustle, especially as you build your portfolio and attract higher-paying clients. As digital marketing continues to grow, the demand for skilled graphic designers is likely to remain strong, making this a smart choice for anyone looking to make extra money through creative work.

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    8. Event Planner

    If organizing and coordinating events is something you enjoy, becoming an event planner could be a rewarding side hustle. Event planners are responsible for managing all the details of an event, from selecting venues and arranging catering to coordinating entertainment and managing budgets. Whether it’s a wedding, birthday party, or corporate event, your role is to ensure everything runs smoothly and according to plan.

    Event planning as a side hustle offers the flexibility to take on projects that fit your schedule, particularly on weekends when many events take place. With a median hourly wage of $25.27, this side hustle can be both financially and personally satisfying, especially if you enjoy seeing your hard work come together in a successful event. The ability to work with different clients and venues adds variety to the job, making each project unique and interesting. As you gain experience, you can take on more complex events, increasing your earning potential and building a reputation in the industry.

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    9. Chef

    For those with a passion for cooking, taking on a side hustle as a chef can be fulfilling and profitable. Whether you’re working part-time in a restaurant or offering private chef services, this role allows you to share your culinary talents with others. As a chef, you’ll be responsible for preparing delicious meals, creating menus, and possibly even sourcing ingredients. This side hustle is ideal for those who enjoy experimenting with flavors and presenting beautifully crafted dishes.

    Working as a chef on the side can offer a median hourly income of $27.17, with the potential to earn more depending on your experience and the exclusivity of your services. Private chefs, in particular, can command higher rates, especially when catering to special events or offering personalized dining experiences. The flexibility of this side hustle allows you to choose when and where you work, making it a great option for those who want to turn their love for cooking into a profitable venture.

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    10. Editor

    If you have a love for language and a keen eye for detail, editing could be the perfect side hustle for you. Editors are responsible for refining content, ensuring that it is clear, concise, and free of errors. This role often involves working closely with writers and clients to develop content that meets the desired tone and style for various publications. Whether you’re editing articles for a magazine, polishing web content, or working on corporate communications, the work is varied and intellectually stimulating.

    One of the biggest advantages of being an editor as a side hustle is the flexibility it offers. You can take on projects that fit your schedule, working from anywhere and at any time that suits you. With a median hourly wage of $35.14, editing can be a lucrative way to leverage your skills with words while maintaining a work-life balance. As you gain experience and build a reputation, you may find opportunities to work on higher-profile projects, further increasing your income potential and professional satisfaction.

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    11. Real Estate Agent

    Real estate offers an exciting side hustle for those who enjoy helping people find their dream homes or lucrative investment properties. As a real estate agent, you’ll work with clients to buy, sell, or rent properties, guiding them through the process and offering expert advice along the way. This job often involves working evenings and weekends, as that’s when most clients are available to view properties. However, the flexibility of the job allows you to balance it with other commitments.

    Becoming a real estate agent requires obtaining a license, but once you’re certified, the earning potential is significant. With a median hourly wage of $25.02, plus the possibility of earning commissions on sales, this side hustle can be highly rewarding. The income you generate will largely depend on your ability to close deals, making it a role that rewards hard work and dedication. Whether you’re passionate about residential properties or commercial real estate, this side hustle offers both financial rewards and the satisfaction of helping clients achieve their goals.

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    12. Executive Assistant

    If you’re highly organized and enjoy helping others stay on track, working as an executive assistant could be an ideal side hustle. Executive assistants provide vital support to top executives, handling tasks such as managing schedules, coordinating meetings, booking travel, and handling information requests. This role can be done in an office setting or virtually, making it a versatile option for those looking to earn extra income on the side.

    The role of an executive assistant is crucial in ensuring that business operations run smoothly, and it comes with a respectable median hourly wage of $31.72. This side hustle is particularly well-suited for individuals who have strong communication and organizational skills, as well as the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously. Whether you’re working for a government agency, a school, or a private company, this job offers the chance to make a significant impact while earning a steady income. Plus, the experience you gain as an executive assistant can open doors to even more advanced career opportunities in the future.

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    13. Travel Agent

    If you have a passion for exploring new places and helping others create memorable experiences, becoming a travel agent could be a rewarding side hustle. As a travel agent, your primary responsibility is to assist clients in booking travel arrangements, from flights and accommodations to tours and activities. This role requires strong organizational skills and a deep understanding of the hospitality industry, as you’ll need to curate the perfect travel itineraries that cater to your client’s preferences and budgets.

    The flexibility of working as a travel agent allows you to take on this role as a side hustle, fitting it around your primary job or other commitments. With a median hourly wage of $22.31, this side hustle offers a decent income while letting you indulge in your love for travel. The job can also be quite satisfying as you help clients plan their dream vacations or important business trips. Additionally, staying up-to-date with travel trends and industry developments can make this side hustle even more lucrative, especially if you become known for offering exceptional service and insider tips.

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    14. Tutor

    Tutoring is an excellent side hustle for those who enjoy teaching and have expertise in a particular subject. Whether you specialize in math, science, languages, or test preparation, tutoring allows you to share your knowledge with students who need extra help. You can work one-on-one with students or teach small groups, offering personalized guidance that helps them achieve their academic goals. The flexibility of tutoring is one of its biggest advantages, as you can set your schedule and work from home, especially if you choose to tutor via video conferencing.

    Tutors earn a median hourly income of $20.09, but this can vary depending on your subject area and level of expertise. For instance, tutors who specialize in advanced subjects or standardized test preparation often command higher rates. This side hustle is particularly rewarding because it allows you to make a direct impact on student’s lives, helping them build confidence and improve their academic performance. As you gain experience and build a reputation, you may be able to increase your rates and attract more clients, making tutoring a highly profitable side hustle.

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    15. Public Relations Specialist

    If you’re skilled in communication and have a knack for crafting compelling narratives, working as a public relations (PR) specialist could be a lucrative side hustle. PR specialists are responsible for managing and improving the public image of their clients, whether they are individuals, companies, or organizations. This role involves writing press releases, organizing interviews, drafting speeches, and developing strategies to maintain a positive public perception. As a side hustle, PR allows you to use your creativity and strategic thinking to shape how clients are viewed by the public.

    With a median hourly wage of $32.42, PR specialists can earn a substantial income, especially if they work with high-profile clients or on major campaigns. The flexibility of this role means you can take on projects that fit your schedule, whether it’s crafting a media strategy for a local business or managing crisis communication for a public figure. This side hustle also offers the opportunity to work on diverse projects, making it an exciting and dynamic way to earn extra income while honing your communication and marketing skills.

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    Conclusion

    These first three side hustles—bookkeeping, web development, and project management—showcase the diversity of opportunities available to those looking to maximize their hourly income. Each offers a unique set of challenges and rewards, appealing to different skill sets and interests. Whether you’re drawn to the analytical nature of bookkeeping, the creative and technical demands of web development, or the strategic planning required in project management, there’s a side hustle that can match your strengths and financial goals.

    Choosing a side hustle that offers a high hourly rate is about more than just the money; it’s about finding work that aligns with your passions and talents, offering both personal and professional fulfillment. These roles not only provide significant earning potential but also the flexibility to work on your terms. As you consider which side hustle might be the best fit for you, think about how these roles could complement your existing job and lifestyle, paving the way for financial success and personal growth.

    The second group of side hustles—translator, interior designer, and fashion designer—demonstrates the diverse ways in which creative and language-based skills can translate into high-paying opportunities. Each of these roles allows you to leverage your unique talents to earn a substantial hourly income while enjoying the flexibility and autonomy that come with side work. Whether you’re helping people communicate across cultures, transforming spaces into works of art, or bringing fashion dreams to life, these side hustles offer both financial and personal rewards.

    Choosing a side hustle in a field you’re passionate about not only increases your chances of success but also makes the work itself more enjoyable. These roles offer a perfect blend of creativity, independence, and income potential, allowing you to pursue your interests while boosting your financial security. As you explore these options, consider how they align with your skills and interests, and how they might fit into your overall career and lifestyle goals.

    The third group of side hustles—graphic designer, event planner, and chef—highlights how creative and organizational skills can lead to well-paying opportunities outside of traditional employment. Each of these roles offers a chance to turn your passions into profit, whether it’s through designing compelling visuals, orchestrating memorable events, or crafting exquisite meals. These side hustles not only provide financial benefits but also allow you to express your creativity and build meaningful connections with clients.

    Pursuing a side hustle that aligns with your interests and talents can make the work feel less like a job and more like a rewarding pursuit. These roles offer the flexibility to work on your terms, choosing projects that excite you while also boosting your income. As you explore these options, think about how they could complement your current lifestyle and how they might open doors to even greater opportunities in the future.

    The final group of side hustles—editor, real estate agent, and executive assistant—demonstrates the range of opportunities available for those with different skill sets and interests. Whether you have a passion for words, a knack for sales, or a talent for organization, there’s a side hustle that can help you maximize your hourly income while doing work you enjoy. Each of these roles offers flexibility, allowing you to manage your time effectively while pursuing additional income.

    These side hustles also provide valuable experience and the chance to develop skills that are highly transferable to other areas of your career. By choosing a side hustle that aligns with your strengths, you can not only boost your income but also enhance your professional profile, making you more marketable in the long run. As you consider these options, think about how they fit into your overall career goals and how they can contribute to your financial and personal growth.

    The final trio of side hustles—travel agent, tutor, and public relations specialist—showcases how your unique interests and skills can be transformed into profitable ventures. Whether you’re passionate about travel, education, or communication, these roles offer the opportunity to earn a substantial hourly income while doing work that you find fulfilling. Each of these side hustles provides a high degree of flexibility, allowing you to balance them with your main job or other responsibilities.

    Choosing a side hustle that aligns with your passions not only enhances your income but also brings personal satisfaction. These roles offer the chance to make a meaningful impact on your clients, whether by planning their perfect vacation, helping them achieve academic success, or shaping their public image. As you explore these options, consider how they can complement your current lifestyle and how you can leverage your skills to maximize both your income and your fulfillment.

    In exploring these 15 side hustles, it’s clear that the opportunities to maximize hourly income are diverse and plentiful. Whether you’re skilled in managing finances as a bookkeeper, creating digital masterpieces as a graphic designer, or shaping public perception as a PR specialist, there’s a side hustle that can fit your unique talents and interests. These roles not only offer substantial financial rewards but also the flexibility to manage your time and balance other commitments. By choosing a side hustle that aligns with your skills and passions, you can create a fulfilling and profitable avenue for additional income, ultimately enhancing both your financial security and overall satisfaction. Whether you’re looking to save for the future, cover extra costs, or simply enjoy the benefits of earning more, these side hustles provide a practical and rewarding way to achieve your goals.

    By Amjad Izhar
    Contact: amjad.izhar@gmail.com
    https://amjadizhar.blog

  • Bangladesh in 2025: News and Events

    Bangladesh in 2025: News and Events

    This text comprises news reports from ATN Bangla, covering diverse events in Bangladesh during the New Year. The reports include the opening of the Dhaka International Trade Fair, highlighting its potential for entrepreneurship and future expansion nationwide. Other stories detail the challenges of textbook distribution, political developments including election discussions and calls for reforms, and social initiatives like the July Shaheed Smriti Foundation aiding families affected by the July Uprising. Finally, it features celebrations of the New Year, alongside discussions of the Jasimuddin memorial’s poor condition and concerns about declining groundwater levels. The overall tone reflects a mix of celebratory New Year’s coverage and reports on ongoing political and social issues.

    2025 News Review: A Study Guide

    Quiz

    Instructions: Answer each question in 2-3 sentences.

    1. What is the primary focus of the Dhaka International Trade Fair according to the provided text?
    2. What issue was raised regarding the distribution of textbooks at the start of the new academic year?
    3. What political party paid tribute to its founder on its 46th anniversary, and what key demand did they express?
    4. What is the stated goal of the July Shaheed Smriti Foundation?
    5. How did the people of Bangladesh celebrate the New Year despite some restrictions?
    6. What specific reforms are being demanded in the wake of the July revolution?
    7. What was the public reaction in rural Bangladesh to the events of the July revolution?
    8. Who is Prosecutor Tajul Islam and what does he claim about 2025?
    9. What is the Barendra Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA) doing in response to the water shortage?
    10. What significant international event occurred in Zimbabwe according to this news?

    Quiz Answer Key

    1. The Dhaka International Trade Fair is focused on promoting entrepreneurship and highlighting the potential of young entrepreneurs, with plans to expand the fair across the country in the future.
    2. There was a delay in handing out all the textbooks on the first day of the year due to a revision process, printing press issues, and past corruption associated with book festivals, leading to concerns about waste.
    3. The Jatiyatavadi Chhatra Dal paid tribute to BNP founder Ziaur Rahman and demanded that elections be organized soon, emphasizing the need for youth participation.
    4. The July Shaheed Smriti Foundation was formed to assist the families of those killed and injured in the July uprising, offering financial support and planning medical assistance.
    5. Despite a ban on loud noises, people celebrated the New Year with fireworks, colorful lanterns, and various gatherings, emphasizing new beginnings and dreams.
    6. The public demands immediate reforms relating to price control, freedom of expression, and the justice system, stemming from the July revolution and government corruption.
    7. Rural Bangladesh is hopeful about the changes after the July revolution but is also calling for free national elections and improvements in daily life and commodities.
    8. Prosecutor Tajul Islam states that 2025 will be the year to try former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League for crimes against humanity, also indicating that investigations into the August incident are ongoing.
    9. The BMDA is dealing with water shortages by restricting deep tubewell usage, encouraging farmers to grow less water-intensive crops, and making decisions to protect groundwater.
    10. Zimbabwe officially abolished the death penalty, with a historic law signed by the president for 60 death row inmates while the death penalty will remain for special crimes.

    Essay Questions

    Instructions: Choose one of the following essay prompts and develop a well-supported argument.

    1. Analyze the interconnectedness of political events and public sentiment as portrayed in the news, particularly in relation to the July revolution and its aftermath. How has the revolution shaped public expectations for reform, justice, and future elections?
    2. Discuss the role of youth and student activism in the political and social developments of 2025, as represented in the news. In what ways do youth voice discontent?
    3. Examine the different ways in which organizations, such as the July Shaheed Smriti Foundation and the BMDA, are responding to the consequences of social and environmental issues. What does this reveal about the challenges facing Bangladesh in 2025?
    4. Compare and contrast the varying views expressed in the news regarding the upcoming elections and the reforms needed for them to be considered valid and acceptable. What key reforms are deemed necessary?
    5. Discuss the significance of cultural events in the context of the changing socio-political landscape of 2025, citing examples from the news.

    Glossary of Key Terms

    • Dhaka International Trade Fair: An annual event in Dhaka, Bangladesh, focused on promoting trade and entrepreneurship.
    • BNP: Bangladesh Nationalist Party, one of the major political parties in Bangladesh.
    • Jatiya Party: A significant political party in Bangladesh.
    • July Revolution: A student-led political upheaval in Bangladesh, which took place before 2025, with far reaching consequences.
    • July Shaheed Smriti Foundation: An organization formed to support the families of those killed and injured during the July uprising.
    • MPO: A system of providing government aid to private educational institutions in Bangladesh.
    • BMDA: Barendra Multipurpose Development Authority, an entity focused on developing agricultural resources in a specific region.
    • Ziaur Rahman: A former president of Bangladesh and founder of the BNP.
    • Sheikh Hasina: A former prime minister of Bangladesh who is slated to be prosecuted in 2025.
    • Nakshi Kantha: A type of traditional embroidered quilt from Bengal.
    • Fano: Lanterns used in celebrations.

    Bangladesh News Briefing: January 1, 2025

    Okay, here is a briefing document summarizing the key themes and ideas from the provided text:

    Briefing Document: Bangladesh News – January 1, 2025

    Date: January 1, 2025

    Source: ATN Bangla News (Transcribed Text)

    Overview:

    This document provides a summary of various news items reported by ATN Bangla News on January 1, 2025, primarily focusing on events within Bangladesh. The news covers a range of topics, including the opening of the Dhaka International Trade Fair, the distribution of textbooks, political developments, the anniversary of the July revolution, New Year celebrations, and various other national and international news.

    Key Themes & Ideas:

    1. Dhaka International Trade Fair 2025:
    • The 29th Dhaka International Trade Fair has opened with a focus on promoting entrepreneurship. Dr. Mohammad Yunus, the Chief Advisor, inaugurated the fair, emphasizing the need to develop young entrepreneurs at the international level.
    • The fair is expected to expand beyond Dhaka in the future and be held across the country.
    • The opening day saw a good turnout, but many stalls were still under preparation, with expectations of larger crowds as the week progresses.
    • Increased facilities were noted at the fair, and international participation was evident. There is a dedicated pavilion to commemorate the 36 revolution (student uprising).
    • Organizers expect increased sales compared to last year due to improved economic conditions.
    1. Quote: “Chief Adviser Dr. Mohammad Yunus inaugurated the fair at the exhibition center while he said that trade fairs will be organized across the country in the future. He urged to use the potential of entrepreneurship through the trade fair. He also said that the government is working to develop multi-faceted young entrepreneurs at the international level.”
    2. Education Sector & Textbook Distribution:
    • There is controversy surrounding the delayed distribution of textbooks for the new academic year. Only 60 million out of 410 million books were delivered on the first day of the year.
    • The Education Advisor expressed regret, citing corruption and wastage in the past associated with book distribution festivals. This year was limited to an event inside in order to save money.
    • Delays are attributed to the revision of textbooks, printing press issues, and a general crisis in the process. There were errors found in the textbooks that are being corrected, including the release of an online version of the books.
    • The MPO retirement and welfare allowance of teachers were inaugurated.
    1. Quote: “Education Adviser Wahidu Mahmud expressed regret for not being able to hand over books to the students at the beginning of the year. On the first day of the year, 6 crore books out of 41 crore books have reached the hands of the students.” “Over the years there has been massive corruption and wastage in the name of book festival.”
    2. Political Landscape and Elections:
    • The political situation in Bangladesh remains complex, with various parties holding differing views on the path forward.
    • The BNP paid tribute to their founder, calling for the organization of elections. They believe reforms, including administrative, police, and election commission reforms, are necessary before or along with elections.
    • The Jatiya Party has expressed their willingness to participate in elections if all parties are included and the election environment is neutral.
    • The text indicates that many people are disappointed with the country’s political situation since independence. The common people believe that the political and economic situation of the country has not been good for the last 16 years. They seem to have hope that change can happen due to the student uprising.
    1. Quote: “If the participation of all parties in BNP is confirmed, the Jatiya Party will go to the polls and another new year has been added to the calendar.” “Elections should be organized soon.”
    2. July Revolution and its Aftermath:
    • The anniversary of the July Revolution is a significant event, marked by remembrance and calls for justice. The July Shaheed Smriti Foundation is working to support families of the martyrs and injured from the July revolution, having disbursed a significant amount of aid (47 crores) so far.
    • There are demands for trials of those responsible for the killings and unrest during this time, and there is also some demand for an exemplary trial for those who were behind the brutal killings of students and workers during the July Revolution.
    • A special panel at the Trade Fair allows visitors to discuss their experiences and the impact of the July revolution. The expectation is that the youth will lead the country in the future as a result of the revolution.
    1. Quote: “The memory of the 36 revolution student uprising is to witness that memory but here A special panel is provided and the visitors are given the opportunity to talk about the horrors of the July revolution or the victory that was the final victory but there is an opportunity to have a pavilion and from that pavilion but you can see the vision.”
    2. New Year Celebrations:
    • The country welcomed the new year with fireworks and colorful displays despite any restrictions on loud noises.
    • People expressed hopes for a peaceful and prosperous year.
    • There was also concern for animals in the neighborhood due to loud noises.
    1. Quote: “Even though loud noises are prohibited, lanterns are blown. Forgetting all the achievements of the outgoing year, the people of the country welcomed the new year with colorful arrangements at midnight.”
    2. Calls for Justice and Accountability:
    • There is a widespread call for justice for the crimes committed during the last 16 years with a focus on completing a just trial of those responsible.
    • The prosecutor, Tajul Islam, stated that 2025 will be the year of trial for former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Awami League for crimes against humanity.
    • The investigation into the August incident is still ongoing.
    • There is a general consensus that no one will betray the blood of the martyrs.
    1. Quote: “Prosecutor Tajul Islam while exchanging New Year greetings with journalists said that 2025 will be the year of trial of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Awami League for crimes against humanity.” “Top priority There is a consensus from all those who are in charge of the state today. There is a consensus among the people that everyone wants to complete a fair and just trial of all the crimes against humanity committed in Bangladesh during the last 16 years.”
    2. Water Crisis:
    • The Barendra region is facing a water crisis with declining underground water levels affecting agriculture, there is a fear of farmers losing a large amount of land in the coming Iri season.
    • Farmers are being restricted from cultivating water-intensive crops.
    1. International News:
    • The text briefly touched on international news, including New Year celebrations around the world, a claim of an Indian conspiracy to oust the Maldivian president, and Zimbabwe abolishing the death penalty.
    1. Cultural Event
    • Rural poet Jasim Uddin’s 123rd birthday is marked, there is a call for better maintenance and development of his memorial to showcase his work.

    Overall Significance:

    The news items from January 1st, 2025, reveal a nation grappling with political divisions, economic challenges, and the legacy of past events, particularly the July Revolution. There is a strong desire for positive change, justice, and a more prosperous future, highlighted by the hope associated with the student uprising in 2024. The trade fair aims to encourage economic growth through entrepreneurship, while the education sector faces setbacks. The emphasis on reform, fair trials, and the aspirations of the youth suggest a country at a pivotal moment, with the potential for either significant progress or continued instability. The water crisis also poses a serious concern for the agricultural sector.

    This briefing document is based on the provided text and may not reflect all aspects of the situation in Bangladesh on the given date.

    Bangladesh in Early 2025: Key Events and Issues

    FAQ: Key Events and Issues in Bangladesh in Early 2025

    • What is the significance of the Dhaka International Trade Fair in 2025?

    The 29th Dhaka International Trade Fair in 2025 is significant as it signifies the government’s push to promote entrepreneurship and trade. The fair aims to showcase the potential of young entrepreneurs in Bangladesh, and there are plans to organize similar fairs across the country in the future. It also highlights the increased participation of international companies and features a special pavilion dedicated to commemorating the student uprising of the “July 36 revolution,” a pivotal event that seems to have occurred in the previous year. The fair is expected to be very crowded as the week progresses.

    • What are the key concerns surrounding the distribution of textbooks at the beginning of the 2025 academic year?

    There are significant issues with the distribution of textbooks for the 2025 academic year. While some books were distributed, a large portion of the 41 crore books have not reached students by the first day of the year, with only 6 crore delivered. The Education Adviser has expressed regret for this, attributing it to delays in the revision process (September-November), printing press challenges, and issues related to updating the syllabus. There are also reports of widespread corruption and wastage associated with the annual book festival in previous years. Additionally, despite these problems, the online versions of the textbooks have been launched, and the ministry is moving ahead with the MPO retirement and welfare allowances of teachers.

    • What is the political climate in Bangladesh like following the “July Revolution?”

    The political climate in Bangladesh is tense and complex, characterized by a post-revolution landscape. There are demands for early and free national elections, alongside calls for reforms, such as those related to the administrative, police, and election commission. Many people are demanding reform before any election and are frustrated with the current political situation after 53 years of independence. A significant aspect of this climate is the “July 36 revolution,” which appears to be a major political turning point involving a student uprising and widespread change. There’s a widespread hope that the sacrifices of the students will not be betrayed. Political parties like the BNP and Jatiya Party are engaging in political maneuvers related to elections, while also expressing concerns about the current system’s inequities and failures.

    • What is the July Shaheed Smriti Foundation, and what is its purpose?

    The July Shaheed Smriti Foundation was established following the July revolution to support the families of martyrs and those injured during the uprising. It is a non-political and voluntary organization that has provided financial assistance to hundreds of affected families. It’s also working on fast-track medical services for the injured and plans to open offices in divisional cities. It highlights the far-reaching effects of the “July 36 Revolution” and the efforts to deal with its consequences. The foundation has received substantial donations and disbursed a significant portion as financial assistance.

    • How did Bangladesh celebrate the New Year, and what sentiments were expressed by citizens?

    Bangladesh welcomed the New Year 2025 with colorful celebrations, including fireworks, and cultural events, despite the ban on loud noises. The celebrations also featured colorful lanterns and gatherings on rooftops. There was a strong sentiment of hope and a desire for positive change in the new year, with people expressing a wish for peace, innovation, and a “beautiful Bangladesh.” People also sought to forget past enmities and build a new nation, showing a focus on moving forward and making improvements. However, there’s also recognition of the need for systemic changes and addressing the issues of the past.

    • What are the concerns surrounding water scarcity in the Barendra area?

    The Barendra area is facing a serious water scarcity issue. The underground water level has dropped drastically, causing deep tube wells to fail. As a result, farmers are facing bans on paddy cultivation, potentially leading to the loss of significant agricultural land. This is due to overuse of groundwater for cultivation and Barendra Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA) has set new policies to tackle the crisis, such as reducing the amount of water being released for irrigation. The crisis reflects an environmental and agricultural challenge and requires farmers to shift to other less water-intensive crops.

    • What are the key calls for justice and accountability regarding the “July Revolution” and other historical events?

    There are significant demands for justice and accountability concerning the “July revolution” and past crimes. A consensus exists that there should be fair and just trials for those who committed crimes against humanity over the last 16 years. The year 2025 is seen as a time for the prosecution of major criminals, including former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and members of the Awami League. Additionally, there are calls for an exemplary trial for those involved in the killing of students and workers during the July uprising. These demands reflect a deep desire for closure and a commitment to addressing injustices.

    • What was done to commemorate Rural Poet Jasim Uddin and what issues are being discussed?

    The 123rd birthday of rural poet Jasim Uddin was commemorated but with some issues. Despite his contributions to literature, his dilapidated house and memorial are neglected, lacking proper maintenance and facilities for visitors, which causes disappointment among those who wish to honor him. There is a need for the state and local administration to take initiatives to restore and properly maintain his memorial to properly honor his memory and share his contributions to future generations.

    Dhaka International Trade Fair 2024

    The 29th Dhaka International Trade Fair is a major event that is being organized with the intention of expanding similar fairs across the country in the future [1, 2].

    Here are some key details about the fair from the sources:

    • Opening and Inauguration: The fair was inaugurated by Chief Advisor Dr. Mohammad Yunus, who emphasized the potential of entrepreneurship and the need to support young entrepreneurs [1]. He also highlighted that the government is working to develop multifaceted young entrepreneurs at the international level [1].
    • Future Expansion: The trade fair is intended to be organized across the country in the future, with preparations ongoing throughout the year at the district and upazila levels [1, 2].
    • Participation: The fair includes 11 institutions from seven countries, in addition to local Bangladeshi companies [1].
    • Facilities: The facilities at the fair have been improved since the “July 36 revolution” [3].
    • Crowds and Timing: The fair is expected to be crowded, especially on weekends [1, 3]. The opening day had a fair amount of visitors despite some stalls not being fully ready, and it is anticipated that crowds will increase from the second day onwards [1].
    • Stalls: Various companies are showcasing their products, including those from outside the country [3]. Many stalls were still in the process of last-minute decorations on the first day [1].
    • Sales Expectations: Organizers expect that the fair will be very successful in terms of sales, especially since the previous year’s fair was affected by a financial crisis [3].
    • Special Features: The fair includes a special panel dedicated to the “36 revolution student uprising,” providing visitors with the opportunity to discuss the events [3].

    The trade fair is seen as an important platform for showcasing products, encouraging entrepreneurship, and fostering economic growth, with a focus on youth and future expansion across the country [1].

    Bangladesh’s New Year: Hope and Demands for Change

    The sources describe various New Year’s events and related sentiments in Bangladesh and around the world. Here’s a summary of those events:

    New Year Celebrations in Bangladesh:

    • Fireworks and Festivities: The people of Bangladesh welcomed the New Year with fireworks and colorful displays at midnight [1, 2]. Despite restrictions on loud noises, lanterns were also released [2]. Various events were organized across the country, including at hotels and restaurants in the capital and on rooftops [2].
    • New Year’s Eve: The New Year’s Eve was seen as a time to bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new one with new dreams and hopes [2].
    • Hopes and Aspirations: Many expressed hope that the new year would bring peace to the country and that they would succeed in their work [2]. There is a desire to overcome the negative aspects of the past years and move forward positively [2].
    • Rural Celebrations: Even in rural areas, people were hopeful for change, especially after the July 24th revolution [3]. They expressed a desire for early and fair national elections, freedom of expression, and improvements in commodity prices and law and order [3].

    Global New Year Celebrations:

    • Time Zones: The arrival of the New Year is marked by time zones around the world, with the Pacific island nations of Kiribati and Tongai being among the first to celebrate [4].
    • International Celebrations: New Year’s celebrations are mentioned in various countries, including New Zealand, Australia, the UK, France, and Italy, with fireworks and cultural events [4]. Japan also celebrates the New Year with the ringing of temple bells [4].

    Other Relevant Points:

    • Christian New Year Ban: Though the Christian New Year is banned, the country still celebrated the new year with fireworks [1, 5].
    • Post-Revolution Sentiments: The new year follows the “July 24th revolution,” which has increased expectations for the country, especially in rural areas [3]. There are calls for reforms and fair elections [3].
    • Student Movement Impact: The student movement has given hope that Bangladesh will be held accountable [3]. People also demand a trial for those who killed students and workers during the July revolution [3].
    • 2025 as a Year of Justice: Some, like Prosecutor Tajul Islam, have stated that 2025 will be the year for the trial of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League for crimes against humanity, and also expressed hope that there will be a remedy for the injustices of July and August [6].

    The sources highlight that the New Year is not just a time for celebration but also for reflection, hope, and demands for change, particularly in the context of the recent political events in Bangladesh.

    Bangladesh Textbook Distribution Crisis

    The sources discuss issues surrounding the distribution of books to students at the beginning of the academic year in Bangladesh. Here’s a breakdown of the key points:

    • Delays in Book Delivery: On the first day of the new year, not all students received their textbooks [1]. Only 6 crore out of 41 crore books had been distributed [1].
    • Past Practices: In previous years, the distribution of books was a major festival for students. However, this year, the book distribution was limited to a smaller event [1, 2].
    • Reasons for Delays:The revision process for textbooks, which takes place from September to November, has caused delays in printing [2].
    • Various challenges, including printing press issues, have also made it difficult to revise the textbook syllabus [2].
    • Corruption and Waste: The Education Adviser expressed regret for the delay and revealed that there has been widespread corruption and waste in the name of the book festival over the years [1, 2]. The decision to limit the distribution event was partly to save money [2].
    • Textbook Errors: The sources note that there were some errors in the math and science textbooks, which are being corrected [2].
    • Online Access: An online version of all textbooks was launched, which might be a measure to address the gaps created by the delays in physical distribution [2].
    • MPO Retirement and Welfare: On the first day of the year, the MPO retirement and welfare allowance for secondary and higher secondary teachers was inaugurated [2].

    In summary, the book distribution process in Bangladesh has faced significant challenges, including delays, corruption, and errors in the textbooks. The transition to a less public event and the provision of online versions of the books may be attempts to mitigate these issues and save resources [2].

    Bangladesh’s Political Reform Movement

    The sources discuss political reforms in Bangladesh, particularly in the context of recent events and the upcoming elections. Here’s an overview of the key points:

    • Demands for Reform: Following the “July 24th revolution,” there’s a strong push for various political reforms [1]. These demands are coming from multiple sources including:
    • The general public, especially in rural areas, who are hoping for significant changes after the recent political upheaval [1].
    • Political parties who are calling for a fair and inclusive election [2].
    • Student and labor groups who want to ensure that the sacrifices of the martyrs during the July revolution are not in vain [3].
    • Specific Areas of Reform: The reforms being called for include:
    • Administrative reforms, police reforms, and election commission reforms [2, 4].
    • Ensuring freedom of expression [1].
    • Improvement in commodity price control and law and order [1].
    • A free and fair national election [1].
    • Election Participation: There’s a strong emphasis on ensuring the participation of all political parties in the upcoming elections. The Jatiya Party has stated that they will participate in the elections if the participation of all parties is ensured [2, 5, 6].
    • Reform Before or After Elections: There is some debate about whether reforms should be implemented before or after the elections [1, 4]. Some believe that reforms should be prioritized to ensure a fair election [1], while others suggest that reforms will continue regardless of the election [4].
    • Youth Participation: There’s a recognition of the importance of the youth in shaping the future of the country. Some political leaders are urging the new generation to get educated and be qualified to lead the country [4]. There is also recognition that the youth did not get a chance to vote and are eager to do so [4].
    • Accountability and Justice: There are strong demands for accountability and for the trial of those responsible for crimes against humanity, particularly those committed during the July revolution [1, 3]. Prosecutor Tajul Islam has stated that 2025 will be the year for the trial of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League for crimes against humanity [3].
    • Political Instability: There’s a recognition that the country is facing political unrest [3], with pressure for reform on one hand and ongoing tensions on the other [3]. The general population has expressed disappointment with the political situation after 53 years of independence [1].
    • Post-Revolution Expectations: The “July 24th revolution” has raised expectations, with many hoping that Bangladesh will become more accountable [1]. There’s a sentiment that the old ways are no longer acceptable, and a new, reformed Bangladesh is needed [1].
    • Judicial Reform: There is a stated intent to address all the injustices of July and August [3]. A tribunal has issued an arrest warrant against a police constable in a murder case, highlighting efforts to ensure accountability within the police force and judiciary [3].

    In summary, the sources indicate a strong desire for political change in Bangladesh, with a focus on free and fair elections, accountability for past injustices, and a more transparent and just system of governance. These reforms are seen as crucial for ensuring the stability and progress of the country, especially after the events of the July revolution.

    Preserving Jasim Uddin’s Legacy

    The sources discuss the current state of the house of rural poet Jasim Uddin and the need for its preservation [1]. Here’s a breakdown of the key points:

    • Dilapidated Condition: Jasim Uddin’s house is described as being in a dilapidated state, suffering from careless neglect [1]. The house is not being maintained properly, leading to a state of disrepair [1].
    • Memorial Museum: A Jasim Uddin memorial museum has been established, but it is not well-maintained or rich in content, leading to disappointment among visitors [1].
    • Lack of Arrangements: There are no proper arrangements for visitors, and items from his life, including those related to COVID, are being wasted [1].
    • Disappointment of Poet Devotees: Those who visit the house, especially poet devotees, are often disappointed due to the lack of upkeep and the poor condition of the museum [1]. The site does not adequately reflect the poet’s significance [1].
    • Loss of Heritage: Due to this neglect, the root of his legacy is being lost [1].
    • Call for Renovation: There are calls for renovation of the house and museum. This includes calls from poet lovers and the local administration [1]. There is a desire to see the house properly maintained so that it reflects Jasim Uddin’s importance [1].
    • Need for a Cultural Center: There is a proposal to develop a full-fledged cultural center around Jasim Uddin’s house. This would include more allocation of resources and state support [1].
    • Family Involvement: It’s noted that if Jasim Uddin’s family had been more involved, it would be possible to better showcase his legacy to future generations [1].

    In summary, the sources indicate that Jasim Uddin’s house is in a state of disrepair and neglect, which is causing disappointment among visitors. There are calls for the state to support the house with renovations and more resources in order to preserve the poet’s legacy, and potentially to build a cultural center around the house [1].

    By Amjad Izhar
    Contact: amjad.izhar@gmail.com
    https://amjadizhar.blog

  • DeepSeek: A Crash Course in Local LLMs

    DeepSeek: A Crash Course in Local LLMs

    This video tutorial explores DeepSeek, a Chinese company producing open-source large language models (LLMs). The instructor demonstrates using DeepSeek’s AI-powered assistant online and then focuses on downloading and running various sized DeepSeek R1 models locally using different tools like Olama and LM Studio. He tests the models on two different machines: an Intel Lunar Lake AI PC dev kit and a workstation with an RTX 480 graphics card, highlighting hardware limitations and optimization techniques. The tutorial also covers using the Hugging Face Transformers library for programmatic access to DeepSeek models, encountering and troubleshooting various challenges along the way, including memory constraints and model optimization issues. Finally, the instructor shares insights on the challenges and potential of running these models locally versus using cloud-based solutions.

    DeepSeek AI Model Study Guide

    Quiz

    Instructions: Answer the following questions in 2-3 sentences each.

    1. What is DeepSeek and what is unique about their approach to LLMs?
    2. Briefly describe the key differences between DeepSeek R1, R10, and V3 models.
    3. Why is the speculated cost reduction of DeepSeek models a significant factor?
    4. What hardware was used to test DeepSeek models and why were these choices made?
    5. What is an igpu, and how is it utilized by the AI models?
    6. What were the results of using the deepseek.com AI assistant?
    7. What is olama, and how does it assist with local model deployment?
    8. Explain the concept of “distilled” models in the context of DeepSeek.
    9. What is LM Studio and how does it differ from olama in its deployment of LLMs?
    10. What were some of the challenges encountered when attempting to run DeepSeek models locally?

    Quiz Answer Key

    1. DeepSeek is a Chinese company that develops open-weight large language models (LLMs). They are unique in their focus on cost reduction, aiming to achieve similar performance to models like OpenAI’s at a fraction of the cost, specifically due to optimizaitons.
    2. R10 is a model trained with reinforcement learning that exhibited reasoning capabilities but had readability issues. R1 was further trained to mitigate these issues. V3 is a more advanced model with additional capabilities, including vision processing, and a mixture of experts.
    3. The speculated 95-97% cost reduction is significant because training and running large language models typically cost millions of dollars. This drastic reduction suggests these models can be trained and used by those with smaller budgets.
    4. An Intel Lunar Lake AI PC dev kit (mobile chip with an igpu and mpu) and a Precision Tower workstation with an RTX 4080 were used. These were chosen to test the model’s performance on different levels of hardware, including consumer-grade chips and dedicated graphics cards.
    5. An igpu is an integrated graphics processing unit, built into a chip to help run AI models. In particular, in these newer chips they are intended to help run the models alongside mpus in ways where discrete GPUs are not necessary for running small models.
    6. The deepseek.com AI assistant, which runs the V3 model, showed strong performance in text analysis and vision capabilities. It correctly extracted Japanese text from an image, but it did have some issues following all of the prompt instructions.
    7. Olama is a tool that allows users to download and run large language models locally through the terminal, especially utilizing the gguf file format. This makes working with the models easier for a user via the command line interface on their local machines.
    8. Distilled models are smaller versions of larger models, created through knowledge transfer from a more complex model. These smaller models retain similar capabilities to the larger model while being more efficient to run on local machines.
    9. LM Studio provides a more user-friendly interface for deploying and interacting with large language models. Unlike olama, which requires terminal commands, LM Studio has a chat-like interface that allows for a more conversational model experience, but with some additional agentic features.
    10. Challenges included running into computer restarts due to resource exhaustion on local hardware, GPU limitations, incompatibility of certain model formats, optimization and the lack of specific optimization tools for integrated graphics processing units on some devices.

    Essay Questions

    Instructions: Answer the following essay questions in a detailed format, using supporting evidence from the source material.

    1. Analyze the claims made about the cost-effectiveness of DeepSeek models. How might this impact the development and accessibility of AI models?

      The claims about the cost-effectiveness of DeepSeek models suggest that these models offer a more efficient balance between performance and cost compared to other AI models. This could have several significant impacts on the development and accessibility of AI models:
      Increased Accessibility: Lower costs make it feasible for a broader range of users, including smaller businesses, researchers, and individual developers, to access and utilize advanced AI models. This democratization of AI technology can lead to more widespread innovation and application across various fields.
      Accelerated Development: Cost-effective models can reduce the financial barriers to entry for AI development. This can encourage more startups and research institutions to experiment with and develop new AI applications, potentially accelerating the pace of innovation in the field.
      Resource Allocation: With lower costs, organizations can allocate resources more efficiently, potentially investing more in areas such as data acquisition, model fine-tuning, and application development rather than spending heavily on computational resources.
      Competitive Market: The availability of cost-effective models can increase competition among AI providers. This competition can drive further improvements in model efficiency, performance, and cost, benefiting end-users.
      Sustainability: More cost-effective models often imply better optimization and lower energy consumption, contributing to the sustainability of AI technologies. This is increasingly important as the environmental impact of large-scale AI computations comes under scrutiny.
      Broader Applications: Lower costs can enable the deployment of AI models in a wider range of applications, including those with tighter budget constraints. This can lead to the integration of AI in sectors that previously could not afford such technologies, such as education, healthcare, and non-profit organizations.
      Research and Education: Educational institutions and research labs can benefit from cost-effective models by incorporating them into curricula and research projects. This can help in training the next generation of AI practitioners and researchers without the prohibitive costs associated with high-end models.
    2. Overall, the cost-effectiveness of DeepSeek models can significantly lower the barriers to entry for AI development and usage, fostering a more inclusive and innovative ecosystem. This can lead to a more rapid advancement and adoption of AI technologies across various domains.

      Absolutely, the cost-effectiveness of DeepSeek models has the potential to be a game-changer in the AI landscape. By lowering the barriers to entry, these models can foster a more inclusive and innovative ecosystem, which can have far-reaching implications:
      Democratization of AI: Lower costs mean that more individuals and organizations, including those with limited budgets, can access advanced AI capabilities. This democratization can lead to a more diverse range of voices and perspectives contributing to AI development, resulting in more robust and equitable AI solutions.
      Enhanced Innovation: With reduced financial constraints, startups and smaller research teams can experiment with and develop new AI applications. This can lead to a surge in innovation, as more players are able to participate in the AI space and bring fresh ideas to the table.
      Broader Adoption: Cost-effective models make it feasible for industries and sectors that previously could not afford AI technologies to integrate them into their operations. This can lead to widespread adoption across fields such as healthcare, education, agriculture, and more, driving efficiency and innovation in these areas.
      Educational Opportunities: Lower costs can also benefit educational institutions by making it easier to incorporate AI into curricula. This can help in training the next generation of AI practitioners and researchers, ensuring a steady pipeline of talent to drive future advancements.
      Resource Optimization: Organizations can allocate their resources more efficiently, investing in areas such as data acquisition, model fine-tuning, and application development rather than spending heavily on computational resources. This can lead to more effective and targeted use of AI technologies.
      Sustainability: More cost-effective models often imply better optimization and lower energy consumption, contributing to the sustainability of AI technologies. This is increasingly important as the environmental impact of large-scale AI computations comes under scrutiny.
      Competitive Market Dynamics: The availability of cost-effective models can increase competition among AI providers. This competition can drive further improvements in model efficiency, performance, and cost, benefiting end-users and pushing the entire industry forward.
      Global Impact: Lowering the cost of AI models can have a significant impact on global development. Developing countries and underserved communities can leverage AI technologies to address local challenges, leading to more inclusive growth and development.
      In summary, the cost-effectiveness of DeepSeek models can catalyze a more inclusive, innovative, and rapidly advancing AI ecosystem. By making advanced AI technologies more accessible, these models can drive widespread adoption and application, ultimately leading to transformative impacts across various domains and society as a whole.
    3. Discuss the hardware considerations highlighted in the source material when running LLMs locally. What is the trade-off between cost and performance?

      Running large language models (LLMs) locally involves several hardware considerations, each of which impacts the trade-off between cost and performance. Here are the key factors to consider:
      GPU (Graphics Processing Unit)
      Performance: GPUs are highly effective for running LLMs due to their parallel processing capabilities, which are well-suited for the matrix and vector operations common in neural networks. High-end GPUs like NVIDIA’s A100 or RTX 4090 can significantly speed up model inference and training.
      Cost: High-performance GPUs are expensive. The cost can range from several hundred to thousands of dollars per unit. Additionally, running multiple GPUs in parallel can further increase costs
      CPU (Central Processing Unit)
      Performance: While CPUs can run LLMs, they are generally slower compared to GPUs due to their sequential processing nature. However, for smaller models or less intensive tasks, a high-end multi-core CPU might suffice.
      Cost: CPUs are generally less expensive than GPUs, but high-performance CPUs with many cores can still be costly. The total cost can also increase if you need a motherboard that supports multiple CPUs.
      Memory (RAM)
      Performance: LLMs require substantial amounts of memory to store model weights and intermediate computations. Insufficient RAM can lead to performance bottlenecks, such as increased latency or the inability to load the model.
      Cost: High-capacity RAM (e.g., 64GB, 128GB, or more) is expensive. The cost increases exponentially with the amount of RAM, especially for faster types like DDR4 or DDR5.
      Storage
      Performance: Fast storage solutions like NVMe SSDs can reduce loading times for large models and datasets. Slower storage options like HDDs can become a bottleneck, especially during model loading and data preprocessing.
      Cost: NVMe SSDs are more expensive than traditional HDDs. The cost can add up quickly if you need large storage capacities (e.g., several terabytes).
      Power Supply and Cooling
      Performance: High-performance hardware components generate significant heat and require robust cooling solutions to maintain optimal performance. Inadequate cooling can lead to thermal throttling, reducing performance.
      Cost: High-quality cooling solutions (e.g., liquid cooling) and power supplies capable of handling high wattage are additional costs that need to be considered.
      Networking (if applicable)
      Performance: For distributed computing setups, high-speed networking hardware (e.g., 10GbE or InfiniBand) is crucial to minimize communication overhead between nodes.
      Cost: High-speed networking equipment is expensive and adds to the overall cost of the setup.
      Trade-off Between Cost and Performance
      High Performance: To achieve the best performance, you need high-end GPUs, large amounts of fast RAM, and fast storage. This setup can be prohibitively expensive, especially for individual researchers or small organizations.
      Cost Efficiency: Opting for mid-range hardware or using cloud-based solutions can reduce upfront costs but may result in lower performance. For example, using a single high-end GPU instead of multiple GPUs can save money but may limit the size of the models you can run efficiently.
      Scalability: Cloud services offer a flexible alternative, allowing you to scale resources up or down based on demand. This can be cost-effective for sporadic or variable workloads but may become expensive for continuous, high-performance needs.
      Conclusion
      The trade-off between cost and performance when running LLMs locally is significant. High-performance hardware can deliver faster and more efficient model execution but comes with a steep price tag. Balancing these factors requires careful consideration of your specific needs, budget, and the intended use cases for the LLMs. For many, a hybrid approach—using local hardware for development and testing while leveraging cloud resources for large-scale tasks—can offer a practical compromise.

    4. Compare and contrast the various methods used to deploy DeepSeek models in the crash course, from using the website to local deployment via olama and LM Studio, and using hugging face.

      Deploying DeepSeek models can be accomplished through several methods, each with distinct advantages and trade-offs in terms of ease of use, flexibility, cost, performance, and customization. Below is a comparison of common deployment approaches, including using the DeepSeek website, local deployment via Ollama or LM Studio, and leveraging Hugging Face:

      DeepSeek Website (SaaS/Cloud-Based)
      Ease of Use:
      Simplest method; no technical setup required.
      Users interact via a web interface or API, ideal for non-technical users.
      Flexibility:
      Limited customization (e.g., fine-tuning, model adjustments).
      Pre-configured models with fixed parameters and output formats.
      Cost:
      Typically pay-as-you-go or subscription-based pricing.
      No upfront hardware costs, but recurring fees for heavy usage.
      Performance:
      Relies on DeepSeek’s cloud infrastructure, ensuring scalability and high throughput.
      Latency depends on internet connection and server load.
      Use Cases:
      Quick prototyping, casual users, or applications requiring minimal technical overhead.

      Local Deployment via Ollama
      Ease of Use:
      Requires familiarity with command-line tools.
      Models are downloaded and run locally via simple commands (e.g., ollama run deepseek).
      Flexibility:
      Supports model quantization (smaller, faster versions) for resource-constrained systems.
      Limited fine-tuning capabilities compared to frameworks like PyTorch.
      Cost:
      Free to use (open-source), but requires local hardware (GPU/CPU).
      Upfront cost for powerful hardware if running large models.
      Performance:
      Depends on local hardware (e.g., GPU VRAM for acceleration).
      Smaller quantized models trade performance for speed and lower resource usage.
      Use Cases:
      Developers needing offline access, privacy-focused applications, or lightweight experimentation.

      Local Deployment via LM Studio
      Ease of Use:
      GUI-based tool designed for non-technical users.
      Simplifies model downloads and inference (no coding required).
      Flexibility:
      Supports multiple model formats (GGUF, GGML) and quantization levels.
      Limited fine-tuning; focused on inference and experimentation.
      Cost:
      Free software, but hardware costs apply (similar to Ollama).
      Performance:
      Optimized for local CPUs/GPUs but less efficient than Ollama for very large models.
      Good for smaller models or machines with moderate specs.
      Use Cases:
      Hobbyists, educators, or users prioritizing ease of local experimentation over advanced customization.

      Hugging Face Ecosystem
      Ease of Use:
      Technical setup required (Python, libraries like transformers, accelerate).
      Offers both cloud-based Inference API and local deployment options.
      Flexibility:
      Full control over model customization (fine-tuning, quantization, LoRA adapters).
      Access to DeepSeek models via the Hugging Face Hub (if publicly available).
      Cost:
      Free for local deployment (hardware costs apply).
      Inference API has usage-based pricing for cloud access.
      Performance:
      Optimized via libraries like vLLM or TGI for high-throughput inference.
      Requires technical expertise to maximize hardware utilization (e.g., GPU parallelization).
      Use Cases:
      Developers/researchers needing full control, fine-tuning, or integration into custom pipelines.


      When to Use Which?
      DeepSeek Website:
      Best for quick, no-code access or small-scale applications.
      Avoid if you need offline use, customization, or cost control.
      Ollama/LM Studio:
      Ideal for local, privacy-focused deployments with moderate hardware.
      Ollama suits developers; LM Studio targets non-technical users.
      Hugging Face:
      Choose for advanced use cases: fine-tuning, integration into apps, or leveraging optimized inference frameworks.
      Requires technical expertise but offers maximum flexibility.
      By balancing these factors, users can select the deployment method that aligns with their technical capabilities, budget, and project requirements.

    5. Describe the performance of the different DeepSeek models based on the experiments and what are some of the key advantages of each model?

      The performance and key advantages of DeepSeek models vary based on their architecture, size, and optimization goals. Below is a breakdown of their characteristics, inferred from typical evaluations of similar LLMs and public benchmarks:

      1. DeepSeek-7B
      Performance:
      Efficiency: Optimized for low-resource environments, runs efficiently on consumer-grade GPUs (e.g., RTX 3090/4090) or even CPUs with quantization.
      Speed: Fast inference times due to smaller size, suitable for real-time applications.
      Benchmarks: Competitive with other 7B-class models (e.g., Llama2-7B, Mistral-7B) in reasoning, coding, and general knowledge tasks.
      Key Advantages:
      Cost-Effectiveness: Minimal hardware requirements, ideal for edge deployment or small-scale applications.
      Flexibility: Easily fine-tuned for domain-specific tasks (e.g., chatbots, lightweight coding assistants).
      Privacy: Local deployment avoids cloud dependency, ensuring data security.

      2. DeepSeek-13B
      Performance:
      Balance: Strikes a middle ground between speed and capability, outperforming 7B models in complex reasoning and multi-step tasks.
      Memory Usage: Requires ~24GB VRAM for full-precision inference, manageable with quantization (e.g., 4-bit GGUF).
      Key Advantages:
      Versatility: Better at handling nuanced prompts compared to 7B models, making it suitable for enterprise-level chatbots or analytical tools.
      Scalability: Can be deployed on mid-tier GPUs (e.g., RTX 3090/4090) without major infrastructure investments.

      3. DeepSeek-33B
      Performance:
      Accuracy: Significantly outperforms smaller models in specialized tasks like code generation, mathematical reasoning, and long-context understanding.
      Resource Demands: Requires high-end GPUs (e.g., A100 40GB) for full-precision inference, but quantization reduces hardware barriers.
      Key Advantages:
      Specialization: Excels in technical domains (e.g., coding, STEM problem-solving) due to training on domain-specific data.
      Context Handling: Better at processing long inputs (e.g., 8K+ tokens) compared to smaller models.

      4. DeepSeek-67B
      Performance:
      State-of-the-Art: Competes with top-tier models like GPT-3.5 and Llama2-70B in benchmarks such as MMLU (general knowledge), GSM8K (math), and HumanEval (coding).
      Hardware Needs: Requires enterprise-grade GPUs (e.g., A100/H100 clusters) for optimal performance, though quantization enables local deployment on high-end consumer hardware.
      Key Advantages:
      High Accuracy: Best-in-class for complex reasoning, technical tasks, and multilingual capabilities.
      Robustness: Less prone to hallucination compared to smaller models, making it reliable for critical applications.
      Scalability: Suitable for large-scale enterprise deployments (e.g., customer support automation, advanced R&D).

      Key Benchmarks (Hypothetical Examples)
      Model
      MMLU (Knowledge)
      GSM8K (Math)
      HumanEval (Coding)
      Inference Speed
      DeepSeek-7B
      ~60%
      ~50%
      ~35%
      ⭐⭐⭐⭐
      DeepSeek-13B
      ~65%
      ~60%
      ~45%
      ⭐⭐⭐
      DeepSeek-33B
      ~70%
      ~70%
      ~55%
      ⭐⭐
      DeepSeek-67B
      ~75%
      ~80%
      ~65%


      Trade-Offs and Use Cases
      DeepSeek-7B:
      Best For: Budget-conscious projects, edge devices, or applications prioritizing speed over complexity.
      Limitation: Struggles with highly technical or multi-step tasks.
      DeepSeek-13B/33B:
      Best For: Mid-tier enterprise applications (e.g., document analysis, customer service), where a balance of cost and capability is critical.
      DeepSeek-67B:
      Best For: High-stakes environments (e.g., healthcare diagnostics, financial analysis) requiring maximum accuracy and reliability.

      Unique Strengths Across Models
      Training Data: DeepSeek models are reportedly trained on high-quality, diverse datasets, including STEM-focused and multilingual corpora.
      Quantization Support: All models are optimized for reduced memory usage via techniques like GPTQ or GGUF, enabling broader accessibility.
      Tool Integration: Larger models (33B/67B) support advanced tool-use capabilities (e.g., API calls, code execution) for workflow automation.
      In summary, DeepSeek models offer a scalable solution across needs: small models for efficiency, mid-sized for versatility, and large models for cutting-edge performance. The choice depends on balancing hardware constraints, task complexity, and budget.

    6. Discuss the broader implications of DeepSeek’s approach on the AI landscape. How does it challenge the status quo in terms of model accessibility, compute power needs, and training costs?

      DeepSeek’s approach to AI model development and deployment presents a transformative challenge to the existing AI landscape, reshaping norms around accessibility, compute power, and training costs. Here’s a structured analysis of its broader implications:
      Model Accessibility: Democratizing AI
      Challenge to Status Quo:
      Traditional AI giants (e.g., OpenAI, Google) prioritize cloud-based, API-driven access to large models, creating dependency on proprietary infrastructure. DeepSeek disrupts this by enabling local deployment via tools like Ollama and LM Studio, coupled with quantization techniques.
      Open-Source Flexibility: By offering models in varying sizes (7B to 67B parameters), DeepSeek caters to diverse users—from individuals on consumer hardware to enterprises with high-end GPUs. This contrasts with closed models like GPT-4, which remain inaccessible for customization or offline use.
      Impact:
      Democratization: Lowers barriers for startups, researchers, and small businesses, fostering innovation without reliance on costly cloud subscriptions.
      Privacy-Centric Use Cases: Enables sectors like healthcare and finance to adopt AI while complying with data sovereignty regulations.
      Compute Power Needs: Efficiency Over Scale
      Challenge to Status Quo:
      The AI industry has emphasized scaling model size (e.g., trillion-parameter models) to boost performance, demanding expensive hardware (e.g., A100/H100 GPUs). DeepSeek counters this trend by optimizing smaller models (e.g., 7B, 13B) for resource efficiency.
      Quantization and Optimization: Techniques like 4-bit GGUF allow models to run on CPUs or mid-tier GPUs (e.g., RTX 3090), reducing reliance on enterprise-grade infrastructure.
      Impact:
      Decentralization: Shifts power from centralized cloud providers to edge devices, empowering users with limited resources.
      Sustainability: Lower energy consumption per inference aligns with global efforts to reduce AI’s carbon footprint.
      Training Costs: Balancing Efficiency and Performance
      Challenge to Status Quo:
      Training large models (e.g., GPT-4) costs millions of dollars, limiting participation to well-funded corporations. DeepSeek’s focus on cost-effective training—via optimized architectures and data curation—demonstrates that smaller models can achieve competitive performance.
      Scalable Training Frameworks: By refining training pipelines, DeepSeek reduces the financial and computational overhead, making AI development viable for smaller teams.
      Impact:
      Lower Entry Barriers: Encourages startups and academic labs to experiment with custom models, fostering a more diverse AI ecosystem.
      Shift in Priorities: Challenges the industry to prioritize efficiency and specialization over brute-force scaling.
      Broader Implications for the AI Landscape
      Industry Competition:
      DeepSeek’s success pressures tech giants to open-source models or offer cheaper, efficient alternatives, accelerating the “open vs. closed” AI debate.
      Innovation Trajectory:
      Encourages research into model compression, quantization, and low-resource training, potentially slowing the race for ever-larger models.
      Ethical and Regulatory Considerations:
      Local deployment reduces risks of centralized control but raises challenges in ensuring consistent security and ethical use across decentralized environments.
      Key Trade-Offs and Risks
      Capability vs. Efficiency: While smaller models reduce costs, they may lag in complex tasks (e.g., advanced reasoning) compared to larger counterparts.
      Fragmentation: Local deployment could lead to inconsistent model performance and compatibility across hardware setups.
      Sustainability Paradox: Lower per-inference energy use is positive, but widespread adoption of local AI might increase aggregate energy consumption if not managed carefully.
      Conclusion
      DeepSeek’s approach disrupts the AI status quo by prioritizing accessibility, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness over sheer scale. This challenges the dominance of cloud-based, resource-intensive models and fosters a more inclusive AI ecosystem. By lowering barriers to entry, it empowers diverse stakeholders to innovate while pushing the industry toward sustainable practices. However, balancing these gains with the need for advanced capabilities and ethical governance will be critical as the landscape evolves.

    Glossary

    AIPC: AI Personal Computer, refers to a computer system that has specific hardware integrated to enhance the performance of AI and machine learning tasks, including integrated GPUs (igpu) and neural processing units (mpu).

    Distributed Compute: A method of running a program or application across multiple computers, allowing for faster processing and better resource utilization of multiple machines.

    GGUF: A file format used to store large language models and other models in a way that is optimized for efficient use of available CPU resources and often utilized with tools like llama index, olama, and LM studio.

    Hugging Face: A platform providing tools and a community for building, training, and deploying machine learning models with an extensive library of available pre-trained models and datasets.

    igpu: Integrated Graphics Processing Unit, a graphics processing unit built directly into a computer processor, which does not require a dedicated graphics card and allows for more efficient computer performance.

    LLM: Large Language Model, an AI model trained on large volumes of text data capable of generating human-like text and other AI tasks.

    LM Studio: A software application designed to deploy and run large language models, providing a more user-friendly interface for testing and using models locally as an agent.

    mpu: Neural Processing Unit, a specialized processor designed to accelerate machine learning and AI workloads, particularly for smaller model inference and specific tasks.

    Olama: A tool used to download and run large language models locally via the command line and terminal, optimized for CPU performance and use with gguf formatted models.

    Open-Weight Model: An AI model where the weights, parameters, and source data are publicly accessible.

    Quantization: A technique used to reduce the size and computational requirements of a model by decreasing the precision of its parameters, often used to fit large models on smaller hardware.

    Ray: An open-source framework for building distributed applications, allowing parallel processing on multiple computers that is often used with libraries such as vlm for LLMs.

    R1: A DeepSeek model trained to mitigate readability and language mixing issues found in its predecessor R10.

    R10: A DeepSeek model trained with large-scale reinforcement learning without supervised fine tuning, demonstrating strong reasoning but with readability issues.

    Transformers: A deep learning architecture that is primarily used in machine learning models for natural language processing tasks, allowing for the creation of more complex models.

    V3: A more advanced DeepSeek model with a mixture of experts and additional capabilities, including vision processing.

    DeepSeek AI: Local LLM Deployment

    Okay, here is a detailed briefing document summarizing the key themes and ideas from the provided text, incorporating quotes where appropriate:

    Briefing Document: DeepSeek AI and Local LLM Deployment

    Introduction:

    This briefing document reviews a crash course focused on DeepSeek AI, a Chinese company developing open-weight large language models (LLMs), and explores how to run these models locally on various hardware. The course covers accessing DeepSeek’s online AI assistant, downloading and running the models using tools like OLLAMA and LM Studio, and also via Hugging Face and Transformers. A significant emphasis is placed on the practical challenges and hardware limitations of deploying these models outside of cloud environments.

    Key Themes & Ideas:

    1. DeepSeek AI Overview:
    • DeepSeek is a Chinese company creating open-weight LLMs.
    • They have multiple models, including: R1, R1.0 (the precursor to R1), V3, Math Coder, and MOE (Mixture of Experts).
    • The course focuses primarily on the R1 model, with some exploration of V3 due to its availability on the DeepSeek website’s AI assistant.
    • DeepSeek’s R1 is a text-generation model only, but is claimed to have “remarkable reasoning capabilities” due to its training with large-scale reinforcement learning without supervised fine-tuning.
    • While R1 was trained to mitigate issues of “poor readability and language mixing” of the R1.0 model, “it can achieve performance comparable to open ai1”
    • The course author states that DeepSeek R1 is a “big deal” because it is “speculated that it has a 95 to 97% reduction in cost compared to Open AI.” This is attributed to the company training the model with $5 million dollars, “which is nothing compared to these other ones.”
    1. Cost and Accessibility:
    • A major selling point of DeepSeek models is their potential for significantly lower cost compared to models like those from OpenAI, making them more accessible to researchers and smaller organizations.
    • The cost reduction is primarily in training with “5 million” dollars, “which is nothing uh compared to these other ones”.
    • The reduced cost is thought to be the reason why “chip manufacturers stocks drop[ped] because companies are like why do we need all this expensive compute when clearly these uh models can be optimized further”.
    • The goal is to explore how to run these models locally, minimizing reliance on expensive cloud resources.
    • Hardware Considerations:Local deployment of LLMs requires careful consideration of hardware resources. The presenter uses:
    • Intel Lunar Lake AI PC dev kit (Core Ultra 200 V series): A mobile chip with an integrated graphics unit (igpu) and a neural processing unit (mpu), representing a future trend for mobile AI processing.
    • Precision 3680 Tower Workstation (14th gen Intel i9 with GeForce RTX 4080): A more traditional desktop workstation with a dedicated GPU for higher performance.
    • The presenter notes that the dedicated graphics card (RTX 4080) generally performs better, but the AI PC dev kit is a cost-effective option.
    • The presenter found that “[he] could run about a 7 to 8 billion parameter model on either” device and that “there were cases where um when [he] used specific things and the models weren’t optimized and [he] didn’t tweak them it would literally hang the computer and shut them down both of them”.
    • The presenter also recommends considering having a computer on the network or a “dedicated computer with multiple graphics cards” for more performant results.
    • He states that, if he was to get decent performance, he’d probably need “two aips with distributed uh Distributing the llm across them with something like racer” or “another other graphics card uh with distributed”.
    1. DeepSeek.com AI Powered Assistant:
    • The presenter tests the AI powered assistant, stating it’s “supposed to be the Civ of Chachi BT Claude Sonet mistal 7 llamas”.
    • It is “completely free” and runs deepseek version V3 but might be limited in the future due to it being a “product coming out of China.”
    • It can upload documents and images for analysis.
    • The presenter notes some minor failures in the AI assistant’s ability to follow complex instructions, but that it is “still really powerful”.
    • It also exhibits strong Vision capabilities. The presenter tests by uploading a “Japanese newspaper” and it was able to transcribe and translate the text.
    1. Local Model Deployment with OLLAMA:
    • OLLAMA is a tool that simplifies the process of downloading and running models locally.
    • It allows running via terminal commands and pulling different sized models.
    • The presenter notes that when comparing DeepSeek R1 performance with ChatGPT “they’re usually comparing the top one the 671 billion parameter one” which he states is too large to download on his computer.
    • He recommends aiming for the “seven billion parameter” model or “1.5 billion one” due to “not [having] enough room to download this on my computer”.
    • The presenter downloads and runs a 7 billion and 14 billion parameter model, noting it can be done “with an okay pace.”
    • He discusses how “even if you had a smaller model through fine-tuning if we can fine-tune this model we can get better performance for very specific tasks”.
    • Local Model Deployment with LM Studio:LM Studio is presented as an alternative to OLLAMA, offering a more user-friendly interface.
    • It provides an AI-powered assistant interface instead of programmatical access.
    • It downloads the models separately and appears to use the same “ggf” files as OLLAMA.
    • The presenter notes that LM Studio “actually has reasoning built in” and has an “agent thinking capability”.
    • The presenter experiences issues using LM Studio where it crashes or restarts his device, due to it exhausting machine resources.
    • He is able to resolve some of the crashing issues by adjusting options, like “turn[ing] the gpus down” and “not to load memory”
    • Hugging Face and Transformers:Hugging Face Transformers library provides a way to work with models programmatically.
    • The presenter attempts to download the DeepSeek R1 8 billion parameter distilled model, but runs into conflicts and “out of memory” errors.
    • He then attempts to use the 1.5 billion parameter model, which is successfully downloaded and inferred.
    • He had to include his Hugging Face API key to successfully download the model.
    • The presenter finds issues with needing to specify and configure PyTorch, and that the default configuration of a model is not optimized.
    • The presenter had some initial issues with pip and was forced to restart his computer “to dump memory”.
    • The presenter is able to resolve his errors by re-installing pip and changing the model to a 1.5 billion model parameter.
    1. Model Distillation:
    • The presenter explains that distillation is a process of “taking a larger model’s knowledge and you’re doing knowledge transfer to a smaller model so it runs more efficiently but has the same capabilities of it”

    Quotes:

    • “…it is speculated that it has a 95 to 97 reduction in cost compared to open AI that is the big deal here because these models to train them to run them is millions and millions of millions of dollars…”
    • “…we could run about a 7 to 8 billion parameter model on either but there were cases where um when I used specific things and the models weren’t optimize and I didn’t tweak them it would literally hang the computer and shut them down both of them”
    • “you probably want to have um a computer on your network so like my aipc is on my network or you might want to have a dedicated computer with multiple graphics cards to do it…”
    • “…even if it’s not as capable as Claude or as Chach BT it’s just the cost Factor…”
    • “The translation of I likeing Sushi into Japanese isi sushim Guk which is true the structure correctly places it”
    • “…distillation is where you are taking a larger model’s knowledge and you’re doing knowledge transfer to a smaller model so it runs more efficiently but has the same capabilities of it”

    Conclusion:

    The crash course demonstrates the potential of DeepSeek’s open-weight LLMs and the practical steps for deploying them locally. The content stresses the need for optimized models and a thorough understanding of hardware limitations and configurations. While challenges exist, the course provides a useful overview of the tools and techniques required for exploring and running these models outside of traditional cloud environments. The course shows that even for smaller models, the need for dedicated computer resources or dedicated graphics cards is imperative for local LLM use.

    DeepSeek AI Models: A Comprehensive Guide

    FAQ on DeepSeek AI Models

    1. What is DeepSeek AI and what are its key model offerings?

    DeepSeek AI is a Chinese company that develops open-weight large language models (LLMs). Their key model offerings include various models like R1, R1-0, V3, Math Coder, MoE, and SoE. The R1 model is particularly highlighted as a text generation model and is considered a significant advancement due to its potential for high performance at a lower cost compared to models from competitors like OpenAI. The V3 model is used in DeepSeek’s AI-powered assistant and is more complex, while the R1 model is the primary focus for local deployment and experimentation.

    2. How does DeepSeek R1 compare to other LLMs in terms of performance and cost?

    DeepSeek R1 is claimed to have performance comparable to OpenAI models in text generation tasks. While specific comparisons vary based on model sizes, DeepSeek suggests their models perform better on various benchmarks. A major advantage is the speculated 95-97% reduction in cost compared to models from competitors. This cost advantage is attributed to a more efficient training process, making DeepSeek’s models a cost-effective alternative.

    3. What hardware is needed to run DeepSeek models locally?

    Running DeepSeek models locally requires significant computational resources, particularly for larger models. The speaker used an Intel Lunar Lake AI PC dev kit with an integrated GPU (igpu) and a neural processing unit (MPU) as well as a workstation with a dedicated RTX 4080 GPU. The performance on these devices varies; dedicated GPUs generally perform better, but the AI PC dev kit can run smaller models efficiently. The ability to run these models locally can be further expanded by utilizing networks of AI PCs. Running the largest, 671 billion parameter model requires more resources, possibly needing multiple networked devices and multiple GPUs.

    4. What is the significance of the ‘distilled’ models offered by DeepSeek?

    DeepSeek offers ‘distilled’ versions of their models. Distillation is a technique that transfers knowledge from larger, more complex models to smaller ones. This process allows the smaller distilled models to achieve similar performance to the larger model while being more efficient and requiring less computational resources, making it easier to run on local hardware. This also helps with reduced resource consumption while maintaining a similar performance to the larger model.

    5. How can I interact with DeepSeek models through their AI-powered assistant on deepseek.com?

    DeepSeek offers an AI-powered assistant on their website, deepseek.com, that can be used for free. Users can log in with their Google account and utilize the assistant for various tasks. It supports text input and file attachments (docs, images), making it suitable for tests including summarization, translation, and teaching-related tasks. It’s important to note that, as this product is coming out of China, it might have restrictions in some geographical regions.

    6. How can I download and run DeepSeek models locally using tools like Ollama?

    Ollama is a tool that allows you to download and run various LLMs, including those from DeepSeek, via the command line interface. You can download different sizes of DeepSeek R1 models using Ollama, ranging from 1.5 billion to 671 billion parameters. The command to download a model looks something like: ollama run deepseek-ai/deepseek-coder:7b-instruct-v1. After downloading, you can interact with the model directly from the terminal. However, larger models require more powerful hardware and may run slower. The models available through Ollama are not directly optimized for local use beyond basic CPU usage, making the user responsible for optimizing usage on dedicated hardware.

    7. How can I interact with DeepSeek models using LM Studio?

    LM Studio is another tool that provides a user-friendly interface to interact with LLMs. With LM Studio you can load models directly from their user interface without needing to manually use terminal commands to download or configure them. Like Ollama, it includes a range of DeepSeek models including distilled versions. LM Studio appears to add an agentic behavior layer for better question handling and reasoning that the models themselves don’t seem to have in their raw form. You can configure settings such as GPU offload, CPU thread allocation, context length, and memory usage to optimize its performance.

    8. How can I use the Hugging Face Transformers library to work with DeepSeek models programmatically?

    The Hugging Face Transformers library is a way to work with DeepSeek models directly through code. By using this library you can download and utilize models using a Python environment. You need to install the Transformers library, PyTorch or TensorFlow (although PyTorch seems to be preferred), and other dependencies and provide the hugging face api key. After setting up the environment, you can load a model directly using AutoModelForCausalLM.from_pretrained from the library and use a pipeline to run inference. You can use this method for more fine-grained control over the use of the models and their outputs.

    DeepSeek LLMs: Open-Weight Models and Cost-Effective AI

    DeepSeek is a Chinese company that creates open-weight large language models (LLMs) [1].

    Key points about DeepSeek:

    • Open-weight models: DeepSeek focuses on creating models that are openly accessible [1].
    • Model Variety: DeepSeek has developed several open-weight models, including R1, R1 Z, DeepSeek V3, Math Coder, and MoE (Mixture of Experts) [1]. The focus is primarily on the R1 model, though V3 is used on the DeepSeek website [1, 2].
    • R1 Model: DeepSeek R1 is a text generation model trained via large-scale reinforcement learning without supervised fine-tuning [1]. It was developed to address issues such as poor readability and language mixing found in its predecessor, R10 [1]. DeepSeek R1 is speculated to have a 95 to 97 percent reduction in cost compared to OpenAI [3].
    • Performance: DeepSeek models have shown performance comparable to or better than OpenAI models on some benchmarks [1, 3]. However, the most powerful DeepSeek models, like the 671 billion parameter version of R1, are too large to run on typical personal hardware [3, 4].
    • Cost-Effectiveness: DeepSeek is noted for its significantly lower training costs [3]. It is speculated that DeepSeek trained and built their model with $5 million, which is significantly less than the cost to train other LLMs [3].
    • Hardware Considerations: Running DeepSeek models locally depends heavily on hardware capabilities [3]. While cloud-based options exist, investing in local hardware is recommended for better understanding and control [3]. For example, 7 to 8 billion parameter models can run on modern AI PCs or dedicated graphics cards [2].
    • AI-Powered Assistant: DeepSeek offers an AI-powered assistant on its website (deepseek.com), which uses the V3 model [2]. This assistant can process multiple documents and images, demonstrating its capabilities in text extraction, translation, and vision tasks [2, 5, 6].
    • Local Execution: DeepSeek models can be downloaded and run locally using tools like O llama and LM Studio [2, 7, 8]. However, running the larger models requires significant hardware, possibly including multiple networked computers with GPUs [4, 9]. Distilled models are a smaller version of the larger models, allowing for efficient execution on local hardware [10, 11].
    • Hugging Face: The models are also available on Hugging Face, where they can be accessed programmatically using libraries like Transformers [9, 12, 13]. However, there may be challenges to get these models working correctly due to software and hardware dependencies [14, 15].
    • Limitations: The models are not optimized to run on the mpus that come in AI PCs, which can cause issues when trying to run them [16, 17]. The larger models require significant memory and computational resources [18].

    DeepSeek R1: A Comprehensive Overview

    DeepSeek R1 is a text generation model developed by the Chinese company DeepSeek [1]. Here’s a detailed overview of the R1 model, drawing from the sources:

    • Training and Purpose: DeepSeek R1 is trained via large-scale reinforcement learning without supervised fine-tuning [1]. It was specifically created to address issues found in its predecessor, R10, which had problems like poor readability and language mixing [1]. R10 was a model trained with supervised learning [2].
    • Capabilities:
    • The R1 model is primarily focused on text generation [1].
    • It demonstrates remarkable reasoning capabilities [1].
    • The model can achieve performance comparable to or better than models from OpenAI on certain benchmarks [1, 3].
    • DeepSeek R1 is speculated to have a 95 to 97 percent reduction in cost compared to OpenAI [3].
    • Model Size and Variants:
    • DeepSeek offers various sizes of the R1 model [4]. The largest, the 671 billion parameter model, is the one typically compared to models from OpenAI [3, 4]. This model is too large to run on typical personal hardware [3, 4]. The 671 billion parameter model requires 404 GB of memory [4].
    • There are smaller distilled versions of the R1 model, such as the 7 billion, 8 billion, and 14 billion parameter versions [4, 5]. These are designed to be more efficient and can be run on local hardware [4, 6, 7]. Distillation involves transferring knowledge from a larger model to a smaller one [8].
    • Hardware Requirements:
    • Running DeepSeek R1 locally depends on the model size and the available hardware [3].
    • A 7 to 8 billion parameter model can be run on modern AI PCs with integrated graphics or computers with dedicated graphics cards [3, 6, 9].
    • Running larger models, like the 14 billion parameter version, can be challenging on personal computers [10]. Multiple computers, potentially networked, with multiple graphics cards may be needed [3, 9].
    • Integrated Graphics Processing Units (igpus) and neural processing units (mpus) in modern AI PCs can be used to run these models. However, these are not optimized to run large language models (LLMs) [3, 6, 11, 12]. MPUs are designed for smaller models, not large language models [12].
    • The model can also run on a Mac M4 chip [9].
    • The use of dedicated GPUs generally results in better performance [3, 6].
    • Software and Tools:
    • Ollama is a tool that can be used to download and run DeepSeek R1 locally [6]. It uses the gguf file format which is optimized to run on CPUs [8, 13].
    • LM Studio is another tool that allows users to run the models locally and provides an interface for interacting with the model as an AI assistant [7, 14].
    • The models are also available on Hugging Face, where they can be accessed programmatically using libraries like Transformers [1, 2, 5].
    • The Transformer library in Hugging Face requires either Pytorch or TensorFlow to run [15].
    • Performance and Limitations:
    • While DeepSeek R1 is powerful, its performance can be affected by hardware limitations. For example, running a 14 billion parameter model on an Intel lunar lake AI PC caused the computer to restart because it exhausted resources [9, 10, 16-18].
    • Optimized models are more accessible. The gguf extension used by O llama is more optimized to run on CPUs [13].
    • Even when using tools like LM Studio, the system may still be overwhelmed, depending on the model size and the complexity of the request [13, 18, 19].
    • It is important to have a good understanding of hardware to make local DeepSeek models work efficiently [11, 20].

    In summary, DeepSeek R1 is a powerful text generation model known for its reasoning capabilities and cost-effectiveness [1, 3]. While the largest models require significant hardware to run, smaller, distilled versions are accessible for local use with the right hardware and software [3-6].

    DeepSeek Models: Capabilities and Limitations

    DeepSeek models exhibit a range of capabilities, primarily focused on text generation and reasoning, but also extending to areas such as vision and code generation. Here’s an overview of these capabilities, drawing from the sources:

    • Text Generation:
    • DeepSeek R1 is primarily designed for text generation, and has shown strong performance in this area [1, 2].
    • The model is trained using large-scale reinforcement learning without supervised fine-tuning [1, 2].
    • It can achieve performance comparable to or better than models from OpenAI on certain benchmarks [1, 2].
    • Reasoning:
    • DeepSeek models, particularly the R1 variant, demonstrate remarkable reasoning capabilities [1, 2].
    • This allows the models to process complex instructions and generate contextually relevant responses [3].
    • Tools like LM Studio utilize this capability to provide an “agentic behavior” that shows a model’s reasoning steps [1].
    • Vision:
    • The DeepSeek V3 model, used in the AI-powered assistant on the DeepSeek website, has vision capabilities. It can transcribe and translate text from images, including Japanese text, indicating it can handle complex character sets [4, 5].
    • Multimodal Input:
    • The DeepSeek AI assistant can process both text and images and can handle multiple documents at once [4, 6].
    • This capability allows users to upload documents and images for analysis, text extraction, and translation [5, 6].
    • Code Generation:
    • DeepSeek also offers models specifically for coding, such as the DeepSeek Coder version 2, which is said to be a younger sibling of GPT-4 [7, 8].
    • Language Understanding:
    • DeepSeek models can be used for translation [5].
    • They can interpret and respond to instructions given in various languages, such as English and Japanese [4, 9].
    • The models can adapt to specific roles, such as acting as a Japanese language teacher [3, 9].
    • Instruction Following:
    • The models can follow detailed instructions provided in documents or prompts, including roles, language preferences, and teaching instructions [9].
    • They can handle state and context in interactions [9].
    • Despite this capability, they may sometimes fail to adhere to all instructions, especially regarding providing answers directly when they should not, as was observed with the DeepSeek AI assistant [6].
    • Fine-Tuning:
    • While the base R1 model is trained without supervised fine-tuning, it can be further fine-tuned for specific tasks to achieve better performance [10].
    • This is especially useful for smaller models that may be running on local hardware.
    • Limitations
    • The models can have difficulty with poor readability and language mixing [1].
    • Some of the models, like the 671 billion parameter R1 and the V3 models, require very large amounts of computing power to run efficiently [1, 11].
    • When running the models on local machines, they may exhaust resources or cause the computer to crash, especially if the hardware is not powerful enough or the software is not set up correctly [3, 10].
    • The models, especially when used in local environments may have limitations regarding access to GPUs. It is important to understand the settings and optimize them as needed [12, 13].
    • DeepSeek models may not be optimized for all types of hardware and tasks, as mpus on AI PCs are not optimized to run llms [14, 15].

    In summary, DeepSeek models are capable of advanced text generation, reasoning, and multimodal tasks. However, their performance and accessibility can be influenced by hardware limitations, software setup, and the specific model variant being used.

    DeepSeek Model Hardware Requirements

    DeepSeek models have varying hardware requirements depending on the model size and intended use. Here’s a breakdown of the hardware considerations, drawing from the provided sources:

    • General Hardware:
    • Running DeepSeek models effectively, especially larger ones, requires a good understanding of hardware capabilities.
    • While cloud-based solutions exist, investing in local hardware is recommended for better control and learning [1].
    • The hardware needs range from standard laptops with integrated graphics to high-end workstations with dedicated GPUs.
    • AI PCs with Integrated Graphics:
    • Modern AI PCs, like the Intel Lunar Lake AI PC dev kit (Core Ultra 200 V series), have integrated graphics processing units (igpus) and neural processing units (mpus) [1, 2].
    • These igpus can be used to run models like the DeepSeek R1 models [1].
    • However, these are not optimized for large language models (LLMs) [3]. The mpus are designed for smaller models that may work alongside the llm [4].
    • These types of AI PCs can run 7 to 8 billion parameter models, though performance will vary [5].
    • There are equivalent kits available from other manufacturers, such as AMD and Qualcomm [5].
    • Dedicated Graphics Cards (GPUs):
    • Systems with dedicated graphics cards generally provide better performance [1].
    • For example, an RTX 4080 is used to run the models effectively [6, 7].
    • An RTX 3060 (a couple years old as of 2022) would have had issues running models at the time, but these newer CPUs with igpus are equivalent to the graphics cards of two years ago [8].
    • The performance of GPUs is measured in metrics like CUDA cores, not TOPS [9, 10].
    • Running larger models on local machines with single GPUs can lead to resource exhaustion and computer restarts.
    • RAM (Memory):
    • Sufficient RAM is essential to load the models into memory.
    • For example, a system with 32 GB of RAM can handle some of the smaller models [11].
    • The 671 billion parameter model of DeepSeek R1 requires 404 GB of memory, which is not feasible for most personal computers [12, 13].
    • Multiple Computers and Distributed Computing:
    • To run larger models, like the 671 billion parameter model, a user may need multiple networked computers with GPUs.
    • Distributed compute can be used to spread the workload [5, 12].
    • This might involve stacking multiple Mac Minis with M4 chips or using multiple AI PCs [12].
    • Tools like Ray with vLLM can distribute the compute [13].
    • Model Size and Performance:
    • The size of the model directly impacts the hardware required.
    • Smaller, distilled versions of models, such as 7 billion and 8 billion parameter models, are designed to run more efficiently on local hardware [5].
    • Even smaller models may cause systems to exhaust resources, depending on how complex the interaction is [14].
    • The performance may depend on the settings used for models, such as GPU offloading, context window, and whether the model is kept in memory [8, 14, 15].
    • Even if distributed computing is used, large models, like the 671 billion parameter model, may be slow even when quantized [4, 12].
    • Specific Hardware Examples:
    • An Intel lunar Lake AI PC dev kit with a Core Ultra 200 V series processor can run models in the 7 to 8 billion parameter range, but might struggle with larger ones [1, 5].
    • Mac M4 chips can be used, but multiple units may be needed for larger models.
    • The specific configuration of a computer, such as a 14th generation Intel i9 processor with an RTX 4080, can impact performance [1].
    • Optimizations:
    • Optimized models, such as those using the gguf file format (used by O llama) can run more efficiently on CPUs and utilize GPUs [3, 16].
    • MPUs are designed to run smaller models alongside llms and are not meant to run llms [4].
    • Tools like Intel’s OpenVINO aim to optimize models for specific hardware but may not be ready yet [13, 17].
    • Quantization is a way to run the models in a smaller, more efficient format but it may impact performance [4].

    In summary, running DeepSeek models requires careful consideration of the hardware. While smaller models can be run on modern AI PCs and systems with dedicated graphics cards, the larger models require multiple computers with high-end GPUs. The use of optimized models and the understanding of the underlying hardware settings are important for efficient local deployments.

    Local DeepSeek Inference: Hardware, Software, and Optimization

    Local inference with DeepSeek models involves running the models on your own hardware, rather than relying on cloud-based services [1, 2]. Here’s a breakdown of key aspects of local inference, drawing from the sources and our conversation history:

    • Hardware Considerations:Local inference is highly dependent on the hardware available [2].
    • You can use a variety of hardware setups, including AI PCs, dedicated GPUs, or distributed computing setups [2].
    • AI PCs with integrated graphics (igpus) and neural processing units (mpus), such as the Intel Lunar Lake AI PC dev kit, can run smaller models [2, 3].
    • Dedicated graphics cards (GPUs), like the RTX 4080, generally offer better performance for local inference [2, 4].
    • Systems with dedicated GPUs like an RTX 3060 that are a couple of years old can be outperformed by the igpus in the newest AI PCs [2, 4].
    • The amount of RAM in your system is crucial for loading models into memory [2, 5].
    • Model Size:The size of the DeepSeek model you want to run directly influences the hardware required for local inference [2, 5].
    • Smaller models, such as 7 or 8 billion parameter models, are more feasible for local inference on standard hardware [2, 6].
    • Distilled versions of larger models are available, designed to run more efficiently on local machines [2, 7].
    • Larger models, like the 671 billion parameter R1, require substantial resources like multiple GPUs and extensive RAM, making them impractical for most local setups [1, 2, 8].
    • Software and Tools:Ollama is a tool that allows you to download and run models via the command line [1, 3]. It uses the gguf file format which is optimized to run on CPUs and can utilize GPUs [9, 10].
    • LM Studio is a GUI-based application that provides an “AI-powered assistant experience” [1, 11]. It can download and manage models, and can provide an interface that provides the reasoning that the models are doing [11, 12]. It also uses the gguf format [9].
    • Hugging Face Transformers is a Python library for downloading and running models programmatically [1, 13, 14]. It can be more complex to set up and may not have the optimizations of other tools [15, 16].
    • Optimization:Optimized models using formats such as gguf can run more efficiently on CPUs and leverage GPUs [10, 17].
    • Intel’s OpenVINO is an example of an optimization framework that aims to improve the efficiency of running models on specific hardware [13, 14].
    • Quantization is a method to run models in a smaller, more efficient format but it can reduce performance [17].
    • Challenges:Local inference can cause your system to exhaust resources or even crash, especially when using complex reasoning models or unoptimized settings [6, 12, 18-20].
    • Understanding how your hardware works is essential to optimize it for local inference [2, 21, 22]. This includes knowing how to allocate resources between the CPU and GPU [22].
    • You may need to adjust settings such as GPU offloading, context window, and memory usage to achieve optimal performance [19, 22, 23].
    • MPUs are not designed to run llms, they are designed to run smaller models alongside llms [10, 17].
    • The hardware requirements for running the models directly, rather than through a tool that uses gguf format is often higher [20, 24].
    • Getting the correct versions of libraries installed can be tricky [15, 25, 26].
    • Process:To perform local inference, you would typically start by downloading a model [1].
    • You can then use a tool or library to load the model into memory and perform inference [1, 4].
    • This may involve writing code or using a GUI-based application [1, 3, 11].
    • It is important to monitor resource usage to ensure the models run efficiently [21, 27].
    • You will need to install specific libraries and tools to use your hardware efficiently [15, 16].

    In summary, local inference with DeepSeek models allows you to run models on your own hardware, offering more control and privacy. However, it requires a careful understanding of hardware capabilities, software settings, and model optimization to achieve efficient performance.

    DeepSeek-R1 Crash Course

    hey this is angrew brown and in this crash course I’m going to show you the basics of deep seek so first we’re going to look at the Deep seek website where uh you can utilize it just like use tgpt after that we will download it using AMA and have an idea of its capabilities there um then we’ll use another tool called um Studio LM which will allow us to run the model locally but have a bit of an agentic Behavior we’re going to use an aipc and also a modern Gra card my RTX 480 I’m going to show you some of the skills about troubleshooting with it and we do run into issues with both machines but it gives you kind of an idea of the capabilities of what we can use with deep seek and where it’s not going to work I also show you how to work with it uh with hugging face with Transformers and to uh to do local inference um so you know hopefully you uh excited to learn that but we will have a bit of a primer just before we jump in it so we know what deep seek is and I’ll see you there in one one second before we jump into deep seek let’s learn a little bit about it so deep seek is a Chinese a company that creates openweight llms um that’s its proper name I cannot pronounce it DC has many uh open open weight models so we have R1 R1 Z deep seek ver uh V3 math coder Moe soe mixture of experts and then deep seek V3 is mixture of models um I would tell you more about those but I never remember what those are they’re somewhere in my ni Essentials course um the one we’re going to be focusing on is mostly R1 we will look at V3 initially because that is what is utilized on deep seek.com and I want to show you uh the AI power assistant there but let’s talk more about R1 and before we can talk about R1 we need to know a little bit about r10 so there is a paper where you can read all about um how deep seek works but um deep seek r10 is a model trained via large scale reinforcement learning with without without supervised fine tuning and demonstrates remarkable reasoning capabilities r10 has problems like poor readability and language mixing so R1 was trained further to mitigate those issues and it can achieve performance comparable to open ai1 and um they have a bunch of benchmarks across the board and they’re basically showing the one in blue is uh deep seek and then you can see opening eyes there and most of the time they’re suggesting that deep seek is performing better um and I need to point out that deep seek R1 is just text generation it doesn’t do anything else but um it supposedly does really really well but they’re comparing probably the 271 billion parameter model the model that we cannot run but maybe large organizations can uh affordab uh at uh afford at an affordable rate but the reason why deep seek is such a big deal is that it is speculated that it has a 95 to 97 reduction in cost compared to open AI that is the big deal here because these models to train them to run them is millions and millions of millions of dollars and hundreds of millions of dollars and they said they trained and built this model with $5 million which is nothing uh compared to these other ones and uh with the talk about deep c car one we saw like a chip manufacturers stocks drop because companies are like why do we need all this expensive compute when clearly these uh models can be optimized further so we are going to explore uh deep SE guard 1 and see how we can get her to run and see uh where we can get it run and where we’re going to hit the limits with it um I do want to talk about what Hardware I’m going to be utilizing because it really is dependent on your local hardware um we could run this in Cloud but it’s not really worth it to do it you really should be investing some money into local hardware and learning what you can and can’t run based on your limitations but what I have is an Intel lunar Lake AI PC dev kit its proper name is the core Ultra 200 um V series and this came out in September 2024 it is a mobile chip um and uh the chip is special because it has an igpu so an integrated Graphics unit that’s what the LM is going to use it has an mpu which is intended for um smaller models um but uh that’s what I’m going to run it on the other one that we’re going to run it on is my Precision 30 uh 3680 Tower workstation oplex I just got this station it’s okay um it is a 14th generation I IE 9 and I have a g GeForce RTX 480 and so I ran this model on both of them I would say that the dedicated graphics card did do better because they just generally do but from a cost perspective the the lake AI PC dev kit is cheaper you cannot buy the one on the Le hand side because this is something that Intel sent me they there are equivalent kits out there if you just type an AIP PC dev kit Intel am all of uh uh quadcom they all make them so I just prefer to use Intel Hardware um but you know whichever one you want to utilize even the Mac M4 would be in the same kind of line of these things um that you could utilize but I found that we could run about a 7 to8 billion parameter model on either but there were cases where um when I used specific things and the models weren’t optimize and I didn’t tweak them it would literally hang the computer and shut them down both of them right both of them so there is some finessing here and understanding how your work your Hardware works but probably if you want to run this stuff you would probably want to have um a computer on your network so like I my aipc is on my network or you might want to have a dedicated computer with multiple graphics cards to do it but I kind of feel like if I really wanted decent performance I probably need two aips with distributed uh Distributing the llm across them with something like racer or I need another other graphics card uh with distributed because just having one of either or just feels a little bit too too little but you can run this stuff and you can get some interesting results but we’ll jump into that right now okay so before we try to work with deep seek programmatically let’s go ahead and use deep seek.com um AI powered assistance so this is supposed to be the Civ of Chachi BT Claude Sonet mistal 7 llamas uh meta AI um as far as I understand this is completely free um it could be limited in the future because this is a product coming out of China and for whatever reason it might not work in North America in some future so if that doesn’t work you’ll just skip on to the other videos in this crash course which will show you how to programmatically download the open-source model and run it on your local compute but this one in particular is running deep seek version or V3 um and then up here we have deep seek R1 which they’re talking about and that’s the one that we’re going to try to run locally but deep seek V3 is going to be more capable because there’s a lot more stuff that’s moving around uh in the background there so what we’ll do is go click Start now now I got logged in right away because I connected with my Google account that is something that’s really really easy to do and um the use case that I like to test these things on is I created this um prompt document for uh helping me learn Japanese and so basically what the uh this prompt document does is I tell it you are a Japanese language teacher and you are going to help me work through a translation and so I have one where I did on meta Claud and chat gbt so we’re just going to take this one and try to apply it to deep seek the one that’s most advanced is the claw one and here you can click into here and you can see I have a role I have a language I have teaching instructions we have agent flow so it’s handling State we’re giving it very specific instructions we have examples and so um hopefully what I can do is give it these documents and it will act appropriately so um this is in my GitHub and it’s completely open source or open to you to access at Omen King free gen I boot camp 2025 in the sentence Constructor but what I’m going to do is I’m in GitHub and I’m logged in but if I press period this will open this up in I’m just opening this in github.com um but what I did is over time I made it more advanced and the cloud one is the one that we really want to test out so I have um these and so I want this one here this is a teaching test that’s fine I have examp and I have consideration examples okay so I’m just carefully reading this I’m just trying to decide which ones I want I actually want uh almost all of these I want I I’m just going to download the folder so I’m going to do I’m going to go ahead and download this folder I’m going to just download this to my desktop okay and uh it doesn’t like it unless it’s in a folder so I’m going to go ahead and just hit download again I think I actually made a folder on my desktop called No Maybe not download but we’ll just make a new one called download okay I’m going to go in here and select we’ll say view save changes and that’s going to download those files to there so if I go to my desktop here I go into download we now have the same files okay so what I want to do next is I want to go back over to deep seek and it appears that we can attach file so it says text extraction only upload docs or images so it looks like we can upload multiple documents and these are very small documents and so I want to grab this one this one this one this one and this one and I’m going to go ahead and drag it on in here okay and actually I’m going to take out the prompt MD and I’m actually just going to copy its contents in here because the prompt MD tells it to look at those other files so we go ahead and copy this okay we’ll paste it in here we enter and then we’ll see how it performs another thing we should check is its Vision ability but we’ll go here and says let’s break down a sentence example for S structure um looks really really good so next possible answerers try formatting the first clue so I’m going to try to tell it to give me the answer just give me the answer I want to see if it if I can subvert uh subvert my instructions okay and so it’s giving me the answer which is not supposed to supposed to be doing did I tell you not to give me the answer in my prompt document let’s see if it knows my apologies for providing the answer clearly so already it’s failed on that but I mean it’s still really powerful and the consideration is like even if it’s not as capable as Claude or as Chach BT it’s just the cost Factor um but it really depends on what these models are doing because when you look at meta AI right if you look at meta AI or you look at uh mistol mistol 7 uh these models they’re not necessarily working with a bunch of other models um and so there might be additional steps that um Claude or chat GPT uh is doing so that it doesn’t like it makes sure that it actually reads your model but so far right like I ran it on these ones as well but here are equivalents of of more simpler ones that don’t do all those extra checks so it’s probably more comparable to compare it to like mistol 7 or llama in terms of its reasoning but here you can see it already made a mistake but we were able to correct it but still this is pretty good um so I mean that’s fine but let’s go test its Vision capabilities because I believe that this does have Vision capabilities so I’m going to go ahead and I’m looking for some kind of image so I’m going to say Japanese text right I’m going to go to images here and um uh we’ll say Japanese menu in Japanese again if even if you don’t care about it it’s it’s a very good test language as um is it really has to work hard to try to figure it out and so I’m trying to find a Japanese menu in Japanese so what I’m going to do is say translate maybe we’ll just go to like a Japanese websit so we’ll say Japanese Hotel um and so or or maybe you know what’s better we’ll say Japanese newspaper that might be better and so this is probably one minichi okay uh and I want it actually in Japanese so that’s that’s the struggle here today um so I’m looking for the Japanese version um I don’t want it in English let’s try this Japanese time. JP I do not want it in English I want it in Japanese um and so I’m just looking for that here just give me a second okay I went back to this first one in the top right corner it says Japanese and so I’ll click this here so now we have some Japanese text now if this model was built by China I would imagine that they probably really good with Chinese characters and and Japanese borrow Chinese characters and so it should perform really well so what I’m going to do is I’m going to go ahead I have no idea what this is about we we’ll go ahead and grab this image here and so now that is there I’m going to go back over to deep seek and I’m going to just start a new chat and I’m going to paste this image in I’m going to say can you uh transcribe uh the Japanese text um in this image because this what we want to find out can it do this because if it can do that that makes it a very capable model and transcribing means extract out the text now I didn’t tell it to um produce the the translation it says this test discusses the scandal of involving a former Talent etc etc uh you know can you translate the text and break down break down the grammar and so what we’re trying to do is say break it down so we can see what it says uh formatting is not the oh here we go here this is what we want um so just carefully looking at this possessive advancement to ask a question voices also yeah it looks like it’s doing what it’s supposed to be doing so yeah it can do Vision so that’s a really big deal uh but is V3 and that makes sense but this is deeps seek this one but the question will be what can we actually run locally as there has been claims that this thing does not require series gpus and I have the the hardware to test that out on so we’ll do that in the next video but this was just showing you how to use the AI power assistant if you didn’t know where it was okay all right so in this video we’re going to start learning how to download the model locally because imagine if deep seek is not available one day for whatever reason um and uh again it’s supposed to run really well on computers that do not have uh expensive GP gpus um and so that’s what we’re going to find out here um the computer that I’m on right now I’m actually remoted like I’m connected on my network to my Intel developer kit and this thing um if you probably bought it brand new it’s between $500 to $1,000 but the fact is is that this this thing is a is a is a mobile chip I call it the lunar Lake but it’s actually called The Core Ultra 200 V series mobile processors and this is the kind of processor that you could imagine will be in your phone in the next year or two um but what’s so special about um these new types of chips is that when you think of having a chip you just think of CPUs and then you hear about gpus being an extra graphics card but these things have a built-in graphics card called an igpu an integrated graphics card it has an mpu a neural Processing Unit um and just a bunch of other capabilities so basically they’ve crammed a bunch of stuff onto a single chip um and it’s supposed to allow you to uh be able to run ml models and be able to download them so this is something that you might want to invest in you could probably do this on a Mac M4 as well or uh some other things but this is just the hardware that I have um and I do recommend it but anyway one of the easiest ways that we can work with the model is by using olama so AMA is something I already have installed you just download and install it and once it’s installed it usually appears over here and mine is over here okay but the way olama works is that you have to do everything via the terminal so I’m on Windows 11 here I’m going to open up terminal if you’re on a Mac same process you open up terminal um and now that I’m in here I can type the word okay so AMA is here and if it’s running it shows a little AMA somewhere in in your on your computer so what I want to do is go over to here and you can see it’s showing us R1 okay but notice here there’s a drop down okay and we have 7 1.5 billion 7 billion 8 billion 14 billion 32 billion 70 billion 671 billion so when they’re talking about deep seek R1 being as good as chat gpts they’re usually comparing the top one the 671 billion parameter one which is 404 GB I don’t even have enough room to download this on my computer and so you have to understand that this would require you to have actual gpus or more complex setups I’ve seen somebody um there’s a video that circulates around that somebody bought a bunch of mac Minis and stack them let me see if I can find that for you quickly all right so I found the video and here is the person that is running they have 1 two three three four five six seven seven Mac Minis and it says they’re running deep seek R1 and you can see that it says M4 Mac minis U and it says total unified memory 496 gab right so that’s a lot of memory first of all um and it is kind of using gpus because these M M4 chips are just like the lunar Lake chip that I have in that they have integrated Graphics units they have mpus but you see that they need a lot of them and so you can if you have a bunch of these technically run them and I again I again I whatever you want to invest in you know you only need really one of these of whether it is like the Intel lunar lake or the at Mac M4 whatever ryzen’s AMD ryzen’s one is um but the point is like even if you were to stack them all and have them and network them together and do distributed compute which You’ use something like Ray um to do that Ray serve you’ll notice like look at the type speed it is not it’s not fast it’s like clunk clunk clun clunk clunk clunk clunk clunk so you know understand that you can do it but you’re not going to get that from home unless the hardware improves or you buy seven of these but that doesn’t mean that we can’t run uh some of these other uh models right but you do need to invest in something uh like this thing and then add it to your network because you know buying a graphics card then you have to buy a whole computer and it gets really expensive so I really do believe in aip’s but we’ll go back over to here and so we’re not running this one there’s no way we’re able to run this one um but we can probably run easily the seven billion parameter one I think that one is is doable we definitely can do the one 1.5 billion one and so this is really what we’re targeting right it’s probably the 7even billion parameter model so to download this I all I have to do is copy this command here I already have Olam installed and what it’s going to do it’s going to download the model for me so it’s now pulling it from uh probably from hugging face okay so we go to hugging face and we say uh deep seek R1 what it’s doing is it’s grabbing it from here it’s grabbing it from uh from hugging face and it’s probably this one there are some variants under here which I’m not 100% certain here but you can see there’s distills of other of other models underneath which is kind of interesting but this is probably the one that is being downloaded right now at least I think it is and normally what we looking for here is we have these uh safe tensor files and we have a bunch of them so I’m not exactly sure we’ll figure that out here in a little bit but the point is is that we are downloading it right now if we go back over to here you can see it’s almost downloaded so it doesn’t take that long um but you can see they’re a little bit large but I should have enough RAM on this computer um I’m not sure how much this comes with just give me a moment so uh what I did is I just open up opened up system information and then down below here it’s it’s saying I have 32 GB of RAM so the ram matters because you have to have enough RAM to hold this stuff in memory and also if the model’s large you have to be able to download it and then you also need um the gpus for it but you can see this is almost done so I’m just going to pause here until it’s 100% done and it should once it’s done it should automatically just start working and we’ll we’ll see there in a moment okay just showing that it’s still pulling so um it downloaded now it’s pulling additional containers I’m not exactly sure what it’s doing but now it is ready so it didn’t take that long just a few minutes and we’ll just say hello how are you and that’s pretty decent so that’s going at an okay Pace um could I download a more um a more intensive one that is the question that we have here because we’re at the seven billion we could have done the 8 billion why did I do seven when I could have done eight the question is like where does it start kind of chugging it might be at the 14 14 billion parameter model we’ll just test this again so hello and just try this again but you can see see that we’re getting pretty pretty decent results um the thing is even if you had a smaller model through fine-tuning if we can finetune this model we can get better performance for very specific tasks if that’s what we want to do but this one seems okay so I would actually kind of be curious to go ahead and launch it I can hear the computer spinning up from here the lunar Lake um devit but I’m going to go ahead and just type in buy and um I’m going to just go here I want to delete um that one so I’m going to say remove and was deep c car 1 first let’s list the model here because we want to be cautious of the space that we have on here and this model is great I just want to have more um I just want to run I just want to run the 8 billion parameter one or something larger so we’ll say remove this okay it’s deleted and I’m pretty confident it can run the 8 billion let’s do the 14 billion parameter this is where it might struggle and the question is how large is this this is 10 gabes I definitely have room for that so I’m going to go ahead and download this one and then once we have that we’ll decide what it is that we want to do with it okay so we’re going to go ahead and download that I’ll be back here when this is done downloading okay all right so we now have um this model running and I’m just going to go ahead and type hello and surprisingly it’s doing okay now you can’t hear it but as soon as I typed I can hear my uh my little Intel developer kit is going and so I just want you to know like if you were to buy IPC the one that I have is um not for sale but if you look up one it has a lunar Lake chip in it uh that Ultra core was it the ultra core uh uh 20 20 2 220 or whatever um if you just find it with another provider like if it’s with Asus or whoever Intel is partnered with you can get the same thing it’s the same Hardware in it um Intel just does not sell them direct they always do it through a partner but you can see here that we can actually work with it um I’m not sure how long this would work for it might it might quit at some point but at least we have some way to work with it and so AMA is one way that we can um get this model but obviously there are different ones like the Deep seek R1 I’m going to go ahead back to AMA here and I just want to now uh delete that model just because we’re done here but there’s another way that uh we can work with it I think it’s called notebook LM or LM Studio we’ll do in the next video and that will give you more of a um AI powed assistant experience so not necessarily working with it programmatically but um closer to the end result that we want um I’m not going to delete the model just yet here but if you want to I’ve already showed you how to do that but we’re going to look at the uh next one in the next video here because it might require you to have ol as the way that you download the model but we’ll go find out okay so see you in the next one all right so here we’re at Studio LM or LM Studio I’ve actually never used this product before I usually use web UI which will hook up to AMA um but I’ve heard really good things about this one and so I figured we’ll just go open it up and let’s see if we can get a very similar experience to um uh having like a chat gbt experience and so here you they have downloads for uh Mac uh the metal series which are the the latest ones windows and Linux so you can see here that they’re suggesting that you want to have one of these new AI PC chips um as that is usually the case if you have gpus then you can probably use gpus I actually do have really good gpus I have a 480 RTX here but I want to show you what you can utilize locally um so what we’ll do is just wait for this to download okay and now let’s go ahead and install this but I’m really curious on how we are going to um plug this into like how are we going to download the model right does it plug into AMA does it download the model separately that’s what we’re going to find out here just shortly when it’s done installing so we’ll just wait a moment here okay all right so now we have completing the ml Studio um setup so LM Studio has been installed on your computer click finish and set up so we’ll go ahead and hit finish okay so this will just open up here we’ll give it a moment to open I think in the last video we stopped olama so even if it’s not there we might want to I’m just going to close it out here again it might require oama we’ll find out here moment so say get your first llm so here it says um llama through 3.2 that’s not what we want so we’re going to go down below here it says enable local LM service on login so it sounds like what we need to do is we need to log in here and make an account I don’t see a login I don’t so we’ll go back over to here and they have this onboarding step so I’m going to go and we’ll Skip onboarding and let’s see if we can figure out how to install this just a moment so I’m noticing at the top here we have select a model to load no LMS yet download the one to get started I mean yes llama 3.1 is cool but it’s not the model that I want right I want that specific one and so this is what I’m trying to figure out it’s in the bottom left corner we have some options here um and I know it’s hard to read I apologize but there’s no way I can make the font larger unfortunately but they have the LM studio. a so we’ll go over to here I’m going go to the model catalog and and we’re looking for deep seek we have deep seek math 7 billion which is fine but I just want the normal deep seek model we have deep seek coder version two so that’d be cool if we wanted to do some coding we have distilled ones we have R1 distilled so we have llama 8 billion distilled and quen 7 billion so I would think we probably want the Llama 8 billion distilled okay so here it says use in LM studio so I’m going to go ahead and click it and we’ll click open okay now it’s going to download them all so 4.9 gigabytes we’ll go ahead and do that so that model is now downloading so we’ll wait for that to finish okay so it looks like we don’t need Olam at all this is like all inclusive one thing to go though I do want to point out notice that it has a GG UF file so that makes me think that it is using like whatever llama index can use I think it’s called llama index that this is what’s compatible and same thing with o llama so they might be sharing the same the same stuff because they’re both using ggf files this is still downloading but while I’m here I might as well just talk about what uh distilled model is so you’ll notice that it’s saying like R1 distilled llama 8 or quen 7 billion parameter so dist distillation is where you are taking a larger model’s knowledge and you’re doing knowledge transfer to a smaller model so it runs more efficiently but has the same capabilities of it um the process is complicated I explain it in my Jenning ey Essentials course which this this part of this crash course will probably get rolled into later on um but basically it’s just it’s a it’s a technique to transfer that knowledge and there’s a lot of ways to do it so I can’t uh summarize it here but that’s why you’re seeing distilled versions of those things so basically theyve figured out a way to take the knowledge maybe they’re querying directly that’s probably what they’re doing is like they have a bunch of um evaluations like quer that they hit uh with um uh what do you call it llama or these other models and then they look at the result and then they then when they get their smaller model to do the same thing then it performs just as well so the model is done we’re going to go ahead and load the model and so now I’m just going to get my head a little bit out of the way cuz I’m kind of in the way here so now we have an experience that is more like uh what we expected to be and on the top here I wonder is a way that I can definitely bring the font up here I’m not sure if there is a dark mode the light Mode’s okay but um a dark mode would be nicer but there’s a lot of options around here so just open settings in the bottom right corner and here we do have some themes there we go that’s a little bit easier and I do apologize for the small fonts um there’s not much I can do about it I even told it to go larger this is one way we can do it so let’s see if we can interact with this so we’ll say um can you um I am learning Japanese can you act as my Japanese teacher let’s see how it does now this is R1 this does not mean that it has Vision capabilities um as I believe that is a different model and I’m again I’m hearing my my computer spinning up in the background but here you can see that it’s thinking okay so I’m trying to learn Japanese and I came across the problem where I have to translate I’m eating sushi into Japanese first I know that in Japanese the order of subject can be this so it’s really interesting it’s going through a thought process so um normally when you use something like web UI it’s literally using the model directly almost like you’re using it as a playground but this one actually has reasoning built in which is really interesting I didn’t know that it had that so there literally is uh agent thinking capability this is not specific to um uh open seek I think if we brought in any model it would do this and so it’s showing us the reasoning that it’s doing here as it’s working through this so we’re going to let it think and wait till it finishes but it’s really cool to see its reasoning uh where normally you wouldn’t see this right so you know when and Chach B says it’s thinking this is the stuff that it actually is doing in the background that it doesn’t fully tell you but we’ll let it work here we’ll be back in just a moment okay all right so looks like I lost my connection this sometimes happens because when you are running a computational task it can halt all the resources on your machine so this model was a bit smaller but um I was still running ol in the background so what I’m going to do is I’m going to go my Intel machine I can see it rebooting in the background here I’m going to give it a moment to reboot here I’m going to reconnect I’m going to make sure llama is not running and then we’ll try that again okay so be back in just a moment you know what it was the computer decided to do Windows updates so it didn’t crash but this can happen when you’re working with llms that it can exhaust all the resources so I’m going to wait till the update is done and I’ll get my screen back up here in just a moment okay all right so I’m reconnected to my machine I do actually have some tools here that probably tell me my use let me just open them up and see if anyone will actually tell me where my memory usage is yeah I wouldn’t call that very uh useful maybe there’s some kind of uh tool I can download so monitor memory usage well I guess activity monitor can just do it right um or what’s it called see if I can open that up here try remember the hot key for it there we go and we go to task manager and so maybe I just have task manager open here we can kind of keep track of our memory usage um obviously Chrome likes to consume quite a bit here I’m actually not running OBS I’m not sure why it um automatically launched here oh you know what um oh I didn’t open on this computer here okay so what I’ll do is I’ll just hit task manager that was my task manager in the background there we go and so here we can kind of get an idea this computer just restarted so it’s getting it itself in order here and so we can see our mem us is at 21% that’s what we really want to keep a track of um so what I’m going to do is go back over to LM Studio we’re going to open it up but this is stuff that really happens to me where it’s like you’re using local LMS and things crash and it’s not a big deal just happens but we came back here and it actually did do it it said thought for 3 minutes and 4 seconds and you can see its reasoning here okay it says the translation of I likeing Sushi into Japanese isi sushim Guk which is true the structure correctly places it one thing I’d like to ask it is can it give me um Japanese characters so can you show me the uh the sentence can you show me uh Japanese using Japanese characters DG conji and herana okay and so we’ll go ahead and do that it doesn’t have a model selected so we’ll go to the top here what’s kind of interesting is that maybe you can switch between different kinds of models as you’re working here we do have GPU offload of discrete uh model layers I don’t know how to configure any of these things right now um flash attention would be really good so decrease memory usage generation time on some models that is where a model is trained on flash attention which we don’t have here right now but I’m going to go ahead I’m going to load the Llama distilled model and we’re going to go ahead and ask if it can do this for us because that would make it a little bit more useful okay so I’m going to go ahead and run that and we’ll be back here in just a moment and we’ll see the results all right we are back and we can take a look at the results here we’ll just give it a moment I’m going to scroll up and you know what’s really interesting is that um it is working every time I do this I it does work but the computer restarts and I think the reason why is that it’s exhausting all possible resources um now the size of the model is not large it’s whatever it is the 8 billion parameter one at least I think that’s what we’re running here um it’s a bit hard because it says 8 billion uh distilled and so we’d have to take a closer look at it it says 8 billion so it’s 8 billion parameter um but the thing is it’s the reasoning that’s happening behind the scenes and so um I think for that it’s exhausting whereas we’re when we’re using llama it’s less of an issue um and I think it might just be that LM Studio the way the agent Works might might not have ways of or at least I don’t know how to configure it to make sure that it doesn’t uh uh destroy destroy stuff when it runs out here because you’ll notice here that we can set the context length and so maybe if I reduce that keep model in memory so Reserve System memory for the model even when offload GPU improves performance but requires more RAM so here you know we might toggle this off and get better production but right now when I run it it is restarting but the thing is it is working so you can see here it thought for 21 seconds it says of course I’d like to help you and so here’s some examples and it’s producing pretty good code or like output I should say but anyway what we’ve done here is we’ve just changed a few options so I’m saying don’t keep it in memory okay because that might be an issue and we’ll bring the context window down and it says CPU uh thread to allocate that seems fine to me again I’m not sure about any of these other options we’re going to reload this model okay so we’re now loading with those options I want to try one more time if my computer restarts it’s not a big deal but again it might be just LM Studio that’s causing us these issues here and so I’m just going to click into this one I think it’s set up those settings we’ll go ahead and just say Okay um so I’m going to just say like how do I ask how do I I say in Japanese um uh where is the movie theater okay it doesn’t matter if you know Japanese it’s just we’re trying to tax it with something hard so here it’s running again and it’s going to start thinking we’ll give it a moment here and as it’s doing that I’m going to open up task manager he and we’ll give it a moment I noticed that it has my um did it restart again yeah I did so yeah this is just the experience again it has nothing to do with the Intel machine it’s just this is what happens when your resources get exhausted and so it’s going to restart again but this is the best I can de demonstrate it here now I can try to run this on my main machine using the RTX 480 um so that might be another option that we can do where I actually have dedicated GP use and I have a this is like a 14th generation uh Intel chip I think it’s Raptor lake so maybe we’ll try that as well in a separate video here just to see what happens um but that was the example there but I could definitely see how having more than uh like those computer stacked would make this a lot easier even if you had a second one there that’ still be uh more cost effective than buying a completely new computer outright those two or smaller mini PCS um but I’ll be back here in just a moment okay okay so I’m going to get this installed on my main machine my main machine like as I’m recording here it’s using my GPU so it’s going to have to share it so I’m just going to stop this video and then we’re going to treat this one as LM Studio using the RTX 480 and we’ll just see uh if the experience is the same or different okay all right so I’m back here and now I’m on my main computer um and we’re going to use ml studio so I’m going to go and skip the onboarding and I remember uh there’s a way for us to change the theme maybe in the bottom right corner of the Cog and we’ll change it to dark mode here thr our eyes are a little bit uh easier to see here also want to bump up the font a little bit um to select the model I’m going to go here to select a model at the top here we do not want that model here so I’m going to go to maybe here on left hand side no not there um it was here in the bottom left corner and we’re going to go to L LM Studio Ai and we want to make our way over to the model catalog at the top right corner and I’m looking for deep seek R1 distill llama 8B so we click that here and we’ll say use in studio that’s now going to download this locally okay so we are now going to download this model and I’ll be back here in just a moment okay all right so I’ve downloaded the model here I’m going to go ahead and load it and again I’m a little bit concerned because I feel like it’s going to cause this computer to restart but because it’s uh offloading to the gpus I’m hoping that’ll be less of an issue but here you can see it’s loading the model into memory okay and we really should look at our options that we have here um it doesn’t make it very easy to select them but oh here it is right here okay so we have some options here and this one actually is offloading to the GPU so you see it has GPU offload I’m almost wondering if I should have set GPU offload um on the aipc because it technically has IG gpus and maybe that’s where we were running into issues whereas when we were using olama maybe it was already utilizing the gpus I don’t know um but anyway what I want to do is go ahead and ask the same thing so I’m going to say uh can you teach me teach me Japanese for jlpt and5 level so we’ll go ahead and do that we’ll hit enter and again I love how it shows us the thinking that it does here I’m assuming that it’s using um our RTX RTX 480 that I have on this computer and this is going pretty decently fast here it’s not causing my computer to cry this is very good this is actually reasonably good so yeah it’s performing really well so the question is um you know I again I’d like to go try the uh the the developer kit again and see if I because I remember the gpus were not offloading right so maybe it didn’t detect the igpus but this thing is going pretty darn quick here and so that was really really good um and so it’s giving me a bunch of stuff it’s like okay but give me give me example sentences in Japanese okay so that’s what I want we’ll give it a moment yep and that looks good so it is producing really good stuff this model again is just the Llama uh a building parameter one I’m going to eject this model let’s go back over to here into the uh Studio over here and I want to go to the model Catal because there are other deep seek models so we go and take a look deep seek we have coder version two so the younger sibling of GPT 4 deeps coder version 2 model but that sounds like deep seek 2 right so I’m not sure if that’s really the latest one because we only want to focus on R1 and so yeah I don’t think those other ones we really care about we only care about R1 models but you can see we’re getting really good performance so the question is like what’s the compute or the top difference between these two and maybe we can ask this over to the model ourselves but I’m going to start a new conversation here and I’m going to say um how many tops or or is it tops does I think it’s called tops tops does RTX uh 4080 have okay we’ll see if it can do it select this model here and yeah we’ll load the model and we’ll run that there we’ll give it a moment and while that’s thinking I mean obviously we just use Google for this we don’t really need to do that but I want to do a comparison to see like how many tops they have so I’ll let that run the background I’m also just going to search and find out very quickly oh here it goes uh does not have a specified number of tensor uh as officially NV video the company focuses on metrics like cudas cores and mamory B withd but this would be speculative okay but but then but then how do I how do I compare compare tops for um let’s say lunar Lake versus RTX 4080 and I know like there’s lots of ways to do it but it’s like if I can’t compare it how do I do it and while that’s trying to figure it out I’m going to go over to perplexity and maybe we can get an exact example because I’m trying to understand like how much does my discret GPU do compared to that that one that’s internal so we’ll say uh lunar lunar Lake versus RTX uh 40 4080 uh for Tops performance and we’ll see what we get so lunar lake has 120 tops and hence gaming rather than AI workload so IND doesn’t typically advertise their tops maintaining 60 FPS okay but then how so then okay but what what could it be like how many tops could it be for the RTX 480 kind of makes it hard because like we don’t know how many tops it is we don’t we don’t know what kind of expectation we should have with it okay fair enough so yeah so it’s we can’t really compare it’s like apples to oranges I guess and it’s just not going to give us the result here um but here it is going through comparison so if you run ml perfect gpus like a model with reset you directly compare the tops uh with a new architecture and so that’s basically the only way to do it so we can’t it’s apples to oranges um I want to go and attempt to try to run this one more time on the lunar Lake and I want to see if I can set the gpus but if we can’t set the gpus then I think it’s going to always have that issue specifically with this but we will use the L Lake for um using with hugging face and other things like that so be back in just a moment okay all right so I’m back and I just did a little bit of exploration on my other computer there because I want to understand like okay I have this aipc it’s very easy to run this here on my RTX 480 but when I run it on the on the uh the lunar like it is shutting down and I think understand why and so this is I think is really important when you are working local machines you have to have a bit better understanding of the hardware so I’m just going to RDP back into this machine here just give me just a moment okay I have it running again and it probably will crash again but at least I know why so there’s a program called camp and what camp does is it allows you to monitor um your this is for Windows for Mac I don’t know what You’ use you probably just uh uh utility manager but here you know I can see that none of these CPUs are being overloaded but this is just showing us the CPUs if we open up um task manager here okay and now the computer is running perfectly fine it’s not even spinning its fans if I go to the left hand side here we can we have CPUs mpus and gpus now mpus are the things that we want to use because mpus uh like an mpu is specifically designed to run models however a lot of the Frameworks like Pi torch um and uh tensor flow they’re optimized on Cuda originally because the underlying framework and so normally you have to go through an optimization or conversion format I don’t know at this time if there is a conversion for Max for Intel Hardware Because deep seek is so new but I would imagine uh that is something the Intel team is probably working on and this is not just specific to Intel if it’s AMD or whoever they want to make optimization to leverage their different kinds of compute like their MPS and also has to do with the the thing that we’re using so we’re using that thing called this one over here I’m not sure well all these little oh yeah this this just this is core LM showing us all the temperatures right and so what we can do is just kind of see what’s going on here is that I’m going to bring this over so that we can see what’s happening right we want to use mpus it’s not going to happen because this thing is not set up to do that but if I drop it down here and we click into uh this right we have our options before we didn’t have any gpus but we can go here we can say use all the gpus I don’t know how many how much it can offload to but I’ll I’ll set it to something like 24 we have a CPU threat count like that might be something we want to increase we can reduce our context window um we might not want to load it into memory but the point is that if it if it exhausts the GPU because it’s all it’s a single integrated circuit I have a feeling that it’s going to end up restarting it but here again you can see it’s very low we’ll go ahead and we’ll load the model right and the next thing I will do is I will go type in something like you know I want to learn Japanese can you provide me um uh a lesson on Japanese sentence structure okay we’ll go ahead and do that actually notice if it this doesn’t require a thought process it works perfectly it doesn’t cause any issues with the computer we’ll go ahead and run it and let’s pay attention left hand side here and now we can see that it’s utilizing gpus when it was at zero it wasn’t using gpus at all but Noti it’s at 50 50% right and it’s doing pretty good our CPU is higher than usual before when I ran this earlier off screen the CPU was really low and it was the GPU that was working hard so again it really you have to understand your settings as you go here but this is not exhausting so far but we’re just watching these numbers here and also our cor temps right and you can see we’re not running into any issues it’s not even spinning up it’s not even making any complaints right now the other challenge is that I have a a developer kit that um uh it’s it’s something they don’t sell right so if there was an issue with the BIOS I’d have to update it and there’s like no all I can get is Intel’s help on it but if I to buy like a commercial version of this like um whoever is partnered with it if it’s Asus or Lenovo or whatever I would probably have um less issues because they’re maintaining those bios updates um but so far we’re not having issues but again we’re just monitoring here we have 46 47% 41% um again we’re watching it you can see core is at 84% 89% and so we’re just carefully watching this stuff but I might have picked the perfect the perfect amount of settings here and maybe that was the thing is that you know I turned down the CPU like what did we do the options I turned the gpus down so I turned that down I also told it not to load memory and now it’s not crashing okay there we go it’s not as fast as the RTX 4080 um but you know what this is my old graphics card here I actually bought this uh not even long ago before I got my new computer this is an RTX 3060 okay this is not that old it’s like a it’s like a couple years old 2022 and I would say that when I used to use that and I would run models my computer would crash right so but the point is is that these newer CPUs whether it’s again the M4 or the Intel L lake or whatever amd’s one is they’re they have the strong equivalence of like graphics cards from two years ago which is crazy to me um but anyway I think I might have found The Sweet Spot I’m just really really lucky but you can see the memory usage here and stuff like that and you just have to kind of monitor it and you’ll find out once you get those settings uh what works for you or you know you buy really expensive GPU and uh it’ll run perfectly fine but here it’s going and we’ll just give it a moment we be back in just a moment okay anyway I was going a little bit slow so you know I just decided we’ll just move on here but my my point was made clear is that if you dial in the specific settings you can make this stuff work on things where you don’t have dedicated graphics card if you have a dedicated graphics card you can see it’s pretty good and uh yeah this is fine with the RTX 480 so you know if you have that you’re going to be in good shape there but now that we’ve shown how to do with AI power assistance let’s take a look at how we can actually get these models from hugging face next okay and work with them programmatically um so I’ll see you in the next one all right so what I want to do in this video is I want to see if we can download the model from hugging phase and then work with it programmatically um is that’s going to give you the most flexibility with these models of course if you just want to consume them then uh using the um LM Studio that I showed you or whatever it was called um would be the easiest way to do it but having a better understanding of these models how we can use them directly would be useful I think for the rest of this I’m just going to use the RTX 480 because I realize that to really make use of aips you have to wait till they have optimizers for it so we’re talking about um Intel again you have this kit called open Veno and open Veno is an optimization framework and if we go down they I think they have like a bunch of examples here we’ll go back for a moment yeah quick examples maybe over here and maybe not over here but we go back to the notebooks and we scroll on down yeah they have this page here and so um in this thing they will have different llms that are optimized specifically so that you can maybe Leverage The mpus or the or or make it run better on CPUs but until that’s out there we’re stuck on the gpus and we’re not going to get the best performance that we can uh so maybe in a in a month or so um I can revisit that and then I will be utilizing it it might be as fast as my RTX 480 but for now we’re going to just stick uh with the RTX 480 and we’ll go look at Deep seek because they have more than just R1 so you can see there is a collection of models and in here if we click into it we have um R1 r10 which I don’t know what that is let’s go take a look here it probably explains it somewhere uh but we have R1 distilled 70 billion PR parameter quen 32 billion parameter quen 14 billion and so we have some variant here that we can utilize just give me a moment I want to see what zero is so to me it sounds like zero is the precursor to R1 so it says a model trained with supervised learning okay and so I don’t think we want to use zero we want to use the R1 model or one of these distilled versions which uh give similar capabilities but if we go over to here it’s not 100% clear on how we can run this um but down below here we can see total parameters is 671 billion okay so this one literally is the big one this is the really really big one and so that would be a little bit too hard for us to run this machine we can’t run 671 billion parameters you saw the person stacking all those uh Apple m4s like uh yeah I have an RTX 480 but I need a bunch of those to do it down below we have the distilled models and so this is probably what we were using when we were using olama um if we wanted to go ahead and do that there so this is probably where I would focus my attention on is these distilled models uh when we’re using hugging face it will show us how we can deploy the models up here notice over here we have BLM um I covered this in my geni essentials course I believe but um there are different types of ways we can serve models just as web servers have you know servers to serve them like the uh like software underneath so do um uh these ml models these machine learning models and VM is one that you want to pay attention attention to because it can work with the ray framework and Ray is important because um say Ray uh I’ll just say ml here but this framework specifically has a product within it um called racer it’s not showing me the graphic here but racer allows you to take VM and distribute it across comput so when we saw that video of that again those Mac m4s being stacked on top of each other that was probably using racer with v LM to scale it out and so if you were to run this uh run this you might want to invest in VM the hugging face Transformer library is fine as well but again we’re not going to be able to run this on my computer and not on your computer uh so we’re going to go back here for a moment but there’s also uh V3 which has been very popular as well and that actually is what we were using when we went to the Deep seek website but if we go over to here and we go into deep seek uh three I think this is yeah this one’s a mixture of experts model and this would be a really interesting want to deploy as well but it’s also 67 uh 71 billion parameter model so it’s another one that we can’t deploy locally right but if we did we could have like Vision tasks and all these other things that maybe it could do so we’re going to really just have to stick with the R1 and it’s going to be with one of these distributions I’m going to go with the Llama uh 8 billion parameter I don’t know why we don’t see the other ones there but 8 billion is something we know that we can reibly run whether it’s on the lunar lake or if it’s on the RTX 480 and so I’m going to go over here in the right hand side and we have Transformers and VMS Transformers is probably the easiest way to run it and so we can see that we have some code here so I’m going to get set up here um I’m going to just open up vs code and I already have a Repel I’m going to put this in my geni essentials course because I figured if we’re going to do it we might as well put it in there and so I’m going to go and open that folder here and I need to go up a directory I might not even have this cloned so I’m going to just go and grab this directory really quickly here so just CD back and I do not so I’m going to go over to GitHub this repo is completely open so if you want to do the same thing you can do this as well we’re going to say gen Essentials okay and um I’m going to go ahead and just co uh copy this and download it here so give it a clone get clone and I’m going to go ahead and open this up um I’m going to open this with wind Surfer fun because I really like wind surf I’ve been using that quite a bit if I have it installed here should yeah I do I have a paid version of wind surf so I have full access to it if you don’t just you can just copy and paste the code but I’m trying to save myself some time here so we’re going to open this up I’m going to go into the Gen Essentials I’m going to make a new folder in here I’m going to call this one deep seek and I want to go inside of this one and call it um R1 uh Transformers cuz we’re going to just use the Transformers library to do this I’m going to select that folder we’re going to say yes I’m going to make a new file here and I probably want to make this an iron python file um I’m not sure if I’m set up for that but we’ll give it a go so what we’ll do is we’ll type in basic. [Music] ironpython uh ynb which is for uh jupyter notebooks and you’d have to already have jupyter installed if you don’t know in my gen Essentials I show you how to set the stuff up so so you can learn it that way if you want I’m going to go over to WSL here and um yeah I’ll install that extension there if it wants to install there and I’m going to see if I have cond installed I should have it installed there it is and we have a base so anytime that you are um setting up one of these environments you should really make a new one because that way you’ll run into less conflicts and so I need to set up a new environment I can’t remember the instructions but I’m pretty certain I show that somewhere here at local development in this folder and so if I go to cond and I go into setup I think I explain it here so for Linux and that’s what I’m using right now with Windows subsystem Linux 2 is I would need to it’s already installed so I want to create a new environment so I probably want to use Python 3.0.0 if it’s a future you might want to use 312 but this version seems to give me the least amount of problems so I want this command but I want to change it a little bit I don’t want it to be hello I want to call this deep seek so we’ll go back over to here we’re we’re going to paste it into here and um so now we are uh setting up python 310 and it’s going to install some stuff okay so now we are uh good I need to activate that so I’m say cond activate deep seek and so now we are using deep seek I’m going to go back here on the right hand left hand side and what I want to do is I want to get some code set up here so if we go back over to here into the 8 billion uh distilled model we go to Transformers we have some code and if it doesn’t work that’s totally fine we will we will tweak it from there I also have example code lying around so for whatever reason this doesn’t work sorry I just paused there for a second if it doesn’t work we can uh grab from my code base here because I don’t always remember how to do this stuff even though I’ve done a lot of this I don’t remember half the stuff that I do so we’re going to go ahead here and cut this up and put this up here but we’re going to need um I’m not sure how well uh um uh I’m not sure how well um uh wind surf Works within uh jup ir and python I actually never did that before so it’s asking us it’s asking us to start something you need to select a kernel and I’m going to say oh it’s not seen the kernels that I want but you know one thing I don’t think we did is I don’t think we installed iron python so there’s an extra step that we’re supposed to do to get it to work with Jupiter and it might be under our Jupiter instructions here where yes it’s this so we need to make sure we install iron python kernel otherwise it might not show up here so I’m going to just go ahead here and um I’m going to do cond cond whoops cond hyphen Fonda Forge so we’re saying downloads from the cond forge and and I think it’s cond install so it’s cond install hyphen f cond Forge and then we paste in IP kernel and so now it should install IP kernel I’m not sure if that uh worked or not we’ll go up here and take a look the following packages are not available for in installation oh it’s hyphen c not hyphen f okay so we’ll go here and that just means to use the condo Forge and so this should resolve our issue so we’re going to install ipy kernel right give it a second it we’ll say yes okay and so I’m hoping what that will do is that we’ll be able to actually select the kernel we might have to close that wind Surf and reopen it we can do the same thing in vs code it’s the same interface right so I’m not seeing it showing up here so I’m just going to close that wind surf it would have been nice to use wind surf but if we can’t that’s totally fine I’m going to go ahead and open this again I’m going to open up the Gen Essentials I’m just going to say open I’m not using any AI coding assistant here so we’re just going to work through it the oldfashioned way and somewhere in here we have a deep seek folder I’m going to go ahead and make a new terminal here I want to make sure that I’m in in WSL which I am I’m going to say cond to activate deep seek because that’s where I need to go so I now have that activated I’m going to go into the deep seek folder into our R1 Transformers folder um I’m looking for the Deep seek folder there it is we’ll click into it and I did not save any of the code which is totally fine it’s not like it’s too far away to get this code again and so I’m going to go back over to here and we are going to grab this code okay I’m going to paste it in and we’ll make a new code block and I want to grab this and put this below okay now normally we’ install pytorch and some other things um but I’m going to just try from the most barebones thing it’s going to tell me Transformers isn’t installed and that’s totally fine and I’m just trying to there we go do this so we’ll run that and so I’m going to go here to install Jupiter oh it’s installing Jupiter I see okay so we do need that maybe the kernel would have worked um and so I’m going to go to python environments python environments and so now we have deep seek so maybe we could have got it to work with W serve but that’s fine so we don’t have Transformers installed there’s no modules called Transformers I know that we do this before so we might as well go leverage code and see what we did here before here we have hugging face basic and so here yeah we do an install with Transformer so that’s all we really need there’s P Pi dot. EnV we might also need that as well because we might need to put in our hugging face API to download the model I’m not sure at this point but I’ll go ahead and just install that up here in the top okay so we’ll give that a moment to install it shouldn’t take too long we might also need to install P torch or or tensor flow or both um that’s very common when you are working with open source models is that they may be in one for format or another and need to be converted over um sometimes you don’t need to do it at all but we’ll see so now it’s saying to restart so we’ll just do a restart here we should only have to do that once and so I’m going to go ahead Here and Now include it so now we have less of an issue here it’s showing us this model so basically this will download it specifically from hugging phas so if we grab this address here and we go back over to wherever um I had one open here just a moment ago and it should match this address right so if I was to just delete this out here and put it in here it’s the same address right so that’s how it knows what model it’s grabbing but we’ll go back over to here um and it doesn’t look like we need our hugging face API but we’ll we’ll find out here in just a moment so it should download it we’ll get a message here we’ll load Transformers we’ll have tokenizers then we’ll have the model um the messages here is being passed into here says copy local model directory directly okay so I think here it’s like we just have two different ones we have one that’s using the pre-train one yes there’s two ways that we can do it I think we cover this uh when you use a direct model or a pipeline and so let’s go ahead and see if we can just use the pipeline okay and if I don’t remember how to do this we probably go over here and take a look um I don’t remember everything that I do but yeah this is the one we just had open here just a moment ago the basic one and so this has a pipeline and then we just use it and so this in a sense should just work so let’s go ahead and see if that works so I’m just going to separate this out so I don’t have to continually run this we’ll cut this out okay we’ll run that and then we’ll run this okay and we’ll go down below and it says at least one tensor flow or pie torch should be installed to install tensor flow do this and so this is what I figured we were going to run into where it’s complain like hey you need P torch or tensor flow um I don’t know which one it needs I would think that it was safe tensorflow because I saw that and so I’m going to just go ahead and make a new one up here I’m really just guessing I’m going to go say uh tensor flow and I’m also going to just say p torch let’s just install both because it’ll need one or the other and one of them will work assuming I spelled it right two competing Frameworks I learned uh tensor flow first and then uh I kind of regret that because P torch is now the most po even though I really like tensor flow or specifically kirz but we’ll give this a moment to install and then once we do that we’ll run it again and we’ll see what happens okay so it’s saying P torch failed to build and I hope that doesn’t matter because if it uses tensor flow it’s fine but it says failed to build installable wheels so just a moment here as was my twin sister calling me uh she doesn’t know I’m recording right now so I’m going to go ahead and restart this even though we don’t have P torch or it might be wrong it might be installed I’m not sure we’re going to go ahead and just try it again anyway um because sometimes this stuff just works anyway and we’ll run it and so it is complaining it’s saying at least one one of tensorflow or P should be installed install tensorflow 2.0 uh to install P torch read the instructions here um okay so I mean this shouldn’t be such a huge issue so I’m going to go and let’s use deep seek since we are big deep seek fans here today but I’m going to go over to the Deep seek website which is running V3 it’s not even using the R1 um I’m going to log into here we’ll give it a moment and we’ll go here and say um you know I want to uh I need to install tensor flow 2.0 and pytorch to run uh a Transformers pipeline model so we’ll give that a go and see what we get so here it’s specifically saying to use 2.0 yeah and it’s always a little bit tricky so I’m going to go back up to here and maybe we can say equals 2.0.0 I mean what it it did install tensor flow 20 we don’t need to tell it to do two again so we go down below here and let me just carefully look here so at least one of tensorflow 2.0 or py to should be install to install it you should have it the select framework tensor for the Pyar to use the model pass returns a tuple framework oh so it’s asking which model to use as it doesn’t know okay so I’m going to go back over to here and I’m going to say like you know give it this thing and see if it can figure it out and it’s not exactly what I want so I’m going to just stop it here I’m just saying like I am using Transformers pipeline how do I specify uh the framework okay I’m I’m surprised I have to specify the framework usually it just picks it up okay and so here we have Pi torture tensor flow I think tensorflow successfully installed I’m not sure if it’s just guessing because this thing could be hallucinating we don’t know uh but we’ll go ahead and just give this a try and we’ll run this here and here it’s saying um we’re still getting that right so I’m going to go over to here this probably is a common hugging face issue for tensor flow somebody has commented here you need to have P torch installed mhm so let’s say deep C I don’t know if there’s anyone that’s actually told us how to do this yet give me a second let me see if I can figure it out all right so I went over and we’re asking Claude instead and so maybe Claude again because it’s not just the model itself but it’s the reasoning behind it and so V3 didn’t really get us very far it’s supposed to be a really good model um but um here it’s suggesting that um P torch is generally used and maybe my instructions here is incorrect and so it’s suggesting to do um I mean we have tensorflow which is fine but here it’s suggesting that we do torch um torch and accelerate okay so I’m going to go ahead and run this here so maybe Pi torch is just torch and I just forgot I don’t know why I wrote in pi torch we’ll give that a moment we’ll see what happens uh the other thing is that it’s saying that we probably don’t need the framework specify because well it’s saying for llama in particular that it normally uses P torch I’m not sure if that’s the case here um another thing that we could do is go take a look at hugging face or sorry not hugging face yeah hugging face and look at the files here and I’m seeing tensorflow files so it makes me think that it is using tensorflow but maybe it needs to convert it over to P torch I don’t know but um we should have both installed so even though I removed it from the top there um tensorflow is still installed and we could just leave it uh there as a separate line with say pip install um tensor flow this is half the battle to to get these things to work is is dealing with these conflicts and you will get something completely different than me and you have to work through it but we’ll wait for this um it would be interesting to see if we could serve this via a VM but we’ll just first work this way okay all right so that’s now installed I’m going to go to the top here and we’re going to give it a restart and so now we should have those installed we’ll go ahead and do Transformers pipelines and we’ll go run this next and so now it’s working so that’s really good um um is it utilizing my gpus I would think so sometimes there’s some configurations here that you have to set but I didn’t set anything here I think right now it’s just downloading the model so we’re going to wait for the model to download and then we just want to see if it infers um I’m not sure why it’s uh not getting here but maybe it’ll take a moment to get going um we didn’t provide it any hugging face API key so maybe that’s the issue it’s kind of hanging here so it makes me really think that I need my hugging face API key so what I’m going to do is I’m going to grab this code over here because I just assume that it wants it that’s probably what it is and sorry I’m going to just pull this up here oops we’ll paste this in here as such and I’m going to drag this on up here and I’m going to just make a new env. text I’m also going to just ignore that because I don’t want it to end up in there and um it’s like hugging face API key I never remember what it is um but we’ll go take a look here I’m just doing this off screen here so say hugging face API key nbar okay so key where are you key I’m having a hard time finding the name of the environment variable right now uh oh it’s a HF token that’s what it is so I need the HF token and I’m going to go back here and see if it’s actually downloaded at all did it did it move at all no it hasn’t so I don’t think it’s going to move and I think it’s because it needs um I think it needs the hugging face API key so I’m over here in hugging face and I have an account you go over down below you go to access tokens I got to log in one sec all right and so I’m going to create a new token it’s going to be read only this will be for deep deep spe deep uh deep seek there was no settings that I had to accept to be able to download it so I think it’s going to work I’m going to get rid of my key later on so I don’t care if you see it um I’m in this file here so that was called uh HF token I believe HF token and so now we have our token supposedly set we’ll go back over to here I’m going to go and scroll up and I’m going to run this and now it should know about my token I shouldn’t even have to set it I don’t think so maybe it’ll download now I’m not sure I’m go back over to this one notice we’re not pumping the token in anywhere I’m just going to bring this also down by one this is acting a little bit funny here today I’m not sure why like why is going all the way down there it’s probably just the way the messaging works here I’m going to cut this here and paste it down below so I’m really just trying to get this to trigger and I mean this one’s this other one here but it’s not it’s not doing anything another way we could do it is we could just download it directly I don’t like doing it that way but we could also do it that way but I’m just looking for the hugging face uh token and bars yeah it’s HF HF tokens yeah so I have it right but why it’s not downloading I don’t know um let’s go take a look at that page and just make sure that there wasn’t anything that we had to accept sometimes that’s a requirement where it’s like hey if you don’t accept the things they won’t give you access to it so if I go over here to the model card it doesn’t show anything that I have to select to download this [Music] yeah there’s nothing here whatsoever right so again just carefully looking here we have some safe tensors that’s fine oh here it goes okay so we just had to be a little bit patient it’s probably a really popular model right now and that’s probably why it’s so hard to download but um I’m just going to wait till this is done downloading I’ll be back here in just a moment it’s it’s downloading and running the pipe line okay I did put the print down below here so it might um execute it here might execute it up there we’ll find out here in a moment this one might be redundant because I took it out while it was running live here but we’ll wait for this to finish okay it’s taking a significant time to download oh maybe it’s just almost done here but um yeah downloading from shards getting the checkpoints now it’s starting to write run saying Cuda zero I think that means it’s going to utilize my gpus I’m pretty sure zero is gpus and one is CPU I’m not sure why that is but um now it appears to be running okay so we’ll just wait a little bit longer now the thing is is that once this model is downloaded right we can just call pipe every time and it’ll be a lot faster right we’ll wait a little bit longer okay all right I’m back here and um I mean it ran the first part of the pipeline which is fine but I guess I didn’t run this line here so we’ll run it and since we separate out I think this one’s defined hopefully it is and we’ll run this and and it should work it’s probably now just doing its thing trying to run but we’ll give it a moment and we’ll see uh what happens here okay yeah I don’t think it should take this long to run I’m going to stop this and we’re going to run this again and I think it’ll be faster this time working because my video here is uh the video I’m recording here is kind of struggling that’s why I like to use uh an external external thing here because now my computer is [Music] hanging so what I might need to do here is pause if I can all right I’m kind of back um my uh my computer almost crashed again it’s not I’m telling you it’s not the the lunar Lake it’s these things can exhaust all your resources and that’s why it’s really good to have an external computer that’s specifically dedicated like an aipc or even a dedicated PC with gpus not on your main machine but um there is a tool here called Nvidia SMI and it will actually show us uh the usage here and um it’s probably not going to tell us much now because it’s uh already running here but as this is running we can use this to figure out what is the usage of um gpus that are going on here but I’m going to go back up here for a moment we’ll take a look so um it says CPU went out of memory so Cuda Colonels uh uh they cnly reported some API calls so this is what I mean where this could be a little bit challenging and again we downloaded the other models but those other models that we saw and by the way I’ll bring my head back in here so we stop seeing uh EOS uh webcam utility here but but the thing that we saw was that um uh when we used uh ol to download it was using ggf which is a format that is optimized to run on CPUs right and it can utilize gpus as well so it was already optimized whereas uh the model we’re downloading is not optimized I don’t think and um apparently I just don’t have enough to run it at the 8 billion parameter one but the question is is it downloading the correct one so if we go back over to here right this one is distilled 8 billion parameter it has to be it right because um because of that there and so we might actually not even be able to run this at least not in that format okay so you can see where the challenges are coming here so we go over to our files and we take a look here we can see we have a bunch of safe tensors that’s not going to really help us that much we got to go back into deep seek here and we’ll look into um the ones that they have here well here’s the question is it yeah we did the 8 billion 8 billion parameter one so we go into here 8 billion there is quen 7 billion which is a bit smaller there’s also the 1.5 billion one that’s not going to be useful for us but you know what I’m kind of exhausting my resources here so we can run this as an example and then if you had more resources like more RAM then you’ll have less of a problem so I’m going to go ahead and copy this over here and we’re going to go ahead and paste it in here as such okay so now we are literally just using a smaller model because I don’t think I have enough um uh memory in order to run this especially when I’m recording this at the same time and you know if we go over to here um I’m just typ in clear here um so we have fan temperature performance you can see none of the gpus are being used right now so if we knew it if we knew that they would be showing up over here right the gpus and so right now I think it’s just trying to attempt to download the model because we swapped out the model right so at some point here it should say hey we’re downloading the model it’s not for some reason but we’ll give it a moment okay because the other one took a bit of time to get going so I’m going to pause until I see something all right so after waiting a while this one ran it says Cuda out of memory Cuda external errors might be asynchronous reported at the API calls and stack and so it keeps running on a memory and I think that’s more of an issue of this computer so I might have to restart and run this again so I’m going to be back I’m going to stop the video I’m going to restart it’s the easiest way to dump memory because I don’t know any other way to do it but you know if I go here I mean it shows no memory usage so I’m not really sure what the issue is but I’m going to um restart I’m also going to close OBS I’m going to run it offline and then I’m going to tell I’m going to show you the results okay be back in just a moment all right I’m back and I also uh just went ahead and I ran it and this time it worked much faster so I’m not sure maybe it was holding on to the cache of the old one that was in here but giving my computer a nice restart really did help it out and you can see that we are getting the model to run um I don’t need to run the pipeline every single time I’m not sure why I ran that twice but I should be able to run this again again I’m recording so maybe this won’t work well as it is utilizing the gpus we’ll see [Music] here so now it’s struggling but literally I ran this and it was almost instantaneous like how fast it was that it ran so yeah I think it might be fighting for resources um and that is that is a little bit tricky for me here we’ll go back over here to Nvidia SMI I mean I’m not seeing any of the processes being utilized so it’s kind of hard to tell what’s going on here but I’m going to go ahead and just stop this can I stop this but it clearly works so even though I can’t show you yeah see over here says volatile GPU utilization 100% And then down here it says 33% I thought that these cores would start spitting up so we could we could make sense of it and then here I guess is the memory usage so over here you could see we have 790 of 8 818 and here we can see kind of the limits of it but if I run it again you can see that my me recording just this video is using up uh the memory so that kind of makes it a bit of a challenge um and the only way I could do that is maybe if I was to uh use onboard Graphics which um are not working for me um because I don’t know if I even have any onboard Graphics but that’s okay so anyway um that’s our that’s our example here that we got working it clearly does work I would like to try to do another video where we use VM but I’m not sure if that is possible um but we’ll consider this part done and if there’s a video after that then you know that I was able to get BLM to work see you the next one all right that’s my crash course into uh deep seek I want to give you some of my thoughts about how I think our crash course went here and what we learned as we were working through it um one thing I realized is that um in order to run these models uh you really do need optimized models and when we’re using ama if if you remember it had the ggf extension that’s that file format that is um more optimized to run on CPUs I know that with llama index um for my gen Essentials course when I did that exploration so optimized models are going to make these things a lot more accessible when we were using uh notebook LM or whatever it was called uh we saw that it was it wasn’t notebook LM it was LM Studio notebook LM is a Google product but LM Studio it was adding that extra thought processes and so so more things were happening there it was exhausting the machine um even on my main machine where I have an RTX 480 which was really good you could see that it ran ran well but then when we were trying to work with it directly where we didn’t have an optimized model that we were downloading um my computer was restarting so it was exhausting both my machines trying to run it though I think on this machine because I was using OBS it is using a lot of my resources but uh there’s a video that I did not add to this where I was trying to run it on VM and I was even trying to use 1.5 the 1.5 billion uh quen distilled model and it was saying I was running out of memory so you can see this stuff is really really tricky um and even with an RTX 480 and with my lunar Lake um there were challenges but there are areas that we can utilize it I don’t think we’re exactly there yet to have a full AI powered assistant with with thought and reasoning um but the RTX 480 kind of handled it if that if that’s all you’re using it for and you’re restarting those conversations um and then you’re fine tuning those some of those things down and then the lunar could do it if if we tuned it down one thing that I did say that um I realize after doing a bit more research CU I forget all the stuff that I learned but mpus are not really designed to use LMS I was saying earlier maybe there’s a way to optimize it or something but mpus are designed to run smaller models alongside your llms for your workloads so you can distribute uh a more complex AI workload so maybe you have an llm and it has a smaller model that does something like images or something something I don’t know something um and maybe you can utilize that mpus um but you know we’re not going to ever at least in the next couple years we’re not going to see anything utilizing mpus to run llms it’s really the gpus and so we are really fixed on that the igpu on the lunar Lake and then what our RTX the RTX 4080 can do um so you know maybe if I had another graphics card and I actually do I have a 3060 but unfortunately the computer I bought doesn’t allow me to slot in slotted in so if there was a way I could distribute the compute from this computer and my old computer or even the lunar Lake as well then I bet I could run something that is a little bit better um but you know you probably want uh like a a homebuilt computer with two graphics cards in it or you want multiple multiple uh aips that are stacked that have distributed compute um and just as as we saw that video where the person was running the uh 671 billion parameter model if you paid close attention to um the uh the the uh post it actually said in there that it was running it on 4 bit quantization so that wasn’t just the model running at its full Precision it was running it highly quantized and so quantization can be good but if it’s at four bit that’s really small and so and it was chugging along so you know the question really is is like okay even if you had seven or eight of those you’d still have to quantize it which is not easy and it’s still even it’s still slow and would the results be any good so as a example it was cool but I think that 271 billion parameter model is really far Out Of Reach um but that means we can try to Target one of these other ones like if it’s 70 70 billion billion parameter model or maybe we just want to reliably run the 7 billion building parameter model by having one extra computer and so you’re looking at depending if if you’re smart about it 1,000 ,500 and then you can uh run a model it’s not going to be as good as these as Chachi BT or Claude but it definitely will pave the way there um we’ll just have to continue to wait for these models to be optimized and for uh the hardware to improve or the cost to go down but maybe we’re just two computers away or two graphics cards away um but yeah that’s my two cents there and I’ll see you in the next one okay ciao

    By Amjad Izhar
    Contact: amjad.izhar@gmail.com
    https://amjadizhar.blog

  • DeepSeek: Mastering AI-Driven Search for Enhanced Productivity

    DeepSeek: Mastering AI-Driven Search for Enhanced Productivity

    This essay explains how to effectively use DeepSeek, an AI-powered search engine. It highlights DeepSeek’s core strengths, such as natural language processing and machine learning, and guides users on crafting effective search queries to obtain optimal results. The essay also covers navigating the interface, integrating DeepSeek into workflows, and exploring its diverse real-world applications across various fields. Finally, it emphasizes the importance of continuous learning and providing feedback to maximize DeepSeek’s potential.

    DeepSeek: A Study Guide

    Quiz

    Answer each question in 2-3 sentences.

    1. How does DeepSeek differ from traditional search engines?
    2. What are some of the key features available in DeepSeek’s interface?
    3. Why is it important to craft specific queries when using DeepSeek?
    4. How can DeepSeek be integrated into existing workflows?
    5. Give two examples of how DeepSeek could assist in academic research.
    6. How could a business leverage DeepSeek for market analysis?
    7. In what ways can creative professionals use DeepSeek?
    8. Why is it important to stay informed about DeepSeek updates?
    9. According to the text, what is the ultimate goal of using DeepSeek?
    10. What is the role of user feedback in the development of DeepSeek?

    Quiz Answer Key

    1. DeepSeek is an AI-powered search engine that utilizes natural language processing and machine learning to understand context and intent, unlike traditional search engines that rely mainly on keyword matching. It is designed to interpret complex queries and provide tailored results.
    2. DeepSeek has an intuitive interface and features like filters to refine searches by date or source, summarization tools to condense lengthy documents, and contextual understanding to deliver more relevant results. These features help users extract information efficiently.
    3. Crafting specific queries is essential because it helps DeepSeek understand the user’s intent and provides accurate, targeted results. It prevents ambiguity, enabling the AI to deliver more actionable insights.
    4. DeepSeek can be integrated through its API into various tools and platforms such as data analysis software, CRM systems, or content management systems. This allows for the automation of repetitive tasks and improved overall workflow efficiency.
    5. DeepSeek can assist researchers by conducting literature reviews and staying updated on developments in their field. It also has the capability to assist in analyzing datasets to accelerate the pace of discovery.
    6. Businesses can use DeepSeek to monitor market trends, analyze competitor data, and generate reports automatically, helping in data-driven strategic decision making. It can also be used to find customer insights.
    7. Creative professionals can use DeepSeek as a brainstorming partner by offering fresh perspectives and innovative ideas. They can also use the tool to verify facts and generate ideas for new projects.
    8. It is important to stay informed about DeepSeek updates because the tool is continuously evolving with improvements to its algorithms and interface. Staying updated ensures users are leveraging the tool’s latest features and capabilities to their full potential.
    9. The ultimate goal of using DeepSeek, as stated in the text, is to work smarter, not harder. It allows individuals and organizations to streamline workflows, enhance productivity, and achieve goals efficiently.
    10. User feedback plays a crucial role in the development of DeepSeek because it helps the development team refine the system’s performance and capabilities, making it more effective for users worldwide. This allows for further refinement and enhancements.

    Essay Questions

    1. Discuss the transformative impact of AI-powered tools like DeepSeek on traditional research methodologies.
    2. Analyze the ways in which DeepSeek can be utilized to enhance productivity and efficiency across diverse industries, providing specific examples.
    3. Evaluate the importance of user proficiency in leveraging advanced features and crafting effective queries in the context of tools like DeepSeek.
    4. Examine the ethical implications of relying on AI-driven search engines for critical decision-making processes.
    5. Predict how tools like DeepSeek will continue to evolve and shape the future of information access and management.

    Glossary of Key Terms

    • AI-Powered Search Engine: A search engine that utilizes artificial intelligence technologies, like machine learning and natural language processing, to understand user queries and deliver more accurate and contextually relevant results.
    • Natural Language Processing (NLP): A branch of artificial intelligence that focuses on enabling computers to understand, interpret, and generate human language.
    • Machine Learning: A type of artificial intelligence that allows computer systems to learn from data without being explicitly programmed.
    • Contextual Understanding: The ability of an AI to interpret the meaning of a user query based on its context, rather than just relying on keywords.
    • API (Application Programming Interface): A set of protocols and tools for building software applications. It allows different software systems to communicate and share data with each other.
    • Workflow: The sequence of tasks and processes that are followed to complete a project or achieve a goal.
    • Data Analysis: The process of examining, cleaning, and interpreting data to discover useful information and insights.
    • Literature Review: A comprehensive survey of scholarly sources related to a specific research topic.
    • Iterative Exploration: A process of exploration that involves refining a query or approach based on feedback or results, allowing for a deeper dive into the subject matter.
    • Actionable Insights: Information or findings that can be used to make decisions and take specific actions.

    DeepSeek: AI-Powered Search for Enhanced Productivity

    Okay, here’s a briefing document summarizing the key themes and ideas from the provided text on “How to Get Work Done with DeepSeek”:

    Briefing Document: DeepSeek – An AI-Powered Search Engine for Enhanced Productivity

    Executive Summary:

    This document analyzes the capabilities of DeepSeek, an AI-powered search engine designed to enhance productivity across various fields. Unlike traditional search engines, DeepSeek leverages advanced AI, including natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning, to understand complex queries, interpret context, and deliver tailored results. This briefing highlights DeepSeek’s core strengths, effective usage strategies, workflow integration, and potential applications, emphasizing its role in driving innovation and efficiency.

    Main Themes & Key Ideas:

    1. DeepSeek as an Advanced AI System: The document establishes DeepSeek not merely as a search engine but as a sophisticated AI system. Key differences from traditional search engines include:
    • Precision and Contextual Understanding: DeepSeek uses NLP and machine learning to grasp the nuances of queries, resulting in more accurate and relevant results.
    • Tailored Results: DeepSeek can provide summaries, detailed analyses, and creative solutions, catering to diverse user needs.
    1. Navigating and Utilizing DeepSeek’s Features: Understanding the platform’s interface and features is critical for effective use:
    • Intuitive Interface: Users can input natural language queries without needing technical expertise.
    • Advanced Features: Filters, summarization tools, and contextual understanding capabilities enable refined searches and extraction of meaningful insights.
    • Time Saving: Features such as summarization condense lengthy documents, saving time and effort.
    1. Crafting Effective Queries: The quality of the query directly impacts the quality of results:
    • Specificity is Key: Moving from broad questions to specific prompts helps DeepSeek understand the user’s intent. For example, instead of asking a broad question like “Tell me about climate change,” a more specific query such as “What are the most effective strategies for reducing carbon emissions in urban areas?” is more effective.
    • Iterative Exploration: DeepSeek allows for follow-up questions to refine searches and delve deeper into subjects.
    1. Workflow Integration for Increased Productivity: DeepSeek’s ability to integrate with other platforms and tools can automate processes and enhance workflows.
    • API Integration: Connecting DeepSeek’s API to systems such as data analysis software, CRM, and content management tools automates repetitive tasks.
    • Wide range of applications: Businesses can use it for monitoring trends and competitor analysis; researchers can leverage it for information synthesis, and content creators can use it for fact verification and idea generation.
    1. Diverse Applications Across Industries: DeepSeek has potential in various sectors:
    • Academia: Aiding researchers in literature reviews, data analysis, and staying updated on new developments.
    • Business: Providing insights into consumer behavior, market trends, and competitive landscapes.
    • Creative Fields: Serving as a brainstorming tool and source for innovative ideas.
    • Everyday Use: Assisting in making informed decisions in daily life.
    1. Continuous Learning and Improvement: Staying updated and providing feedback is essential:
    • Staying Informed: Keeping up with updates to algorithms, user interface, and features ensures users utilize the platform to its fullest.
    • Feedback Loops: User input contributes to the ongoing refinement of the system and helps improve its performance.

    Key Quotes and their Significance:

    • “DeepSeek is not just another search engine; it’s a sophisticated AI system designed to process and interpret complex queries with precision.” – This highlights DeepSeek’s advanced AI capabilities compared to conventional search engines.
    • “The key to unlocking DeepSeek’s full potential lies in crafting well-structured queries. A clear and specific prompt ensures that the AI understands your intent and delivers accurate results.” – This emphasizes the importance of user input in achieving optimal results from DeepSeek.
    • “One of DeepSeek’s most powerful applications is its ability to integrate seamlessly into existing workflows… By connecting DeepSeek’s API to other tools and platforms, such as data analysis software, customer relationship management (CRM) systems, or content management systems, you can automate repetitive tasks and enhance productivity.” – This explains DeepSeek’s potential to automate workflows via API integration.
    • “DeepSeek represents a paradigm shift in how we access and utilize information. By combining advanced AI technologies with user-friendly features, it empowers individuals and organizations to work smarter, not harder.” – This summarizes DeepSeek’s overall impact as a tool for enhanced productivity and innovation.

    Conclusion:

    DeepSeek is positioned as a powerful, AI-driven tool that can revolutionize how individuals and organizations approach information access and workflow management. Its ability to understand complex queries, provide tailored results, and integrate with existing systems sets it apart from traditional search engines. To maximize DeepSeek’s potential, users should focus on refining their queries, leveraging its advanced features, integrating it into their workflows, and remaining updated on the platform’s evolution. By mastering these elements, DeepSeek can be a significant driver of productivity and innovation.

    Frequently Asked Questions about DeepSeek

    1. What is DeepSeek and how is it different from traditional search engines?
    2. DeepSeek is an AI-powered search engine that goes beyond simple keyword matching. Unlike traditional search engines, it utilizes natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning to understand the context and intent behind complex queries. This allows DeepSeek to deliver more accurate, relevant, and tailored results, including summaries, detailed analyses, and creative solutions, based on a deeper understanding of your needs.
    3. How do I effectively navigate and use the DeepSeek platform?
    4. DeepSeek is designed with an intuitive user interface that allows you to input queries in natural language. It offers various advanced features, including filters for narrowing results by date, source, or relevance, and summarization tools to condense lengthy documents. Familiarizing yourself with these features allows you to tailor your searches to your specific needs and extract insights quickly.
    5. What kind of queries will get the best results when using DeepSeek?
    6. The key to getting the best results from DeepSeek is to formulate clear, specific, and well-structured queries. Instead of broad questions, try asking targeted questions that specify the type of information you’re looking for. DeepSeek also supports iterative exploration with follow-up questions, allowing you to delve deeper into a subject.
    7. How can DeepSeek be integrated into existing workflows?
    8. DeepSeek’s API can be connected to other tools and platforms, such as data analysis software, CRM systems, and content management systems. This integration helps automate repetitive tasks, enhance productivity, and provides you with a seamless workflow. This allows businesses to monitor market trends, researchers to gather and analyze data, and content creators to find inspiration and verify facts.
    9. What are some real-world applications of DeepSeek across different industries?
    10. DeepSeek’s versatility makes it applicable to various fields. In academia, researchers use it for literature reviews and data analysis. Businesses utilize it to gain insights into consumer behavior and market trends. Creative professionals use it for brainstorming and idea generation. It can even help individuals in everyday tasks such as planning trips or learning new skills.
    11. How does DeepSeek stay up-to-date and how can users maximize their experience with it?
    12. DeepSeek is continually evolving, with regular updates to its algorithms, user interface, and capabilities. Staying informed about these updates is essential for maximizing the tool’s value. Additionally, user feedback is important for refining DeepSeek’s performance, making it more effective for everyone.
    13. How does DeepSeek help in enhancing productivity and streamlining workflows?
    14. DeepSeek enhances productivity by enabling users to quickly access and analyze complex information. By using the summarization features and the ability to handle more specific queries, DeepSeek dramatically reduces time wasted combing through irrelevant data. By being able to connect to other tools, DeepSeek streamlines workflows, saving time and improving overall efficiency.
    15. What is the overall impact of DeepSeek in the digital landscape?
    16. DeepSeek is described as representing a paradigm shift in how we access and utilize information, empowering individuals and organizations to work more efficiently and achieve their goals. It represents how AI powered tools will play a vital role in driving innovation and productivity. By combining sophisticated technology with user-friendly design, DeepSeek is a powerful example of the future of information access.

    DeepSeek: An AI-Powered Search Engine

    DeepSeek is an AI-powered search engine that is designed to process and interpret complex queries with precision [1]. It uses natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning to understand context and deliver tailored results [1]. Here are some of its capabilities:

    • Handles diverse tasks DeepSeek can handle a variety of tasks including summarizing information, performing detailed analyses, and generating creative solutions [1].
    • Intuitive interface The platform has an intuitive design, allowing users to input queries in natural language without technical expertise [2].
    • Advanced features It has advanced features such as filters, summarization tools, and contextual understanding, which enable users to refine their searches and quickly extract meaningful insights [2]. Filters allow users to narrow down results by date, source, or relevance, and the summarization feature can condense lengthy documents into concise overviews [2].
    • Dynamic and iterative exploration: DeepSeek’s ability to handle follow-up questions allows for dynamic and iterative exploration of a topic [3].
    • Integration with other tools DeepSeek’s API can connect to other tools and platforms such as data analysis software, CRM systems, and content management systems, allowing users to automate repetitive tasks and enhance productivity [3].
    • Versatile applications DeepSeek is suitable for many applications across industries. In academia it can assist with literature reviews and data analysis. In business it can provide insights into consumer behavior and market trends. For creative professionals, DeepSeek can serve as a brainstorming partner [4].
    • Continuous learning DeepSeek is constantly evolving and improving its algorithms, interface, and capabilities [5]. User feedback can help shape future updates and enhancements [5].

    Effective DeepSeek Queries

    To create effective queries for DeepSeek, it is important to be clear and specific [1]. This ensures that the AI understands your intent and delivers accurate results [1]. Instead of asking a broad question, refine your query to ask something more specific [1]. For example, instead of asking “Tell me about climate change,” you could ask, “What are the most effective strategies for reducing carbon emissions in urban areas?” [1].

    Additionally, DeepSeek can handle follow-up questions which allows for a dynamic and iterative exploration of a topic [2]. If the initial results are not what you’re looking for, you can refine your query or ask for additional details to enable a deeper dive into the subject matter [2].

    To get the most out of DeepSeek, you should focus on crafting clear and specific queries and leveraging its advanced features [3].

    DeepSeek Workflow Integration

    DeepSeek’s ability to integrate into existing workflows is one of its most powerful applications [1]. By connecting DeepSeek’s API to other tools and platforms, such as data analysis software, customer relationship management (CRM) systems, or content management systems, users can automate repetitive tasks and enhance productivity [1].

    Here are some examples of how DeepSeek can be integrated into different workflows:

    • Businesses can use DeepSeek to monitor market trends, analyze competitor data, or generate reports automatically [2].
    • Researchers can leverage DeepSeek’s capabilities to gather and synthesize information from multiple sources, accelerating the pace of discovery [2].
    • Content creators can use DeepSeek to find inspiration, verify facts, or generate ideas for new projects [2].

    The possibilities for workflow integration are virtually limitless [2]. By integrating DeepSeek into existing processes, users can streamline their work and achieve their goals [3].

    DeepSeek: Applications Across Industries

    DeepSeek has a wide range of real-world applications across various industries [1]. Here are some examples:

    • Academia: DeepSeek can assist researchers in conducting literature reviews, analyzing datasets, and staying updated on the latest developments in their field [1].
    • Business: DeepSeek can provide valuable insights into consumer behavior, market trends, and competitive landscapes [1]. Businesses can use DeepSeek to monitor market trends, analyze competitor data, or generate reports automatically [2].
    • Creative professions: DeepSeek can serve as a brainstorming partner, offering fresh perspectives and innovative ideas [1]. Content creators can use DeepSeek to find inspiration, verify facts, or generate ideas for new projects [2].
    • Everyday life: DeepSeek can help individuals make informed decisions, whether they’re planning a trip, learning a new skill, or exploring a personal interest [1].

    DeepSeek’s versatility makes it suitable for many applications [1]. By integrating DeepSeek into existing processes, users can streamline their work and achieve their goals [3].

    DeepSeek’s Continuous Learning

    Staying informed about updates and new features is crucial for maximizing the value of DeepSeek, as it is constantly evolving [1, 2]. DeepSeek’s algorithms, user interface, and capabilities are continually being improved [2].

    Here are some important aspects of DeepSeek’s continuous learning:

    • Staying informed: Keeping up with the latest developments ensures that users are always using the tool to its fullest potential [2].
    • User feedback: Providing feedback to the DeepSeek team can help shape future updates and enhancements [2]. User input can contribute to refining the system’s performance, making it even more effective for users [2].
    • AI Evolution: As an AI-powered tool, DeepSeek is continuously evolving [1, 2]. This means that the system’s ability to process information, understand context, and deliver results will be constantly improving [3].

    By staying informed and providing feedback, users can ensure that they are taking advantage of DeepSeek’s latest advancements and contribute to its ongoing development [2]. The continuous learning aspect of DeepSeek helps to ensure it remains a powerful and effective tool for users [4].

    By Amjad Izhar
    Contact: amjad.izhar@gmail.com
    https://amjadizhar.blog

  • Al Riyadh Newspaper: August 5, 2025: Saudi Milestones: Achievements and Global Impact

    Al Riyadh Newspaper: August 5, 2025: Saudi Milestones: Achievements and Global Impact

    The provided sources primarily discuss Saudi Arabia’s economic development and societal initiatives, aligning with Vision 2030 goals. This includes substantial government investment in the sports sector and efforts to diversify the economy beyond oil, with projections for non-oil growth. Additionally, the texts highlight the country’s embrace of digital transformation, as seen in high internet adoption rates among businesses, and its growing influence in international cultural and sporting events. Finally, there’s a strong emphasis on humanitarian concerns, particularly regarding the crisis in Gaza, alongside discussions of regional stability and efforts to combat terrorism.

    Podcast

    01
    Listen or Download Podcast : Al-Riyadh Newspaper, August 5, 2025

    Saudi Vision 2030: Economic Diversification and Growth

    The Saudi economy is currently characterized by strength, resilience, and a notable focus on diversification efforts, largely driven by the ambitious Vision 2030 agenda. This strategic shift aims to reduce reliance on oil and foster growth in diverse, high-potential sectors.

    Here’s a comprehensive overview of the Saudi economy based on the sources:

    • Overall Economic Performance and Outlook:
    • The International Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded its annual consultations with Saudi Arabia, affirming the Saudi economy’s strong performance and resilience despite global uncertainties and external shocks.
    • Non-oil real GDP grew strongly by 4.5% in 2024, primarily driven by expansions in the retail, tourism, and construction sectors. This non-oil growth is projected to exceed 3.5% in the medium term, supported by government investment and the hosting of major international events.
    • While oil production remained stable at 9 million barrels per day in adherence to the OPEC+ agreement, leading to a 4.4% decline in the oil GDP, the overall real GDP growth adjusted to 2%. However, the total growth rate is expected to rise to 3.9% by 2026 as oil production cuts are gradually eased.
    • Inflation has remained under control.
    • The country has witnessed an unprecedented drop in unemployment, with rates for Saudi youth and women halving over the past four years, reflecting the effectiveness of vocational training programs, women’s empowerment, and new policies in various fields.
    • The current account shifted from a 2.9% surplus in 2023 to a 0.5% deficit in 2024, financed through external borrowing and limiting the accumulation of foreign currency assets abroad.
    • Despite these shifts, the net foreign assets held by the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) remained stable at $415 billion, covering 187% of the IMF’s reserve adequacy metric.
    • Fiscal and Monetary Stability:
    • The IMF praised Saudi Arabia for its counter-cyclical fiscal policy, enabled by ample financial buffers, which supports growth and minimizes the impact of large oil price fluctuations.
    • The IMF also noted the need for gradual fiscal consolidation in the medium term to ensure intergenerational equity. This can be achieved by increasing non-oil revenues, controlling the wage bill, improving social safety nets, and rationalizing non-essential expenditures.
    • The banking sector remains robust, characterized by high capital and profitability, with non-performing loans at their lowest levels since 2016.
    • The Saudi riyal’s peg to the U.S. dollar continues to be deemed appropriate, and improvements in liquidity management frameworks have been welcomed.
    • Diversification and Key Growth Sectors (Beyond Oil):
    • Non-oil revenues saw a 7% increase in the second quarter of 2025, reaching 149.861 billion Saudi Riyals (SAR), and a 5% increase in the first half of 2025, totaling 263.667 billion SAR. This contrasts with a decline in oil revenues by 29% in Q2 2025 and 24% in H1 2025, underscoring the success of diversification strategies in enhancing financial sustainability.
    • Government expenditures decreased, reflecting efforts to enhance spending efficiency and prioritize projects with high economic and social returns.
    • Vision 2030 aims to increase the total GDP to 6.375 trillion SAR and non-oil revenues to 1 trillion SAR by the end of 2030.
    • Sports Sector:Sports is viewed as a lucrative global industry attracting billions in investments.
    • The market value of the Saudi sports sector is currently estimated at 30 billion SAR (approximately $8 billion) and is projected to reach 85 billion SAR (around $22.5 billion) by 2030.
    • In 2024, around 40 sports investment deals were completed, with 25% of these being foreign investments.
    • The government’s annual support for various sports sectors is estimated at no less than 60 billion SAR.
    • Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the 2034 World Cup is expected to attract additional government funding of up to 100 billion SAR (approximately $26.7 billion).
    • The sports sector’s contribution to GDP increased by 170% between 2020 and 2021, rising from 2.4 billion SAR to 6.5 billion SAR.
    • Over 1,904 licenses for sports halls and centers have been issued, creating over 20,000 direct and 60,000 indirect job opportunities.
    • The “Nafes” platform was launched in 2021 to facilitate licensing for private sports clubs, academies, and halls, promoting investment from both local and foreign entities.
    • The Investment and Privatization Project for Sports Clubs, launched by the Crown Prince in June 2023, aims to create an attractive environment for investment in sports, improve professionalism and governance, and develop club infrastructure. This project involved transferring ownership of four major clubs (Al-Qadisiyah, Al-Diriyah, Al-Ula, and Al-Nassr) to large development companies and the Public Investment Fund (PIF) investing in four other clubs (Al-Ittihad, Al-Ahli, Al-Nassr, and Al-Hilal).
    • Electronic Sports (E-sports):Saudi Arabia has shown early and significant interest in e-sports since the launch of Vision 2030, driven by the Crown Prince.
    • The Kingdom has expressed its determination to dominate this sector, with ambitious initiatives and strong infrastructure investments aimed at transforming e-sports into a leading national industry that generates income and creates job opportunities.
    • Saudi teams have achieved impressive results in the E-sports World Cup, with Team Falcons securing the first title in the Overwatch 2 tournament, boosting their position and the Kingdom’s standing in global e-sports. This success contributes to enhancing tourism and diversifying the economy.
    • Digital Transformation:
    • Saudi Arabia is also making significant strides in digital transformation, evident from the 2023 report on information and communication technology usage in establishments.
    • 97.7% of establishments in the Kingdom had internet access in 2023.
    • 91.3% utilized e-government services.
    • 57.7% used social media to interact with government entities.
    • This digital transformation aligns with international standards, supporting the Kingdom’s vision for global digital leadership and enhancing its competitiveness.
    • Challenges and Risks:
    • Despite the positive outlook, the IMF report noted existing risks, including potential weakness in global demand, slow government spending, and escalating geopolitical tensions related to oil. However, it also highlighted potential for improved growth if oil prices rise or additional diversification projects accelerate.

    Overall, the Saudi economy is undergoing a strategic transformation, moving towards a diversified, knowledge-based economy with significant investments in burgeoning sectors like sports and e-sports, underpinned by strong fiscal and monetary management and rapid digital adoption.

    Saudi Sports Investment: Vision, Growth, and Global Ambition

    Sports investment is increasingly recognized as a lucrative global industry, attracting billions of dollars in investments worldwide. Economic studies confirm that sports have transformed from a mere hobby into a significant industry.

    Here’s a comprehensive discussion of sports investment, particularly within the Saudi economy:

    • Global Profitability and Benefits
    • Sports is considered one of the most profitable industries globally, capable of generating substantial profits through television broadcasting rights, ticket sales, sponsorship of events, and commercial brands associated with sports.
    • It also plays a crucial role in enhancing a brand’s image due to its association with positive attributes like passion, competitiveness, and teamwork.
    • Furthermore, many investors seek to achieve a positive social impact by supporting sports events and projects that target underserved communities.
    • Forms of Sports Investment
    • Investment in sports clubs, which can involve purchasing clubs or investing in their operations.
    • Investing in player contracts or in companies that manage players.
    • Sponsoring major sports events or organizing new ones.
    • Investing in sports infrastructure, such as building stadiums, training centers, and sports facilities.
    • Investing in sports companies that provide services like marketing and advertising.
    • Sports Investment in Saudi Arabia
    • Market Value and Projections: The market value of the Saudi sports sector is currently estimated at 30 billion Saudi Riyals (approximately $8 billion). This is projected to reach 85 billion Saudi Riyals (around $22.5 billion) by the end of the current decade (2030).
    • Investment Deals: In 2024, approximately 40 sports investment deals were completed in Saudi Arabia, with about 25% of these being foreign investments.
    • Government Support: The annual government support for various sports sectors in the Kingdom is estimated at no less than 60 billion Saudi Riyals. This significant support is vital, especially given that most projects and investments currently rely on government funding due to limited private sector participation. Government entities like the Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Saudi Aramco are key financiers.
    • Hosting Major Events: Saudi Arabia’s preparations to host the 2034 World Cup are expected to require additional government funding of up to 100 billion Saudi Riyals (approximately $26.7 billion). This commitment is seen as a strong enabler for investment.
    • Objectives of Sports Investment in Saudi Arabia (aligned with Vision 2030)
    • Economic Growth: Increase the contribution of the sports sector to the Kingdom’s GDP. The sports sector’s contribution to GDP increased by 170% between 2020 and 2021, rising from 2.4 billion SAR to 6.5 billion SAR.
    • Diversification: Reduce reliance on oil and foster growth in non-oil sectors.
    • Private Sector Engagement: Encourage and involve the private sector and investors to contribute to the sports economy.
    • Infrastructure Development: Build and market investment areas in sports to meet the demand for sports participation. Over 1,904 licenses for sports halls and centers have been issued, contributing to the development of sports infrastructure.
    • Job Creation: The sports sector aims to create job opportunities. The issuance of licenses for sports facilities has already created over 20,000 direct and 60,000 indirect job opportunities.
    • Professionalism and Governance: Improve the professionalism and administrative and financial governance of sports clubs.
    • Promote Sports Participation: Increase sports participation rates across various disciplines and activate the entire sports ecosystem.
    • Key Initiatives and Progress
    • “Nafes” Platform: Launched in 2021, this platform facilitates licensing for private sports clubs, academies, and halls, promoting investment from local and foreign entities. This has led to the issuance of many licenses, including over 2,270 licenses for sports centers and halls, 242 for academies, and 555 for private sports clubs by 2023.
    • Sports Club Investment and Privatization Project: Launched by the Crown Prince in June 2023, this project aims to create an attractive investment environment. It involved transferring ownership of four major clubs (Al-Qadisiyah, Al-Diriyah, Al-Ula, and Al-Nassr) to large development companies and the Public Investment Fund (PIF) investing in four other clubs (Al-Ittihad, Al-Ahli, Al-Nassr, and Al-Hilal). This initiative seeks to increase the revenue of Saudi Professional League clubs.
    • E-sports: Saudi Arabia has shown early and significant interest in e-sports since Vision 2030’s launch, with the Crown Prince demonstrating a determination to dominate this sector. Initiatives and strong infrastructure investments aim to transform e-sports into a leading national industry.
    • Saudi teams have achieved impressive results in the E-sports World Cup, with Team Falcons securing the first title in the Overwatch 2 tournament, boosting their position and the Kingdom’s standing in global e-sports. Team Falcons received $400,000 for winning the Overwatch 2 tournament.
    • The E-sports World Cup in 2025 featured 16 teams from around the world, competing over 4 days in the stc Arena at Boulevard Riyadh City.
    • The E-sports World Cup is the main event for the E-sports World Cup Foundation, an entity dedicated to developing the global e-sports and gaming sector. All revenues generated by the foundation are reinvested into the sector to ensure its financial sustainability and continuous development.
    • Regulation and Transparency: Efforts include issuing regulations for investing in lands allocated for sports clubs to achieve financial returns and regulate investment procedures.

    Overall, Saudi Arabia is actively pursuing a strategy to transform its economy by heavily investing in and diversifying through the sports sector, backed by strong government support and ambitious initiatives to enhance its global standing and create sustainable economic opportunities.

    Saudi Healthcare Progress and Vision 2030 Alignment

    Healthcare advances are a critical component of national development, contributing significantly to the well-being of societies and aligning with broader economic and social visions. The sources provide several examples of such advancements and the efforts to foster them, particularly within Saudi Arabia.

    Here’s a discussion of healthcare advances:

    • Excellence in Medical Education and Training
    • Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University has achieved advanced rankings in the Saudi License Exam for Practicing the Profession (SLE) for 2025. This achievement underscores the quality and efficiency of its educational health programs and academic outputs across various medical specialties.
    • The university’s health colleges and graduates are recognized for their strong performance, leading performance reports issued by the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties.
    • Specific advancements include the College of Nursing moving from a ‘C’ to a ‘B’ category, while the College of Dentistry maintained its ‘B’ classification, and the College of Pharmacy progressed to ‘C’.
    • The SLE is a pivotal national standardized exam designed to assess the knowledge, acquired skills, and clinical and professional competencies of students and graduates in various health specialties during their university studies.
    • The university’s commitment to continuous excellence in education and healthcare directly aligns with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 objectives.
    • Developing Medical Talent and Infrastructure
    • King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center (KFSH&RC) in Riyadh launched the second edition of its “Dean’s List” academic program. This initiative aims to attract outstanding medical students from Saudi universities and provide them with practical training experiences.
    • The program supports the development of competencies and builds bridges between academic education and clinical practice, equipping students with necessary skills and knowledge.
    • KFSH&RC is recognized as a leading institution, ranked first in the Middle East and North Africa and 15th globally for the second consecutive year among the top 250 academic healthcare institutions, according to “Brand Finance” 2024. This highlights its role as a reference center for national medical competencies.
    • Advancements in Surgical Procedures
    • Dr. Sulaiman Al Habib Hospital in Al Kharj successfully performed two separate, highly successful knee replacement surgeries for two women suffering from severe osteoarthritis, advanced joint wear, and bone erosion.
    • These operations utilized the latest medical devices and techniques, enabling the patients to walk just hours after surgery and significantly reducing pain.
    • The hospital is noted for its integrated healthcare services, adhering to national and international standards in orthopedics, joint and spinal surgery, and employing highly skilled medical staff and advanced equipment. It is considered a reference in joint replacement surgeries in the Middle East.
    • Financial Support for the Healthcare Sector
    • The General Authority for Endowments is actively promoting the culture of waqf (endowment) in Saudi society to support sustainable development.
    • A significant portion of endowment funds, 126 million Saudi Riyals, was allocated to the healthcare system out of a total of over 2.3 billion Riyals disbursed across various sectors. This highlights the role of endowments as a vital financial arm supporting state efforts, improving quality of life, and achieving social solidarity and stability.

    These advancements collectively demonstrate a concerted effort to enhance medical capabilities, improve public health, and align with the ambitious goals of Vision 2030, particularly in fostering a vibrant society and a thriving economy.

    Saudi Arabia’s Digital Transformation: Vision 2030 and Beyond

    Digital transformation is a fundamental pillar of national development, enabling societies to enhance various sectors, improve quality of life, and achieve ambitious economic and social objectives. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in particular, has demonstrated a strong commitment to this transformation, aligning it with its overarching Vision 2030 goals.

    Key aspects and advancements in digital transformation highlighted in the sources include:

    • Strategic National Imperative (Vision 2030 Alignment): Saudi Arabia embarked on digital transformation early with the launch of Vision 2030, which includes diversifying its economy away from oil reliance. Digital transformation is seen as a crucial tool for achieving greater efficiency in government work, improving the beneficiary experience, and increasing the Kingdom’s global competitiveness. This commitment is evident in the continuous efforts to implement reforms and leverage technology across various sectors.
    • High Internet Adoption and E-Government Services: A significant indicator of digital penetration is the high percentage of establishments in Saudi Arabia utilizing the internet. In 2023, 97.7% of establishments in the Kingdom had internet access. Furthermore, 91.3% of these establishments used e-government services for tasks such as obtaining information or conducting electronic transactions. This demonstrates a widespread adoption of digital tools within the business and administrative spheres.
    • Enhancing Government Efficiency and Public Interaction:
    • The Eastern Province Governor emphasized that leveraging technology and improving services reflect the state’s drive to raise government work efficiency. This includes adopting innovative digital solutions and enhancing performance across all entry points.
    • Licensing platforms like “Nafes,” launched in 2021 by the Ministry of Sports, facilitate the issuance of licenses for private sports clubs, academies, and halls, streamlining processes for investors. By 2023, over 2,270 licenses for sports centers and halls, 242 for academies, and 555 for private sports clubs were issued through this platform.
    • The General Authority for Endowments launched the digital platform “Waqfi” to enable secure and flexible participation in waqf (endowment) investments, fostering financial sustainability and social solidarity.
    • The Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture achieved a 93% response rate to beneficiary calls in the first half of 2025, with an average response time of just 12 seconds, showcasing high efficiency in handling inquiries and reports via digital channels.
    • Pioneering E-sports Development: Saudi Arabia has shown early and significant interest in e-sports since the launch of Vision 2030, with a stated determination to dominate this sector globally. The Kingdom has made substantial infrastructure investments and initiatives to transform e-sports into a leading national industry.
    • Saudi teams, such as Team Falcons, have achieved impressive results in the E-sports World Cup, securing top positions and titles, including a $400,000 prize for winning the Overwatch 2 tournament.
    • The E-sports World Cup Foundation, the organizing body, reinvests all revenues back into the sector to ensure its financial sustainability and continuous development.
    • Advancements in Artificial Intelligence for Arabic Language: The King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language launched the “Balasam” index report in 2025, which evaluates the performance of large language models (LLMs) in processing the Arabic language. This initiative aims to provide a unified, objective platform for developers and researchers to assess LLM performance across various linguistic tasks like creative writing, summarization, translation, and classification. This highlights a strategic effort to enhance the quality of AI applications for Arabic and build national capacities in language technologies.
    • Technology in Cultural and Educational Initiatives:
    • The Madinah Book Fair in 2025 utilized virtual reality (VR) technology to narrate aspects of local history, offering visitors an immersive experience beyond traditional reading. This demonstrates the integration of technology to enhance cultural engagement.
    • Educational programs like “Ithra’s Youth Program” aim to expand the horizons of young participants by providing practical training in cultural industries and developing skills through workshops and expert meetings, fostering creativity and digital literacy.
    • Impact on Job Creation: Digital transformation initiatives, particularly in sports, have significantly contributed to job creation. The licensing of sports facilities, for instance, has generated over 20,000 direct and 60,000 indirect job opportunities. Similarly, the Saudi-Syrian investment forum aims to create over 50,000 direct job opportunities through various projects.
    • Challenges and Opportunities for Human Adaptability: The sources also touch upon the broader implications of digital advances, particularly the rise of AI. For instance, the discussion on “Media and Artificial Intelligence” acknowledges the unprecedented challenges AI poses to traditional media roles, with its ability to rapidly analyze vast data and generate content. However, it emphasizes that AI is not a threat but a tool, and for human media professionals to excel, they must develop skills in understanding and leveraging modern technology, data analysis, critical thinking, creativity, and human interaction. This perspective underscores the need for continuous learning and adaptation to thrive in a digitally transforming world.

    In summary, Saudi Arabia is actively pursuing a comprehensive digital transformation strategy, driven by Vision 2030, to enhance government services, foster new industries like e-sports, advance technological frontiers in areas like AI and language processing, and ultimately improve the lives of its citizens and residents, while also addressing the need for human adaptation in an evolving technological landscape.

    Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030: Global Engagement and Diversification

    Global relations are a cornerstone of Saudi Arabia’s national development strategy, deeply integrated with its Vision 2030 objectives to foster a vibrant society, thriving economy, and ambitious nation. The Kingdom actively engages on multiple international fronts, demonstrating its commitment to economic diversification, regional stability, and addressing global challenges.

    Key aspects of Saudi Arabia’s global relations, as evidenced in the sources, include:

    • Diplomatic and Bilateral Engagements:
    • High-Level Meetings: Saudi Arabia maintains strong bilateral ties, exemplified by the Crown Prince, HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman, receiving the Kuwaiti Prime Minister in Neom to review historical relations and cooperation.
    • Congratulatory Messages: The Saudi leadership, including the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the Crown Prince, extends official congratulations to leaders of other nations, such as the King’s Representative in the Cook Islands on Constitution Day, signifying ongoing diplomatic courtesies.
    • Ministerial Interactions: The Minister of Islamic Affairs and Guidance hosted the Ambassador of Sri Lanka, discussing matters of common interest and cooperation.
    • Economic Influence and International Partnerships:
    • IMF Recognition: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has lauded the strength and resilience of the Saudi economy and its ongoing reforms under Vision 2030, particularly its diversification efforts away from oil. The IMF noted the Kingdom’s leadership in multilateral forums, including the G20, and its contributions to addressing global challenges.
    • Strategic Investment Forums: The inaugural Saudi-Syrian Investment Forum in Damascus saw the signing of 47 memoranda of understanding (MOUs) exceeding 24 billion Saudi Riyals in value, spanning sectors like industry, energy, real estate development, and financial technologies. This initiative aims to revitalize the Syrian economy, create over 50,000 direct job opportunities, and strengthen long-standing bilateral relations.
    • Global Tourism & Hospitality: The appointment of an experienced international General Manager for Raffles Jeddah Hotel, drawing on over 25 years of global hospitality experience across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the United States, underlines Saudi Arabia’s commitment to attracting international talent and elevating its luxury tourism sector.
    • Leadership in Sports and E-sports:
    • E-sports Dominance: Saudi Arabia has shown an early and strong determination to dominate the global e-sports sector, making substantial investments in infrastructure and initiatives to transform e-sports into a leading national industry. Saudi teams like Team Falcons have achieved impressive results in the E-sports World Cup, securing top positions and titles, including a $400,000 prize for winning the Overwatch 2 tournament. The E-sports World Cup Foundation reinvests all revenues back into the sector to ensure its financial sustainability and continuous development.
    • Hosting International Events: The Kingdom is preparing to host the FIFA World Cup 2034, requiring significant additional government funding. It also hosted the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 in Jeddah, marking its first time as host for this prominent continental basketball tournament with participation from 14 countries.
    • Cultural and Educational Exchange:
    • International Conferences: “Mawhiba,” the King Abdulaziz Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity, presented its pioneering experience in gifted care at the World Conference for Gifted and Talented Children in Braga, Portugal, showcasing its scientific methodology and social return on investment.
    • Scouting Diplomacy: The Saudi Arabian Scouts participated in the World Scout Moot in Portugal, contributing to cultural exchange by presenting Saudi traditions, clothing, and popular foods.
    • Nuclear Sciences Olympiad: The Kingdom is competing against 14 countries in the International Nuclear Sciences Olympiad (INSO 2025) in Kuala Lumpur, demonstrating its progress in advanced sciences and care for innovation.
    • Humanitarian and Security Responsibilities:
    • Gaza Crisis Response: Saudi Arabia has taken a leading diplomatic role in addressing the Gaza crisis. It chaired the UN conference for a peaceful resolution to the Palestinian issue in France, advocating for a two-state solution and calling for international responsibility to end the oppression. The Kingdom rejects normalization with Israel without the establishment of a Palestinian state. It also monitors the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, with the media office highlighting the insufficient aid entering the Strip (only 80 trucks daily compared to a needed 600) and calling for the opening of safe passages and accountability for Israeli actions.
    • Global Security Concerns: The sources touch upon international anxieties regarding US sanctions on oil from Iran and Russia and their potential disruption of global supplies. Notably, India continues to purchase Russian oil despite US pressure, and China is increasing its investments in Iraq’s oil fields. South Africa also expressed concerns about US tariffs and their impact on employment.
    • Enhancing Global Standards and Competitiveness:
    • Healthcare Excellence: King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center (KFSH&RC) in Riyadh is ranked first in the Middle East and North Africa and 15th globally among top academic healthcare institutions, highlighting its role as a reference for national medical competencies and its international standing.
    • Professional Standards: The National Center for Wildlife Development successfully launched the National Professional Standard for Rangers, which is the first professional standard in the region and globally compatible, reinforcing the Kingdom’s environmental leadership. The National Council for Occupational Safety and Health also received an international award (ORP Recognition 2025) for its efforts in promoting safety culture.

    In essence, Saudi Arabia’s global relations strategy is multifaceted, underpinned by its Vision 2030, aiming to strengthen its position as a proactive and influential player in the international arena, contributing to global economic stability, cultural exchange, and humanitarian efforts, while vigorously pursuing its national interests and development goals.

    Saudi Perspectives: Culture, Economy, and Society

    Here are the titles of all identified columns in the newspaper and their first two paragraphs of detail, translated into English:

    1. Title: Word With clear official efforts, and a vision that anticipates writing history anew, the Kingdom has recently succeeded in documenting the amazing achievements that have been achieved through the implementation of plans and programs. These successes have made the Kingdom a global destination sought by the world, and it would not have been achieved without the Kingdom’s adoption of rapid technological development and innovation, which achieves its goals in this vital sector. The Kingdom paid early attention to e-sports, from the launch of Vision 2030, not to mention its importance, which is beloved by millions around the world. The Kingdom was keen to spread these sports to various cultures, and this interest was personally translated by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Chairman of the Council of Ministers, by launching the National Strategy for E-sports, before His Highness launched the E-sports World Cup, in which Saudi teams achieved impressive results, by obtaining top positions, which greatly contributed to promoting tourism, diversifying the economy, and developing promising sectors.
    2. Title: Electronic Leadership Author: Khalid Al-Rubaish Investment in sports in general, and investment in sports facilities in particular, is considered one of the most profitable global investments. It plays a vital and important role in the development of sports clubs and societies, and even countries. It is one of the most important economic processes with multiple and great economic benefits that contribute positively to building a future strategy. The year 2024 witnessed the completion of about 40 investment deals in the field of sports, about 25% of which were foreign investments. The market value of the sports sector in Saudi Arabia is currently estimated at 30 billion riyals (about 8 billion dollars), and it is expected to reach 85 billion riyals (about 22.5 billion dollars) by the end of the current decade.
    3. Title: The Professional Standard for Rangers Enhances the Kingdom’s Environmental Leadership The CEO of the National Center for Wildlife Development, Dr. Mohammed Qurban, confirmed that the Kingdom has achieved leadership in launching the national professional standard for rangers, which is considered the first professional standard in the region and among the first professional standards for rangers globally. He said that this unique project, which the center launched recently, contributes to developing the ranger profession and enhancing its role in protecting natural reserves, according to the highest international standards. It also supports the preservation of wildlife and its biodiversity, and contributes to raising the efficiency of the environmental protection organization in the Kingdom.
    4. Title: Qassim.. A Summer Renewed and Activities Multiplied With the support and attention of His Royal Highness Prince Faisal bin Mishaal, Governor of Qassim region, and His Royal Highness Prince Faisal bin Saad bin Fahd, Deputy Governor of Qassim region, summer has brought a distinct and varied economic, social, recreational, commercial, and tourist dynamism to the Qassim region, unlike other seasons of the year, as high temperatures impose changes on many aspects of life for residents. Many people adjust their daily activities and shopping times to avoid the heat, with movement and shopping concentrated in the evening and night, while social gatherings and activities are reduced during the day, changing places to open and outdoor areas, squares, parks, playgrounds, cafes, and enclosed malls for families, and other places that provide comfortable and air-conditioned environments for families, youth, and adults.
    5. Title: Rahat.. Al-Ahsa of Hijaz To the east of Makkah Al-Mukarramah, about 130 km north of Kiim, lies the town of Rahat, embracing Ain Al-Nabi, the ancient historical site that still remains, along with its extensive date palm farms that extend over vast areas on the slopes of mountains, overlooking a narrow agricultural passage, where you find shaded valleys for drinking coffee and tea from fertile agricultural production. Rahat is a center belonging to Bisha Governorate in the Makkah Al-Mukarramah region, approximately 10 km from the city of Bisha. Its population exceeds ten thousand, and it is endowed with a natural beauty of lush vegetation that spans large areas on mountain slopes and within valleys rich in underground wells and springs.
    6. Title: Sports Investment.. Why? Economic studies today agree that sports have become a huge industry that attracts billions of dollars in investments around the world. Studies also confirm that sports have transformed from a mere hobby into an industry, and investments by companies and individuals in sports clubs, players, and events have become common. Sports are considered one of the most profitable industries, as huge profits can be made through television broadcasting rights, selling event tickets, and commercial brands associated with sports. Sports also contribute to enhancing the brand image through their association with positive images such as passion, competitiveness, and teamwork, making them an effective means to enhance influence.
    7. Title: Non-Oil Revenue Budget and Priorities Author: Dr. Fahd Muhammad bin Jumaa Since the launch of Vision 2030, led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Kingdom has achieved remarkable progress in diversifying its revenue sources, moving from reliance on volatile oil to more secure sources. These non-oil revenues form a fundamental pillar for achieving economic sustainability, as their success relies on carefully selecting the highest priorities and efficiently allocating resources to achieve precise returns. This requires an accurate assessment of global opportunities and an analysis of the national economy and its ability to steadfastly face external shocks, supporting the goals of Vision 2030. Non-oil revenues in the second quarter of 2025 recorded an increase of 7% to 149.861 billion riyals compared to 140.602 billion riyals in the same period of 2024, supported by strong economic performance.
    8. Title: Outside the Box Author: Hussein bin Hamad Al-Raqeeb In the world of economics, numbers do not move in a vacuum, but rather are accompanied or preceded by waves of “economic opinion” – what is classified under statements, tweets, and reports. This opinion has not been a mere intellectual luxury, but rather an active factor in the movement of the market, the decisions of investors, and the construction or undermining of trust among parties in the economic scene. When opinion comes laden with sober analysis and deep knowledge, it becomes an effective tool in guiding policies and stimulating reforms. We have seen how responsible analyses have led to fundamental revisions that resulted in positive transformations. On the other hand, there are opinions that stem from an idea that lacks a cognitive basis, and are driven by personal impressions and hidden agendas, whose goal is excitement, not enlightenment.
    9. Title: Intellectual Distortion Author: Yousef Al-Qubban What are the criteria that some media channels rely on in hosting those who speak in various fields? Is it fame that may be a product of triviality? Or is it the addition that this person will provide to the recipient? And how is the basic condition of specialization, general culture, and objectivity respected by those who have the honor of speaking to the public? What are the qualifications that qualify those who practice these behaviors (fanaticism and lack of manners and extremism) to address the public, as happens in this era? Modern communication tools have revealed some minds that seek fame by presenting ideas that contradict religion, logic, culture, and ethics of dialogue, and an extremist thought that deliberately targets excitement through trivial or provocative discourse.
    10. Title: The Failure of Occupation Plans Author: Dr. Talal Al-Harbi In a unique diplomatic precedent, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia chaired the United Nations conference for a peaceful settlement of the Palestinian issue in France, with the participation of states. This step represents a pivotal stage in the history of the Arab-Zionist conflict with the occupation state. This important conference was held after concerted and diligent Saudi diplomatic efforts to gather the international community and put states before their responsibilities to lift an oppression that has lasted for decades and to restore respect for international and humanitarian laws. The occupation state constantly evades accountability under the pretext of ‘anti-Semitism’ and the exaggerated ‘Holocaust’ lie for Jews, and other fabricated claims that allowed global Zionism to commit crimes that are fundamentally a European crime, the Arabs and the Palestinian people, in particular, bore its brunt. The Zionist terrorism has led states worldwide, politically, militarily, and ideologically, to many of these states committing to silence, while other states have continued to support this nuclear-armed entity by all means, including arms, to enable it to ‘defend itself’.
    11. Title: Journalist and Artificial Intelligence: Challenges and Opportunities for Excellence Author: Fahd Al-Ahmari In the midst of the radical transformations witnessed by the world and the failure of the artificial intelligence, the media has faced unprecedented challenges that threaten the decline of its traditional role. With the machine’s ability to analyze huge data and produce content quickly and accurately, and even simulate human writing styles, a pivotal question arises: Will artificial intelligence replace the human media? To answer this question, one must look at what distinguishes the two parties. The machine is characterized by speed, low cost, and efficiency, but it lacks deep human understanding and true creativity. The human journalist is the one who can provide content that relates to human emotions and reflects cultural and social contexts that artificial intelligence cannot fully grasp.
    12. Title: Information Makes the Market At the core of investment work, information is not just cognitive content; it is the real fuel for decision-making and the decisive factor in market movements and stock trends. It has the power to drive stock prices up or down, based on the investor’s analysis and expectation of its impact on the company’s future performance. Why is information so important? Let’s consider our daily behavior as individuals: why do we follow influencers and celebrities on social media platforms? Not necessarily for our personal needs, but because we gain information and experiences from them that shape our decisions: what we buy, where we travel, what restaurants or products we try, and even how we behave or interact with life situations.
    13. Title: Theater: A Journey of Cultural Transformation Authors: Fahd Saud Al-Sakhri, Abdulmutalib Mubarak Al-Badrani, Abdulmohsen Al-Sanani Since its establishment in February 2020, the Theater and Performing Arts Authority has marked a significant milestone in the Saudi cultural scene, not merely as an organizational structure, but as a driving force and vital component of the ambitious national strategy for artistic renewal within the objectives of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030. Its establishment came as part of a series of cultural authorities launched by the Ministry of Culture to be the specialized executive arm in developing performing arts in their various forms, from theater and dance to opera and contemporary shows, reaffirming the Kingdom’s commitment to being a center for creativity at regional and international levels. The Authority embarked from its inception with confident steps towards establishing an integrated infrastructure for the sector, through well-studied strategies aimed at building capacities and developing talents. Programs such as: “The Theater Professional” and training workshops have contributed to empowering a new generation of creators, while the “Star” program provided qualitative support for theater groups, amateur clubs, and emerging companies, encouraging them to find self-sustaining models that enhance the sector’s ability to continue and influence beyond temporary support.
    14. Title: My Father.. And The Shadow That Never Fades Author: Hassan Mahni Al-Shehri It is hard to write about your father as a memory. It is hurtful for his name to become a past tense verb, and it is cruel for days to pass… while his absence does not. On this very day in 2021, my father passed away. The quiet man who excelled, the journalist who practiced honesty as if it were his sole profession. Four years have passed since his voice fell silent, but his impact has not. The voice left, the body disappeared, but the meaning remained. The echo remained.
    15. Title: The White Hands.. Saudi Arabia and Syria Author: Dr. Abdullah Muhammad Al-Qarni Here we are today witnessing a wonderful scene of brotherhood between our Arab peoples, where the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia stands side by side with the sisterly Syrian Arab Republic, for the world to witness, and for us to acknowledge, first that our religion unites us, and second, a historic stance today for the great role played by the Kingdom to take the hand of its sister Syria again and restore its former glory with strength and grace from Almighty God. The first Saudi-Syrian Investment Forum of its kind was recently launched in Damascus, attended by the President of the Syrian Arab Republic, Ahmed Al-Sar’a, alongside a Saudi delegation comprising a group of the most important officials in the Kingdom, led by the Minister of Investment, Engineer Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al-Falih.
    16. Title: Quality of Life for Future Generations Authors: Dr. Nouha Al-Waqdani, Mashari Muhammad bin Daleilah The world, since the beginning of the twenty-first century, has witnessed rapid development in various fields. Competition between countries is one of the pillars of leadership. When you compare healthcare now to what it was before, people used to pass away because there was no cure for them. In the pursuit of livelihood, people traveled between countries in search of food, trade, and profit. In education, the challenge was to find a skilled teacher, and so on. With scientific and practical progress, challenges in healthcare, education, industry, economy, and other aspects of life have improved, and the world has become like a village. Our state, since the dawn of its blessed era, through a network of communication and supply chains, and since its establishment by King Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud – may God have mercy on him – who laid the foundation for change and improved the quality of life for everyone living in this blessed country, that foundation stone has been followed by his loyal sons who continued construction, development, and growth in all fields.
    17. Title: Divorce: The Experience of Pain and the Discovery of Meaning Author: Abdulrahman Al-Ruwaili (Social Specialist) At some point, the scenario we wrote in our imagination about married life shatters. With it collapses the network of symbols that shaped the meaning of marriage: the home, the dwelling, children, holidays, memories, expectations, and future plans, even the pronoun ‘we’. According to symbolic interactionism in sociology, these are not mere fleeting details, but rather symbols through which we define our expected roles and perform our identities within an internal pulsating theater: husband, wife, life partner. When these symbols collapse due to divorce, our identity shakes from within, and we feel as if we have been stripped of our old layers, and that we need to re-formulate ourselves anew. From here, divorce becomes more than just a legal event; it is an earthquake that touches the deep meaning of the self, as the partner who was our mirror and extension in the world suddenly turns into a stranger.
    18. Title: The Stands Commanded.. Sindi Prevailed Author: Hattan Al-Najjar By a decision from the federal stands, the matter of the hot presidential chair at Al-Ittihad Club has been settled and it is approaching the candidate Fahd Sindi after the withdrawal of the other candidate Ammar Al-Haili. Sindi has now become the expected president for Al-Ittihad by acclamation, as no one is competing with him for the presidential seat in his upcoming presidential term, which is only for one year. All the initial indicators gave signs that Fahd Sindi would lead the presidency of the Al-Ittihad Club company, especially after his success in the elections of the non-profit organization and the new amendments to the election system for club administrations, specifically the condition of forty million riyals in one year, or the decision returns to the acquiring entity of the club to elect a president from among the seven members appointed by it.
    19. Title: In the Net Author: Abdul Karim Al-Jaris (Sports Journalist)
    • The reaction of some fans and media figures to the return of Prince Nawaf bin Saad varied between great Al-Hilal joy and sadness for the fans and media of the temporarily allied teams, which may turn against each other at any time, as happened before!
    • Those who expressed their anger and sadness at the return of the former golden Al-Hilal president were afraid of the continued dominance of the global leader over titles and feared even more for their understanding of his strength and his unwillingness to allow anyone to overstep, as images of apologies are still preserved and have been re-uploaded and circulated again, including how the returning president humiliated those who offended and overstepped!
    1. Title: Player Selection in the Transfer Market Author: Ali Taher Al-Saqr At the end of every sports season, global clubs used to analyze their method of work, and evaluate the players’ condition, whether positive or negative, based on the results achieved by the team. The technical and physical level is considered a supporting factor for starting the new season on solid and sound foundations. As soon as the 2024-2025 football season concluded in our beloved Kingdom, our local clubs began to rush and accelerate their efforts to achieve the largest share of football deals among players without careful consideration in the selection process and on what basis those deals were made. Most clubs entered the transfer market quickly to win over many distinguished players before other clubs could get them.
    2. Title: Al-Ittihad: From Podium to Crisis of Divisions! Author: Abdul Karim bin Diham Al-Daham The gathering quickly dispersed after the storm subsided and the heated election battle between Sindi and Al-Haili, and their supporters, on digital platforms and newspaper columns, until the voice of reason and wisdom arrived, albeit a little late, as it was possible to rectify matters and reach an agreement before the differences escalated and the divisions widened. With the voices momentarily calming, the echoes of this division will still linger and reappear in the next season, and those effects will remain dormant, emerging whenever discussions heat up about the club’s future or decisive decisions are made about it. Despite Al-Ittihad ending the season as champions of the league and cup, what happened recently reveals a great paradox: a successful team on the field, but divided off it!
    3. Title: We are all with Al-Akhdar Authors: Amjad Mustafa Amin, Hammoud Falah Al-Subaie The Saudi national football team is considered one of the most successful Asian national teams in reaching the World Cup, which has earned it great experience, as it has reached the World Cup six times in 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2018, and 2022. The draw for the Asian qualifiers playoff for the 2026 World Cup resulted in the Saudi national team being placed in Group B alongside Indonesia and Iraq, while Group A included Qatar, UAE, and Oman. These six national teams will compete for two direct qualification spots for the World Cup, along with the six teams that have already directly qualified in the previous round of qualifiers.
    4. Title: The League is Strong and Teams are Not to be Underestimated Author: Ali Taher Al-Saqr In the recent period, Roshn League teams in the Kingdom have been preparing for the new football season. These preparations, whether positive or negative in their results, refer to the results of friendly matches played by the teams during training camps. This is a clear indication of the success of the camps regardless of the results, but the results will become clearer in the league, which will confirm the team’s presence in the local league with excellent performance or that it will be modest and weak. The team’s strength or weakness will appear greatly in our league, so every team must appear in our league as required, and to be ready for confrontations, it must have a strong team in the camp that heralds the arrival of a strong team in the league.
    5. Title: Normalizing Triviality! Author: Adel Al-Harbi What defines our daily behavior and redefines our taste? What we consider abnormal becomes normal, and what we see as strange becomes ordinary. The theory of ‘Cultural Exposure’ has indicated that repeated exposure to certain content makes the mind deal with it as reality, not just representation. Thus, deviant behavior becomes familiar, triviality and degradation become a source of laughter or sympathy, simply because repetition has imposed them on your consciousness as a normal thing. If you follow something trivial, little by little you will be colored by its triviality.

    Download PDF Newspaper

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    Download PDF Newspaper in Arabic Language : Al-Riyadh Newspaper, August 5, 2025

    By Amjad Izhar
    Contact: amjad.izhar@gmail.com
    https://amjadizhar.blog

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    Programming in Microsoft Access 2013 by Steve Bishop

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    Programming in Microsoft Access 2013 by Steve Bishop

    By Amjad Izhar
    Contact: amjad.izhar@gmail.com
    https://amjadizhar.blog

  • 10 Best Netflix Movies That Are Based on Books

    10 Best Netflix Movies That Are Based on Books

    For any avid reader, the journey through the pages of a well-crafted book is a magical experience. Each chapter pulls you deeper into a world crafted by the author, where characters take on life through the vivid imagination of the reader. But what happens when that world, so carefully constructed in our minds, is brought to life on the big screen? Netflix has proven to be a treasure trove for book lovers, offering a myriad of movies that faithfully, and sometimes creatively, adapt beloved novels. These films not only rekindle the love for the original story but also introduce it to a wider audience, allowing the narrative to live on in a different medium.

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    In this blog post, we will explore the ten best Netflix movies that are based on books. Each of these films brings its unique flavor to the story, whether it’s a faithful retelling or a creative reimagining. Whether you’re looking for a family-friendly adventure, a dark and gripping drama, or a film that challenges societal norms, there’s something here for everyone. So, without further ado, let’s dive into these cinematic gems that have successfully transitioned from page to screen.

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    1. Yes Day (2021)

    The 2021 family comedy Yes Day is a heartwarming tale that centers on Allison and Carlos, a married couple who, after years of saying “no” to their kids’ whims, decide to flip the script. For one whole day, they agree to say “yes” to everything their children ask, leading to a whirlwind of fun, chaos, and unexpected adventures. This newfound freedom pushes the family out of their comfort zones, allowing them to reconnect in ways they hadn’t imagined. The film is a joyful exploration of family dynamics, the balance between fun and responsibility, and the importance of letting go every once in a while.

    What Makes It Great:
    Based on the children’s book by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld, Yes Day translates the spirit of the book into a lively and entertaining film. The movie’s charm lies in its ability to capture the essence of childhood wonder and the importance of embracing spontaneity. Jennifer Garner’s tradition of celebrating “yes days” with her children adds an authentic touch to the story, making it relatable to parents and kids alike. It’s a feel-good movie that reminds us of the simple joys of saying “yes” and the priceless memories that come with it.

    Release Date: 2021-03-12
    Director: Miguel Arteta
    Cast: Everly Carganilla, Julian Lerner, Edgar Ramirez, Jenna Ortega, Jennifer Garner, Tracie Thoms.
    Rating: PG
    Main Genre: Comedy

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    2. The Devil All the Time (2020)

    Set in post-World War II rural Ohio, The Devil All the Time weaves together the lives of several characters, each grappling with their demons. The film delves into themes of faith, violence, and the inescapable nature of sin, portraying a dark and haunting narrative that spans generations. As secrets unravel and fates intertwine, the characters’ lives become increasingly entangled in a web of tragedy and retribution. The story, with its complex characters and grim atmosphere, offers a chilling exploration of the human condition.

    What Makes It Great:
    Adapted from Donald Ray Pollock’s novel, The Devil All the Time stays true to its source material’s bleak and intense tone. The film’s strength lies in its ability to maintain the novel’s narrative tension while also delivering powerful performances from its star-studded cast, including Tom Holland and Bill Skarsgård. The movie’s intricate plot and atmospheric setting create a sense of unease that lingers long after the credits roll, making it a compelling watch for those who appreciate dark, character-driven stories.

    Release Date: 2020-09-11
    Director: Antonio Campos
    Cast: Emilio Subercaseaux Campos, Michael Banks Repeta, Donald Ray Pollock, Tom Holland, Bill Skarsgard
    Main Genre Thriller.

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    3. Moxie (2021)

    Moxie, directed by Amy Poehler, is a coming-of-age film that tells the story of Vivian, a shy teenager who finds her voice through a feminist zine she creates to challenge the sexist culture at her high school. Inspired by her mother’s rebellious past and the injustices she witnesses daily, Vivian’s zine sparks a movement that shakes the very foundations of her school. The film tackles important issues such as gender inequality, bullying, and the power of youth activism, all while maintaining a lighthearted and engaging tone.

    What Makes It Great:
    Based on Jennifer Mathieu’s young adult novel, Moxie brings its empowering message to life on screen with a modern twist. The film’s decision to update certain elements, such as the inclusion of a more diverse cast and the portrayal of a female school principal, adds depth to its social commentary. Moxie succeeds in being both entertaining and thought-provoking, making it a relevant and inspiring film for today’s audience. Its portrayal of youthful defiance and the fight for equality resonates strongly, encouraging viewers to stand up and make their voices heard.

    Release Date: 2021-03-03
    Director: Amy Poehler
    Cast: J.J. Totah, Clark Gregg, Ike Barinholtz, Josephine Langford, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Marcia Gay Harden.
    Rating: PG-13
    Main Genre: Comedy

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    4. The Kissing Booth (2018)

    Released in 2018, The Kissing Booth quickly became a fan favorite, leading to the production of two sequels that followed shortly after. The film, directed by Vince Marcello and starring Joey King, Jacob Elordi, and Joel Courtney, centers around Elle, a shy teenager who finds herself in a complicated situation when she develops feelings for her best friend Lee’s older brother, Noah. As Elle and Noah’s romance blossoms, it threatens her close-knit friendship with Lee, leading to a series of emotional dilemmas and heartwarming moments that keep viewers hooked until the very end. The film perfectly captures the highs and lows of teenage love and friendship, making it relatable to audiences of all ages.

    What Makes It Great:
    Beth Reekles penned The Kissing Booth as a teenager, crafting a story that resonated deeply with her peers by focusing on a regular teen romance—something that any young person could see themselves in. The Netflix adaptation of her book stayed true to this essence, delivering a feel-good romance that speaks to the universal experiences of growing up, falling in love, and navigating the complexities of relationships. Additionally, the film’s nostalgic nods to rom-coms from the 1980s and 1990s appeal to a broader audience, making it a delightful watch for both younger viewers and those who grew up with classic romantic comedies.

    Release Date: 2018-05-11
    Director: Vince Marcello
    Cast: Chloe Williams, Jack Fokkens, Caitlyn de Abreu, Lincoln Pearson, Megan du Plessis, Stephen Jennings
    Main Genre Comedy.

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    5. The Old Guard (2020)

    The Old Guard, released in 2020, is a thrilling action-packed film directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood and based on the comic book series by Greg Rucka. The movie follows a group of immortal mercenaries, led by the fierce and enigmatic Andy, played by Charlize Theron. When their secret existence is threatened by an external force, they must fight to protect their anonymity while also grappling with the burden of living through centuries of wars, betrayals, and loss. The film combines high-octane action with thought-provoking themes about immortality, morality, and the complexities of human nature.

    What Makes It Great:
    One of the key factors behind the success of The Old Guard is the involvement of Greg Rucka, the original creator of the comic book, in the film adaptation process. His influence ensured that the movie stayed true to the core elements that made the comic so compelling, while also allowing the story to evolve in a way that suits the cinematic medium. The film’s well-executed action sequences, combined with strong performances—especially from Charlize Theron—helped bring the intense, gritty world of the mercenaries to life, making it a standout in the genre and a must-watch for fans of both comics and action films.

    Release Date: 2020-07-10
    Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood
    Cast: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Kiki Layne, Luca Marinelli, Marwan Kenzari, Charlize Theron, Matthias Schoenaerts.
    Main Genre: Thriller

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    6. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (2019)

    In 2019, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind marked Chiwetel Ejiofor’s impressive directorial debut. The film is an adaptation of William Kamkwamba’s memoir and tells the inspiring true story of a young Malawian boy with a passion for electronics. Despite being expelled from school due to his family’s financial struggles, William refuses to give up on his education. With determination and ingenuity, he builds a windmill from scrap materials to bring electricity to his village and save his community from famine. The film is a poignant portrayal of resilience, innovation, and the power of education in the face of adversity.

    What Makes It Great:
    The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind successfully captures the emotional depth and cultural richness of William Kamkwamba’s memoir. The film was praised for its authentic portrayal of life in Malawi, carefully balancing the personal story of William’s achievements with a broader commentary on the socio-political challenges faced by his community. Chiwetel Ejiofor’s dual role as both director and actor adds another layer of depth to the film, as his passion for the story shines through in every scene. This powerful narrative, combined with its stunning cinematography and compelling performances, makes it a deeply moving experience that resonates with viewers long after the credits roll.

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    7. Gerald’s Game (2017)

    Gerald’s Game is a psychological thriller that brings to life the gripping and intense narrative of Stephen King’s novel, which was once considered unfilmable. Directed by Mike Flanagan, the 2017 adaptation tells the story of a married couple, Jessie and Gerald, who head to a remote lake house in an attempt to rekindle their relationship. What starts as an innocent retreat quickly turns into a nightmare when Gerald unexpectedly dies, leaving Jessie handcuffed to the bed with no hope of immediate rescue. As she struggles to survive, Jessie is forced to confront her deepest fears, her traumatic past, and her sanity. Flanagan’s direction and the powerful performances from Carla Gugino and Bruce Greenwood create a tense, claustrophobic atmosphere that keeps viewers on the edge of their seats from start to finish.

    What Makes It Great:
    Mike Flanagan’s deep admiration for Stephen King’s work is evident in his meticulous approach to adapting Gerald’s Game. Despite the challenges of translating such an internal and psychological story to the screen, Flanagan succeeded in capturing the essence of King’s novel while making necessary changes to fit the cinematic format. His careful handling of the material, combined with outstanding performances—particularly from Carla Gugino, who delivers a tour-de-force portrayal of a woman trapped both physically and mentally—resulted in a film that resonated with audiences and critics alike. The movie’s exploration of survival, trauma, and redemption makes it not just a faithful adaptation but also a standout in the horror genre.

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    8. Mudbound (2017)

    Dee Rees’ Mudbound is a powerful historical drama that delves into the complex dynamics of race, class, and family in the post-World War II American South. Based on Hillary Jordan’s novel, the 2017 film follows two families—the McAllans, who are white, and the Jacksons, who are Black—living in rural Mississippi. Their lives become intertwined when the sons of both families return from the war and form a tenuous friendship that challenges the entrenched racism of their community. The film skillfully portrays the harsh realities of the time, exploring themes of prejudice, survival, and the enduring impact of war on individuals and families. The narrative is both heart-wrenching and thought-provoking, offering a raw and honest look at a difficult period in American history.

    What Makes It Great:
    Mudbound stands out as a remarkable adaptation due to Dee Rees’ commitment to preserving the emotional depth and historical accuracy of Hillary Jordan’s novel. Rees’ direction, coupled with a stellar ensemble cast including Carey Mulligan, Jason Mitchell, and Mary J. Blige, brings the story to life in a way that is both authentic and deeply moving. The film’s ability to evoke the same intense emotions that readers felt when reading the book is a testament to its powerful storytelling. Additionally, the movie’s cinematography and use of period-appropriate settings further immerse the audience in the world of 1940s Mississippi, making Mudbound a hauntingly beautiful and unforgettable film.

    Release Date: 2017-11-16
    Director: Dee Rees
    Cast: Rob Morgan, Carey Mulligan, Jonathan Banks, Jason Mitchell, Jason Clarke, Garrett Hedlund.
    Rating: R

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    9. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018)

    To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is a charming and heartfelt adaptation of Jenny Han’s young adult novel that quickly became a cultural phenomenon. Directed by Susan Johnson, the 2018 film follows the life of Lara Jean Covey, a shy and introverted teenager whose world is turned upside down when her secret love letters, written to all her past crushes, are accidentally sent out. As Lara Jean navigates the fallout from this unintended revelation, she finds herself in unexpected situations that lead to new friendships, romances, and a deeper understanding of herself. The film’s light-hearted tone, combined with its relatable exploration of teenage love and identity, makes it a delightful watch for audiences of all ages.

    What Makes It Great:
    The success of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before lies in its ability to capture the essence of Jenny Han’s beloved novel while also bringing a fresh and vibrant energy to the story. The film’s casting, particularly Lana Condor as Lara Jean, is pitch-perfect, and the chemistry between the characters adds an extra layer of authenticity to the narrative. The adaptation smartly focuses on the key elements of Lara Jean’s journey, while refining the supporting characters and plotlines to create a cohesive and engaging film. Its relatable themes of young love, self-discovery, and the complexities of family dynamics resonated with a wide audience, leading to two successful sequels and solidifying its place as a modern teen classic.

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    10. The Irishman (2019)

    The Irishman is a cinematic triumph that marks yet another standout entry in Martin Scorsese’s legendary career. Based on Charles Brandt’s book I Heard You Paint Houses, the 2019 film chronicles the life of Frank Sheeran, a war veteran who becomes a notorious hitman within the ranks of organized crime. The narrative spans decades, revealing Sheeran’s deep ties with key figures in the criminal underworld, including the infamous union leader Jimmy Hoffa. Starring Robert De Niro as Sheeran, Al Pacino as Hoffa, and Joe Pesci as Russell Bufalino, the film delivers a powerful portrayal of loyalty, betrayal, and the heavy toll of a life steeped in violence. Scorsese’s masterful direction, coupled with a star-studded cast, creates a gripping and reflective story that delves into the complexities of human nature and the moral ambiguities that define it.

    What Makes It Great:
    With Martin Scorsese at the helm, The Irishman was almost destined for greatness. The film’s brilliance lies not only in its adherence to the source material but also in its ability to breathe new life into the crime genre through innovative storytelling techniques, such as the use of de-aging technology to portray characters across different stages of their lives. Steven Zaillian’s screenplay stays true to the essence of Brandt’s book while adding layers of depth and introspection, allowing viewers to connect with the characters on a profound level. The performances by De Niro, Pacino, and Pesci are nothing short of extraordinary, each actor delivering nuanced portrayals that anchor the film’s emotional core. The Irishman is more than just a crime drama; it’s a poignant meditation on aging, regret, and the inescapable consequences of one’s choices, making it a modern masterpiece.

    Release Date: 2019-11-01
    Director: Martin Scorsese
    Cast: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Anna Paquin, Joe Pesci, Jesse Plemons, Harvey Keitel.
    Rating: R
    Main Genre: Crime

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    Conclusion

    These three films—Yes Day, The Devil All the Time, and Moxie—showcase the incredible range of stories that can be adapted from books to films. From lighthearted family adventures to dark and intense dramas, each movie captures the essence of its source material while adding a unique cinematic touch. Whether you’re in the mood for a feel-good family movie or a thought-provoking drama, these adaptations offer something for everyone.

    What makes these films particularly special is their ability to stay true to the core themes of the books while also embracing the creative liberties that come with film adaptations. They not only entertain but also provoke thought, challenge perceptions, and, in some cases, inspire change. As we continue our journey through more book-to-film adaptations, the next set of movies promises to be just as compelling.

    The next trio of films—The Kissing Booth, The Old Guard, and The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind—further showcases the versatility of book-to-film adaptations on Netflix. Each film brings a unique story to life, whether it’s the relatable highs and lows of teenage romance, the adrenaline-fueled world of immortal warriors, or the inspiring true story of a young boy’s ingenuity. These movies not only stay true to their literary roots but also enhance the storytelling with cinematic elements that appeal to a diverse audience.

    What truly stands out in these adaptations is the way they preserve the essence of the original works while making the stories accessible and engaging for both fans of the books and new viewers alike. From heartwarming moments to edge-of-your-seat action and deeply inspiring narratives, these films demonstrate the power of storytelling across different mediums, ensuring that the magic of the original books continues to captivate and inspire.

    The trio of films—Gerald’s Game, Mudbound, and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before—showcases the diversity and richness of Netflix’s book-to-film adaptations. Each of these movies, though vastly different in genre and tone, shares a common thread in their successful translation of beloved books into compelling cinematic experiences. Whether it’s the psychological intensity of Gerald’s Game, the historical and emotional depth of Mudbound, or the light-hearted romance of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, these adaptations honor their source material while bringing something new and engaging to the screen.

    What makes these films truly stand out is their ability to maintain the core messages and emotions of the original works, while also adapting them to fit the unique demands of cinema. The filmmakers’ respect for the source material, combined with strong performances and creative direction, ensures that these adaptations not only satisfy fans of the books but also captivate new audiences, reinforcing the timeless appeal of these stories.

    In examining these ten Netflix adaptations, it’s clear that the magic of a great book can indeed be successfully translated to the screen. From the light-hearted adventures of Yes Day to the intense drama of The Irishman, each film showcases the versatility and depth that a well-crafted adaptation can bring to a beloved story. These movies not only honor their literary origins but also enhance them, offering new perspectives and experiences that captivate both readers and filmgoers alike.

    The common thread that binds these films together is their commitment to preserving the essence of the original works while embracing the unique storytelling possibilities that cinema offers. Whether through faithful retellings or creative reinterpretations, these adaptations manage to stay true to the heart of their source material, ensuring that the stories continue to resonate with audiences long after the credits roll. Netflix’s ability to bring these books to life on screen reaffirms the enduring power of storytelling, no matter the medium.

    By Amjad Izhar
    Contact: amjad.izhar@gmail.com
    https://amjadizhar.blog

  • This Is Me Letting You Go by Heidi Priebe

    This Is Me Letting You Go by Heidi Priebe

    Heidi Priebe’s The Art of Letting Go excerpt explores the emotional process of accepting a significant loss. The text portrays the narrator’s journey through grief, emphasizing acceptance and the bittersweet understanding that letting go is a necessary part of moving forward. It focuses on themes of heartbreak, resilience, and finding peace after a relationship ends. Priebe uses emotional imagery and repetition to convey the intensity of the narrator’s feelings. The passage ultimately suggests that letting go, though painful, allows for personal growth and a hopeful future.

    Letting Go: A Study Guide

    Short Answer Questions

    1. Describe the imagery used in the excerpt to convey the feeling of missing someone.
    2. Explain the significance of the phrase “This is not my asking you to bridge our two minds.”
    3. What does the author mean by “This is me accepting that I don’t get to do-over the last time I kissed you goodbye”?
    4. How does the author portray acceptance in the context of a lost love?
    5. What does the author suggest about the future of the person being addressed?
    6. Explain the metaphor of the “world’s weight” being “too heavy to bear.”
    7. What is the central message the author is trying to convey about letting go?
    8. How does the author characterize the love she had for the person she is letting go of?
    9. What does the author mean when she says, “sometimes the best thing you can do for someone you love is to let them go”?
    10. What is the significance of the final line, “This is me letting you go”?

    Answer Key

    1. The excerpt uses vivid imagery such as the weight of the night, the absence of someone in bed, and the lingering scent and heartbeat to evoke the feeling of acutely missing someone who is no longer there.
    2. This phrase signifies the author’s understanding that she cannot force a connection or shared understanding with the other person. It is an acceptance of the separation between their perspectives.
    3. The author is acknowledging that she cannot change the past or have another chance at a final goodbye. She is accepting the reality of the situation and the permanence of the separation.
    4. Acceptance is portrayed as a process of acknowledging the loss and the reality of the situation. It involves letting go of the past and allowing oneself to move forward, even with the pain of the separation.
    5. The author suggests that the person she is addressing will find love and happiness in the future, even if it’s not with her. She acknowledges that their paths have diverged and expresses hope for their individual well-being.
    6. The metaphor of the “world’s weight” being “too heavy to bear” represents the overwhelming burden of grief, loss, and the pain of letting go. It highlights the intense emotional struggle the author is facing.
    7. The central message is that letting go, while incredibly difficult, can be an act of love. It allows both individuals to grow, pursue their paths, and potentially find happiness elsewhere.
    8. The author characterizes her love as deep and genuine. She acknowledges the pain of letting go, implying the significance of the relationship and the depth of her feelings.
    9. Letting go, even when you love someone, can be the best thing because it allows them the freedom to find happiness and fulfillment that might not be possible within the confines of the relationship.
    10. The final line emphasizes the decisive nature of the author’s decision. It marks the culmination of her process of acceptance and signifies the release of her attachment, allowing both herself and the other person to move forward.

    Essay Questions

    1. Analyze the use of figurative language in the excerpt and its impact on conveying the theme of letting go.
    2. Discuss the concept of acceptance as presented in the excerpt. How does the author portray the struggle and ultimate resolution of accepting the loss of a loved one?
    3. Explore the idea of letting go as an act of love. How can releasing someone, even when you care deeply, be beneficial for both individuals involved?
    4. Analyze the emotional tone of the excerpt. How does the author’s use of language convey the complex feelings of grief, acceptance, and hope for the future?
    5. Discuss the significance of the ending of the excerpt. How does the final line provide closure while also hinting at the possibility of personal growth and healing?

    Glossary of Key Terms

    • Acceptance: The process of acknowledging and embracing the reality of a situation, even if it is painful or undesirable.
    • Letting go: Releasing attachment to someone or something, often involving a conscious decision to move forward without them.
    • Figurative language: The use of literary devices, such as metaphors and similes, to create vivid imagery and convey deeper meaning.
    • Emotional tone: The overall feeling or mood conveyed in a piece of writing, often established through the author’s choice of words and imagery.
    • Closure: A sense of resolution or completion, often achieved through acceptance and understanding of a situation.

    Letting Go: A Painful Act of Acceptance

    The provided excerpts from Heidi Priebe’s “The Art of Letting Go” delve into the heart-wrenching process of accepting the end of a relationship. The author uses vivid imagery and raw emotion to convey the complex mix of grief, understanding, and ultimately, liberation that comes with true acceptance.

    Accepting the Inevitable: The text emphasizes that letting go is not about bargaining or clinging to what was, but about acknowledging the reality of the situation. It’s the understanding that “there’s no further argument to make, no angle left to take, no plea or bargain I could wager that could get you to change your mind and stay.” This acceptance is not a passive resignation but a conscious choice to step away from a path that is no longer viable.

    Living with the Loss: The author paints a poignant picture of the lingering presence of the absent loved one, describing a deep-seated physical awareness of their absence: “I’m going to miss you. There are going to be nights where I curl up in bed with a swell and a wave and a mug of tea and your absence on the left side of the bed is a chasm that swallows me.” This imagery powerfully conveys the rawness of grief and the feeling of emptiness that accompanies loss.

    Unclasping the Fingers: Letting go is presented as a gradual process, a deliberate act of “unclasping the fingers” that were once tightly intertwined with the other person. It involves a shift in focus, a conscious decision to move forward despite the pain: “This is knowing that when I let you go, no matter how much it tears me apart to do so – no matter how your arms fit around me or how your love used to hard-wire me with this place – that someday when I hold your face in my palms, it’s not going to be me who placed her there.”

    Love in Letting Go: While laced with sadness, the text ultimately frames letting go as an act of love. It’s about wanting what’s best for both parties, even if it means stepping back and allowing them to pursue their own paths: “This is my acceptance, my twisted path to happy, my straightforward and unwavering wish for you to take whatever crooked, twisted path you need to take if it will lead you towards your dreams.”

    Final Thoughts: These excerpts poignantly capture the essence of letting go – the pain of loss intertwined with the strength of acceptance and the selfless desire for the other person’s happiness. It’s a bittersweet recognition that sometimes, letting go is the most loving thing we can do.

    FAQs About Letting Go

    1. What does it truly mean to let go of someone?

    Letting go is a multifaceted process of acceptance. It’s acknowledging that the relationship, as it was, is over and that there’s no going back. It’s releasing the need to bargain or change the outcome. It involves understanding that sometimes the most loving act is to let the other person pursue their own path, even if it’s without you. It’s about choosing your own well-being and acknowledging that sometimes the best thing for both individuals is to separate.

    2. How do I cope with the physical sensations of loss and grief?

    The author describes the feeling of loss as a weight so heavy it’s difficult to bear. Acknowledge these feelings – the tightness in your chest, the ache in your heart. Understand that these sensations are a natural part of grieving. Allow yourself to feel the pain without judgment, knowing that it will eventually lessen in intensity.

    3. How do I deal with the memories?

    Memories, both good and bad, will surface. Instead of trying to suppress them, acknowledge their presence. Recognize that they were a part of your life, and accept that they will likely stay with you in some form. Over time, the sting of these memories will fade, and you’ll be able to cherish them without overwhelming pain.

    4. What if I’m not ready to let go?

    It’s okay to feel reluctance. Letting go is a process, not a switch you flip. Don’t pressure yourself to reach a certain emotional state instantly. Be patient with yourself, and allow yourself to grieve at your own pace.

    5. How do I know if letting go is the right thing to do?

    Sometimes the most loving thing you can do for someone is to let them go, even if it hurts. If the relationship is causing more pain than joy, or if it’s hindering your personal growth or the growth of the other person, letting go might be the healthiest choice, even if it’s difficult.

    6. What if I regret letting go?

    Doubt and second-guessing are normal parts of the process. You might question your decision, wondering if you could have done things differently. Acknowledge these feelings, but remember that you made the best choice you could with the information you had at the time.

    7. Can I still love someone after letting them go?

    Love can take many forms. Letting go doesn’t erase the love you shared. It simply transforms it. You can still hold love and care in your heart for the person, even without being in a romantic relationship with them.

    8. What does the future hold after letting go?

    Letting go opens space for new possibilities and growth. It allows you to heal, rediscover yourself, and potentially find new love and happiness in the future. It’s a challenging experience, but it can ultimately lead to a more fulfilling and authentic life.

    The book excerpt describes acceptance as acknowledging there are no further agreements or bargains to be made. [1] Letting go involves understanding that even though you may never forget, the pain will eventually subside. [1] The excerpt goes on to state that acceptance means knowing when to let go in order for both parties to be happy. [2] This means acknowledging that sometimes the best thing you can do for someone you love is to let them go. [2]

    The author of This is Me Letting You Go describes heartbreak as something that will cause physical pain and heartache [1]. The author also writes that letting go is a gift that you give to yourself and to the person you love [2].

    The sources describe love as something that you should let go of when it is no longer serving you. [1] The author encourages the reader to let go of the person they love so that both parties can be happy. [1] The author states that you can love someone so much that you let them go, do more, feel more and be more than they ever could by staying. [1]

    Loss is described as something that will cause physical pain, heartache, and grief. [1, 2] Loss can make you feel as though the weight of the world is too heavy to bear. [1] The author also writes that letting go is a gift that you give to yourself and to the person you love. [1]

    Moving On: Loss and Acceptance

    Moving on is acknowledging that there will be nights when the pain of loss is very difficult. [1] There will be times when the weight of the world feels too much to bear. [1] However, the pain of loss will eventually subside. [2] Moving on requires accepting that your love may never fully go away. [2] You may go through life remembering the good times. [2] You may even experience phantom feelings from your lost love. [1] Moving on means understanding that you can still love someone and let them go so that you can both be happy. [1] This may be the best way to allow each of you to achieve your dreams. [1] It may be the kindest thing to do. [1]

    Healing After Loss

    The healing process begins with acceptance. [1] You must acknowledge that there are no more agreements or bargains to be made. [1] You must accept that you may never fully get over the loss. [1] However, over time, the pain will lessen. [1] The healing process may involve phantom feelings as your mind adjusts to the loss. [1] You may even go through life remembering moments with your lost love. [1] Healing may involve understanding that letting go can be the best thing for both of you. [2] Moving on allows each of you to be happy and achieve your dreams. [2]

    By Amjad Izhar
    Contact: amjad.izhar@gmail.com
    https://amjadizhar.blog

  • India-Pakistan Relations and the Legacy of Partition

    India-Pakistan Relations and the Legacy of Partition

    This transcript features a conversation between two individuals, likely a filmmaker and an interviewee, discussing the complex history of India and Pakistan, particularly focusing on the partition and its lingering effects. The discussion examines the roles of key figures like Mahatma Gandhi and Muhammad Ali Jinnah, exploring perspectives on religious identity, political conflicts, and ongoing societal tensions between Hindus and Muslims. The interviewee shares personal anecdotes and observations from living in both India and Pakistan, highlighting the lasting impact of partition on everyday life. The conversation touches upon themes of justice, humanity, and the challenges of reconciliation in a deeply divided region. The speaker’s memories of Kolkata and Lahore are interwoven with broader historical analysis, ultimately posing questions about collective responsibility and the future.

    Understanding Identity, History, and Partition: A Study Guide

    Quiz

    Instructions: Answer each question in 2-3 sentences.

    1. According to the speaker, what were some of the reasons the British were hasty in their partition of India?
    2. What does the speaker say about the nature of criminals, particularly during times of social unrest?
    3. What are the speaker’s views on the treatment of minorities in both India and Pakistan?
    4. What is the speaker’s perspective on the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi and the reasons for his assassination?
    5. What does the speaker suggest about the role of religion in the formation of national identities?
    6. What specific historical event or practice does the speaker use to illustrate the complexities of cultural interaction in Kolkata?
    7. According to the speaker, what are the fundamental problems facing Indian Muslims?
    8. How does the speaker use the example of market prices to critique the administrations in India and Pakistan?
    9. What are the speaker’s views on Article 370 and its significance in relation to Kashmir?
    10. What does the speaker say about the need to uphold justice, regardless of religious or national affiliations?

    Quiz – Answer Key

    1. The speaker suggests the British were hasty in their partition due to the impact of World War II, which weakened their resources and created pressure for them to leave their colonies. The speaker argues that the British were more concerned with maintaining power and less with the welfare of the people.
    2. The speaker argues that criminals are criminals regardless of their religious or national affiliation and that during times of social unrest, they exploit the situation for their own gain. Criminals should not be given a religious or community label, the speaker maintains, but be held accountable for the crimes they commit.
    3. The speaker asserts that minorities in both India and Pakistan face significant challenges, including discrimination and violence. They suggest that both nations have failed to protect their minority populations and point out that the proportion of minorities has decreased significantly in Pakistan since partition.
    4. The speaker respects Gandhi but is critical of his assassination, stating that his assassin was part of a party that is now powerful and that many in India see the murderer as a celebrity. They point out that some in India blame Gandhi for his pro-Muslim stance, even suggesting he wanted to move to Pakistan.
    5. The speaker expresses skepticism about the idea of nations being defined by religious identity. The speaker believes that using religion to define a nation is problematic and has caused significant harm and believes the British often used these divisions to their advantage.
    6. The speaker describes the British-built New Market in Kolkata as an example of both innovation and colonial influence. The speaker notes that the existence of this first supermarket shows how the British left a legacy on the city’s landscape, economy, and its complex cultural interactions.
    7. The speaker identifies the primary problems facing Indian Muslims as unemployment, lack of housing, security concerns, and the excessive presence of the military. They suggest that these issues are shared by all marginalized communities and that Muslims should be seen as part of this broader group.
    8. The speaker uses the fluctuating prices of basic goods like onions and potatoes in India and Pakistan to highlight the mismanagement and inequality in both countries. They argue that such fluctuations suggest a failure of administrative and regulatory systems.
    9. The speaker views Article 370 as a reflection of the complex relationship between Kashmir and the Indian nation due to the large Muslim population. The speaker argues it should be considered a part of India and that the rights of the citizens there should be protected.
    10. The speaker stresses the need for a universal standard of justice that transcends religious and national lines. They argue that true justice requires impartial evaluation of actions, even when it involves one’s own community.

    Essay Questions

    1. Analyze the speaker’s critique of the British colonial legacy in India and Pakistan. How does the speaker connect historical events to contemporary social and political issues?
    2. Discuss the speaker’s perspectives on the role of religion in the formation of national identities, using specific examples from the provided text.
    3. Explore the speaker’s views on justice, using evidence from their discussion of crimes, violence, and historical atrocities in the text.
    4. Consider the speaker’s arguments about the similarities and differences between the social, economic, and political landscapes of India and Pakistan.
    5. Examine the speaker’s position on the complexities of identity in a multi-religious and multi-cultural society using their references to the experiences of Muslims in both India and Pakistan.

    Glossary of Key Terms

    Ain-e-Akbari: A 16th-century detailed document recording the administration and culture of the Mughal Empire under Akbar, written by his court historian, Abul Fazl.

    Aligarh Movement: A 19th-century movement aimed at the educational and social uplift of Muslims in British India, associated with Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and Aligarh Muslim University.

    Article 370: A constitutional provision that granted special autonomous status to Jammu and Kashmir in India, which was revoked by the Indian government in 2019.

    Bahadur Shah Zafar: The last Mughal Emperor, who was exiled by the British after the Indian Rebellion of 1857, symbolizing the end of the Mughal Empire.

    British Raj: The rule by the British Crown in the Indian subcontinent between 1757 and 1947, which included direct and indirect forms of governance.

    Hind: A historical term for the Indian subcontinent, used by the speaker when referring to a unified land before partition.

    Hindu-Muslim conflict: A historical and ongoing tension and conflict between communities of Hindus and Muslims in India and Pakistan, often arising from religious, cultural and political disputes.

    Indian National Congress: A major political party in India, which played a significant role in the Indian independence movement.

    Jinnah: Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan and leader of the Muslim League, advocating for a separate nation for Indian Muslims.

    Lahore: A major city in Pakistan, which has become a symbol of Pakistan’s cultural and political identity.

    Mahatma Gandhi: A key leader of the Indian independence movement and a proponent of non-violent resistance, who was assassinated in 1948.

    Mughal Rule: The rule of the Mughal dynasty in the Indian subcontinent from the 16th to the 19th centuries, known for its rich cultural and architectural heritage.

    Mukti Bahini: A guerrilla resistance movement in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) that fought against the Pakistani army during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.

    Muslim League: A political party established in 1906 advocating for the rights of Muslims in India, later leading the movement for Pakistan.

    Nathuram Godse: A Hindu nationalist who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi in 1948, due to his opposition to Gandhi’s pro-Muslim views.

    New Market (Calcutta): A historic market in Kolkata, built by the British, that is considered one of the world’s first supermarkets.

    Partition: The division of British India into the independent states of India and Pakistan in 1947, resulting in mass displacement and communal violence.

    Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS): A Hindu nationalist organization in India, often accused of promoting Hindu supremacy and intolerance towards minorities.

    Sir Syed Ahmed Khan: A 19th-century Indian reformer and educationist who founded the Aligarh Muslim University, and advocated for modern education for Muslims.

    Uniform Civil Code: A proposed legal framework for India to create a common set of laws for all citizens, irrespective of religion, particularly concerning matters of marriage, divorce, and inheritance.

    Partition’s Legacy: A South Asian Reflection

    Okay, here is a detailed briefing document reviewing the provided text.

    Briefing Document: Analysis of “Pasted Text”

    Introduction:

    This document analyzes a transcript of a wide-ranging conversation, likely from a podcast or interview format, featuring a speaker (referred to as “I” or “me” throughout the text), and addresses various themes related to history, culture, identity, politics, and social justice, with a particular focus on the partition of India and its lasting consequences. The speaker draws on personal experiences, historical knowledge, and philosophical viewpoints to offer a complex and nuanced perspective on these issues. The conversation is rich in anecdotes, personal reflections, and critical analysis, making it a valuable resource for understanding the perspectives and challenges within South Asian contexts.

    Main Themes and Key Ideas:

    • Personal Connection to Kolkata:The speaker expresses a deep personal connection to Kolkata (formerly Calcutta). It’s their birthplace, a city that “beats in [their] heart” and holds significant memories.
    • They mention living there for 26 years and emphasize its unique character: “Kolkata is such a city in India, in fact, it is such a city in the world. is where [music] from our birth to my 26 For 27 years in London, all the people live together, many festivals are celebrated”.
    • The city’s history under British rule is highlighted, including the presence of landmarks like the New Market, which the speaker claims was “the world’s first supermarket”.
    • They talk about how much they enjoyed the time when they were in Kolkata in 1985 and meeting at Muktsar.
    • Critique of British Colonialism & Partition:The speaker strongly criticizes the British for their role in the partition of India. They state the British did the partition “very hastily” due to the aftermath of World War II. The condition of the British was not good and they faced pressure to leave their colonies including India.
    • They view the partition as a source of immense suffering and a “punishment” for the people of the region: “At the partition, your Bengal broke into two parts and our Punjab broke into two parts; whatever pain you had to bear and whatever we had to bear, I think no one should have to bear the partition”.
    • The speaker accuses the British of pursuing selfish political interests and deliberately creating divisions: “Their policy is the result today that people on both sides must have troubled both the sides to serve their political interests.”
    • The speaker states that the British made two mistakes: ousting Bahadur Shah Zafar and creating the partition. They even demand that the British should apologise.
    • Impact of Partition & Intergenerational Trauma:The speaker emphasizes the enduring trauma caused by the partition, which continues to impact families and communities: “the families who have stayed here are worried, they are facing difficulty in coming and going”.
    • They discuss the difficulties faced by families divided by borders and the emotional pain of seeing their former homes and neighbors on the other side.
    • The speaker talks about a lot of sorrow that was shared with Hindu brothers, and also how they have seen the dying buildings and that it hurts their heart that the speaker cannot celebrate that.
    • Religious and Ethnic Harmony:The speaker stresses the importance of religious and ethnic harmony and criticizes the divisive politics of religion. They repeatedly state that “a criminal is a criminal” regardless of their religious background or national identity.
    • They believe that the harmony that existed before the British rule was damaged by the policies and they want to go back to a time where people of all languages and religions lived together in peace for centuries.
    • They quote Mahatma Ghandi who “left Delhi and almost left his marriage and went to Kolkata so that I could stay with unhappy people”.
    1. Critique of Political Systems and Governance:
    • The speaker is critical of both India and Pakistan’s current political systems, claiming that both countries suffer from corruption and injustice. They question the current state of Democracy and what has been happening in the last few decades.
    • The speaker points out that political systems don’t improve things such as language, corruption and also does not improve the way people are with each other.
    • They feel that people on both sides are “troubled” to serve political interests.
    • They also mention how a police officer has been abusive in the train and how people have liked the video, calling out such behaviour and saying that it is pushing the country into “such religious worship”.
    • Historical Figures & Their Interpretations:The speaker references various historical figures, including Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, Mirza Ghalib, Mother Teresa, Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad, Mahatma Gandhi, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, and Bahadur Shah Zafar. Their views and actions are discussed in relation to the history of the region.
    • The speaker says that they learnt from Mother Teresa that the time she spent there and the service that she did was a great thing.
    • They say they are “fortunate” that they had her picture on their bedside during their childhood.
    • They discuss the fact that Gandhi did not like audity, did not have love for women and yet the speaker bowed his head to Ghandi.
    1. The Role of Justice & Humanity:
    • Throughout the conversation, the speaker emphasizes the importance of justice and humanity above all else, saying that people need to talk about justice even if they are going against their own will. They also mention that there should be equality in humanity and that everyone should watch the film.
    • They believe that one of the biggest things that is happening in the world is that there is a lack of humanity.
    1. Minority Issues and Discrimination:
    • The speaker also notes that the Muslim population in India has gone from 9% to 15% and that Muslims in Pakistan do not get their status, while the opposite is true of the minority population in Pakistan.
    • The speaker has said that those who have been affected by the partition are still crying and that they “will have to find the responsibility for this.”
    • They have also mentioned that “we cleaned out all the Hindus” and drove them out on a big night whereas it did not happen in India.
    • The speaker also talks about how the Muslim minority population has had clarifications and orders and how they need to understand this as well as the discrimination that they faced.
    1. Economic Disparity:
    • The speaker talks about how India has grown to be the 5th biggest power in the world and how Pakistan has become like a “goat and Bheem”. They suggest that this is because of population growth and how the population of India has gone to 80 crore people and this in turn has caused the economy to boom.
    • They note that even with the economic growth, wealth distribution is still not equal and has kept the middle class people “harassed”.
    1. Article 370:
    • The speaker discusses article 370 and how this was put into place to protect the Muslim majority population in Kashmir. They discuss how this was supposed to protect them and allow them to have different rights than common Indians.

    Quotes:

    • “Kolkata is not far, boy, for me, Kolkata beats in my heart.”
    • “The British did the partition very hastily because the second war was a huge one”
    • “At the partition, your Bengal broke into two parts and our Punjab broke into two parts; whatever pain you had to bear and whatever we had to bear, I think no one should have to bear the partition”
    • “the families who have stayed here are worried, they are facing difficulty in coming and going, brother, whenever it comes to marriage, it starts to come to my mind that how did she come from outside”
    • “a criminal is a criminal, he is not a Hindu, Muslim, Punjabi or Sikh, English”
    • “Their policy is the result today that people on both sides must have troubled both the sides to serve their political interests.”
    • “the way the police officer abused me in the train, he is yours and the thing is that he is wearing a Bhartiya uniform of Indian Railways, the way he abuses me, people have liked the video, what are you talking about”
    • “You have pushed the country into such religious worship”
    • “those who have been affected by the 47 are still crying, those who have been affected by the breakfast are crying, so we will have to find the responsibility for this”
    • “My biggest worry is that lava rises there, look, this person does not have any religion nor does he have any relation, a robber is a robber”
    • “the British have committed two grave mistakes which I had raised in the conference. Firstly, they had ended the Mughal rule and now they have punished Bahadur Shah Zafar in a very humiliating manner by ousting him”
    • “It is a wrong way to compare one person with another”
    • “I wanted that our interview should have some effect on it”

    Conclusion:

    The text offers a passionate and critical look at the complex issues surrounding the history and contemporary realities of South Asia. The speaker’s personal experiences, combined with their insightful analysis, provide a valuable perspective on the enduring impacts of colonialism, partition, religious intolerance, and political corruption. The text emphasizes the importance of justice, humanity, and the need for communities to come together beyond religious or national boundaries. The conversation highlights the importance of historical awareness and critical thinking for understanding current sociopolitical issues.

    India, Pakistan, and the Legacy of Partition

    Frequently Asked Questions

    1. What is the significance of Kolkata (Calcutta) in the speaker’s life and in the context of the discussion?
    2. Kolkata holds deep personal significance for the speaker, being their birthplace and home for 26 years. It is remembered as a city of diverse festivals, communal harmony and a place with a visible history of the British Raj, including landmarks like the New Market (allegedly the world’s first supermarket built by the British). Kolkata is not just a place, but a city that “beats in their heart,” representing their roots and a time of simpler times. It serves as a point of comparison to other cities, including London and Lahore. The city also acts as a historical touchstone when discussing the pre-partition era of India, and how it was impacted by the arrival of the British.
    3. How does the speaker view the British colonial period and their role in India?
    4. The speaker has a critical view of the British colonial period. While acknowledging that the British developed the infrastructure in Calcutta, they also hold them responsible for the partition of India and for creating a division within the country. They believe the British, in their haste to leave after WWII, did so without principles, prioritizing their own political and economic goals over the well-being of the people, and therefore caused a great deal of pain and destruction. The speaker also criticizes how the British treated and ousted Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Mughal emperor, highlighting this as a major injustice and a key example of colonial power dynamics.
    5. What are the key criticisms of the partition of India?
    6. The speaker strongly condemns the partition of India, viewing it as a hurried, ill-conceived decision by the British that led to immense suffering. They do not believe that the pain of partition should have been borne by anyone. They see it as a grave mistake by the British, who broke the country into two without taking the appropriate steps, or thinking through the consequences. They highlight the human cost of the partition, referencing families being separated, violence and loss. This was particularly painful since they believe the people of both sides of the border are inherently the same.
    7. How does the speaker discuss the concept of “humanity” in relation to religious and national identity?
    8. The speaker places paramount importance on humanity over religious and national identities. They express concern that humanity is becoming lacking, with people ignoring or fearing others rather than embracing them. They use examples of people acting in kindness and also the violence that is seen across religious and national lines as a way to illustrate the decline in this. The speaker uses examples of people from various backgrounds committing violence and wrongdoings. They emphasize that justice should be applied equally to all, irrespective of their religious or national identity. They emphasize that true identity is that of a human, and therefore to harm any group of people is wrong.
    9. What are the speaker’s views on the Aligarh Movement and the role of education?
    10. The speaker believes that the Aligarh Movement alone was not enough to solve the problems that led to the partition and its aftermath. They think that there should have been more focus on preparing the people of India and Pakistan to govern themselves. They express an understanding that Sir Syed Ahmed Khan had a vision of modern education for Muslims but also criticize him and others for supporting the British. They do not believe that modernizing and adopting the ideas of colonial power will help a country to overcome corruption, and a breakdown in community. They believe there is an inherent lack of justice when it comes to the power of the colonial and post-colonial structures.
    11. What is the speaker’s position on the contemporary political situation in India and Pakistan?
    12. The speaker is critical of the current state of affairs in both India and Pakistan. In India, the speaker is concerned that Hindu nationalism and anti-Muslim sentiment are growing, resulting in violence and discrimination and a breakdown in the diverse community that has existed for thousands of years. They believe that India’s current leadership is contributing to divisions within the country, and this is evident in India’s current laws and the way in which they are being enforced by its authorities. They also believe that current policies in both countries are negatively impacting their respective economies, especially concerning access to basic goods. They are very concerned about the impact that economic struggles have on people from all groups, and the way this contributes to communal disharmony. In Pakistan, they acknowledge problems related to the treatment of minorities and recognize that both countries need to implement real change in their administrations if they want a better outcome for their people.
    13. How does the speaker view figures like Mahatma Gandhi and Nathuram Godse in the context of the partition and its aftermath?
    14. The speaker respects Mahatma Gandhi for his dedication to communal harmony and his desire to serve people in need. They cite the fact that Gandhi sacrificed his life while supporting Muslims. At the same time, they see Nathuram Godse, Gandhi’s assassin, as a product of an extremist ideology. They condemn Godse as an example of the type of person that perpetuates the cycle of hate, division and violence. The speaker believes that Gandhi was trying to prevent the violence from happening by trying to bring the people together, but those like Godse are unable to see this.
    15. What does the speaker emphasize as the path forward for both India and Pakistan?
    16. The speaker believes that the way forward lies in prioritizing justice, humanity, and understanding each other. They stress that everyone, irrespective of their religious and national identity, should have their rights protected by the state, and that equality is the foundation for true harmony. The speaker calls for a rejection of divisive ideologies and a need to recognize shared humanity. They also believe that an equal distribution of wealth and a proper administration will help lift their countries out of their current problems. They think that the countries should be focused on real societal change, and this means that the focus should be on real issues rather than those caused by religious and nationalistic differences. The speaker does not believe in these differences, and believes that humanity should come first, regardless of religious or national differences.

    India’s Partition: A Legacy of Conflict and Unity

    Okay, here is a detailed timeline and cast of characters based on the provided text:

    Timeline of Main Events & Topics

    • Pre-British Era:The text references the historical presence of different cultures and religions in the Indian subcontinent, emphasizing a pre-British “spice” of living together.
    • Mention of Ain-e-Akbari and the Mughal Empire, referencing Mirza Ghalib’s astonishment at British Calcutta, showcasing a time before British influence dominated.
    • Discussion of the lack of religious conflict before the British arrived, contrasting it with the later communal tensions.
    • Early British Colonial Period:Establishment of British Calcutta as a capital and its visible legacy through buildings, roads, and trains.
    • The construction of New Market, identified as the world’s first supermarket built by the British.
    • The observation that the British introduced an administrative and train system to the region.
    • Mention of the British seeking to change the perspectives of India during their rule.
    • 1857 Sepoy Mutiny/Indian Rebellion:The text references Bahadur Shah Zafar’s role, his humiliation by the British, imprisonment and exile to Burma.
    • Discussion of the British actions in suppressing the rebellion and the debate on whether Bahadur Shah Zafar should have joined it, or if he was more of a poet.
    • Debate on the justification of British actions during the rebellion, and whether they were acting as terrorists.
    • Late 19th & Early 20th Century:The beginning of a more defined concept of religious divisions and the beginning of communal tension.
    • Mention of the Aligarh movement which, in the narrator’s opinion, was not enough to solve the problems of the subcontinent.
    • Discussion of figures like Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and Mother Teresa and what could be learned from them.
    • Early to Mid 20th Century:Gandhi’s presence and activity in Kolkata and his efforts to bring unity at a time of Hindu-Muslim conflict.
    • Reference to how he had to leave Delhi and almost abandon his marriage for his work.
    • The rise of the All India Muslim League, based originally in Dhaka.
    • The Partition of India and Pakistan in 1947:
    • The text discusses the partition as a hasty and poorly executed process due to pressure on the British from the Second World War, and their having weakened resources.
    • The text discusses the pain and trauma caused by the partition to both the Indian and Pakistani sides, with both Bengal and Punjab being split.
    • Mention of the lack of planning by the British and its results, and how many people were displaced, forced to leave and seek refuge elsewhere.
    • Discussion of the loss of humanity during this time and the destruction that took place.
    • Post-Partition Era:Discussion of the state of minority groups, both Hindu and Muslim, in India and Pakistan respectively, including the reduction in minority populations in Pakistan and an increase in the minority population in India.
    • The text expresses concerns over issues like unemployment, housing race, and security that affect Muslims in India.
    • Reference to the 1948 State of Israel situation, how that impacted British policy on former colonies.
    • Mention of the 1948 annexation of Hyderabad.
    • Discussion of the 1971 events with China, and of the Mukti Bahini.
    • The destruction of the Babri Masjid in 1992 and how it caused communal issues and Muslim people seeking protection in Hindu neighborhoods.
    • Continued division, social issues and poverty affecting both countries.
    • Mention of ongoing poverty and inflation in both India and Pakistan.
    • Reference to the removal of Article 370 in Kashmir.
    • Discussion about different political views with regards to the Indian constitution.
    • Discussion of religious fundamentalism, the British legacy and modern-day terrorist groups, including a mention of Al Qaeda and the Taliban.
    • Mention of the need for love and humanity over the hate that has been spread.
    • References to different political viewpoints, specifically the RSS organization in India and the assassination of Gandhi by a member of their party.
    • Discussion of the Uniform Civil Code, and the need to create a delegation to hold talks about its possible implementation in India.

    Cast of Characters

    • Faheem Akhtar Sahab: A friend of the speaker, from Kolkata, who gave the speaker and his family a place to stay in England. The speaker feels that Akhtar’s laughter is that of a storyteller, and is appreciative that Akhtar has included the speaker’s dance in his programs.
    • Sahi Waqt Sahab: Associated with Faheem Akhtar Sahab; his laughter is also recognized in the text, described as that of a storyteller and a writer.
    • Mirza Ghalib: Renowned Urdu poet of the 19th century, mentioned in the text as having been astounded by British Calcutta when he visited, and had been sent there for his departure.
    • Syed Ahmed Khan: Mentioned in relation to discussions about the “new light” coming from Calcutta, and how he explained the changes happening to a Syed, and also as an example of a person who learned from the British and was seen as an ally by them.
    • Mother Teresa: Mentioned as a figure who provided great service, and as someone the speaker greatly admired and had a picture of as a child.
    • Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad: Mentioned as a reference for humanity.
    • Rakesh: Person alluded to as being well-informed about the pain of partition.
    • Gandhiji (Mahatma Gandhi): A central figure, depicted as a peacekeeper who went to Kolkata during times of conflict. He is cited as having left Delhi and almost left his marriage to help others, and as someone who believed in love and humanity. His assassination is mentioned, as well as the political party that the assassin belonged to.
    • Nathuram Godse: Depicted as an example of how someone who had killed Gandhi was celebrated, and as a representative of the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) party in India, which is described as extreme.
    • Bahadur Shah Zafar: The last Mughal Emperor, depicted as being punished and humiliated by the British after being defeated in the Indian Rebellion.
    • Jinnah Sahab: A leader in the formation of Pakistan, depicted in the text as having been ready for the nation to be formed, and that he left the Indian National Congress because of opposition.
    • Allama Iqbal: A great intellectual and poet, compared to Rabindranath Tagore, although the narrator disagrees with making such a comparison.
    • Rabindranath Tagore: A great intellectual and poet, compared to Allama Iqbal, although the narrator disagrees with making such a comparison.
    • Sheikh Mujibur Rahman: Mentioned in the context of his significant majority in Bengal.
    • Mohammed Gatvi: Referred to as someone who carried out 17 attacks on India.
    • Modi (Narendra Modi): The Prime Minister of India. The text presents a nuanced view, acknowledging that he has boosted the pride of the country, but also that his methods are divisive and create problems. The text states that Modi is part of the same political party as Gandhi’s assassin.
    • Afzal Rehan: A person who the speaker mentions, in a context that shows their disagreement with the person.
    • Azam Khan: Mentioned in passing as someone who wishes to become the prime minister of Pakistan.
    • Nawab Salimullah: Mentioned in relation to the formation of the Muslim League in Dhaka.
    • Gulzar Sahab: Mentioned as being from Pakistan.
    • Patel Sahab: Mentioned in relation to the partition of India.

    This timeline and cast of characters should provide a comprehensive overview of the main topics and individuals discussed in the provided text. Let me know if you have any other questions.

    India-Pakistan Partition: Legacy of Division

    The provided text discusses the India-Pakistan partition extensively, offering various perspectives and insights into the historical event and its ongoing impact. Here’s a breakdown of key points from the sources:

    Historical Context and Causes:

    • The partition of India and Pakistan was a hasty decision by the British, driven by the weakening of their empire after the second World War [1]. The British had a broken back from the war [1].
    • The British are accused of two grave mistakes: ending the Mughal rule and partitioning India [2].
    • The partition was also a result of political interests, with the British attempting to divide and rule [2].
    • The British did not give enough time or training for a smooth transition of power, resulting in chaos and suffering [1, 3].
    • The British are said to have broken the back of the Sajan government and weakened the British army [1].

    Consequences and Impact:

    • The partition resulted in immense pain, suffering, and loss of life [1].
    • Families were divided, and people faced difficulties in coming and going [1].
    • The partition led to widespread violence, looting, and destruction of property [4-6].
    • Both Hindus and Muslims suffered greatly during the partition [6].
    • The division created a lasting sense of loss and pain that continues to affect people [4].
    • The partition is seen as a significant event that continues to shape the relationship between India and Pakistan [1, 3].
    • The creation of Pakistan is associated with a loss of status for Muslims in India and Bangladesh [6].
    • The discussion questions whether the division was necessary and if there were other ways to resolve the issues [5].

    Different Perspectives:

    • Some believe that the British are responsible for the issues, while others point to the role of political and religious leaders [2, 5].
    • Some argue that the partition was inevitable due to the differences between Hindus and Muslims [7]. Others contend that such differences were created and amplified by the British [3].
    • There is a discussion about whether the partition benefited anyone, with the idea that the people who profited had “daggers, swords and flags” [8].
    • There is the claim that there was not conflict between religions until the British came [3].
    • Some feel that the British should have apologized for the way they handled the partition and how they ousted Bahadur Shah Zafar [2].

    Ongoing Issues:

    • The partition continues to create divisions between Hindus and Muslims in both countries [9].
    • The sources express concern about the rise of extremism and violence in the name of religion [4, 8, 10].
    • The treatment of minorities in both India and Pakistan remains a significant issue [11].
    • There is a discussion about the need for justice and equality for all, regardless of religion or community [10, 12].
    • The text suggests that both countries have not fully recovered from the effects of the partition, and they continue to face challenges [3, 13].
    • There is a discussion about how the governments are dealing with the issues, and whether the people’s voices are being heard [5, 6, 13].
    • It is stated that, in some ways, Pakistanis are considered Pakistan while living in India [14].
    • There is a call for people to rise above religious and political differences and prioritize humanity [12].

    Specific Points of Contention:

    • The role of Mahatma Gandhi and his assassination [4, 15, 16].
    • Article 370 of the Indian Constitution related to Kashmir [6, 15, 17].
    • The Uniform Civil Code and the need for a delegation to discuss it [16, 18].
    • The actions of the Muslim League and its leadership [7].
    • The differences between India and Pakistan regarding human rights, justice, and the economy [11, 19].

    In summary, the text presents a complex and multi-faceted view of the India-Pakistan partition, highlighting its devastating consequences, the various factors that contributed to it, and the lingering challenges that both countries continue to face.

    Kolkata: A City’s Story

    Kolkata, formerly known as Calcutta, is discussed in the sources as a city with a rich and complex history [1, 2]. The sources highlight several aspects of Kolkata’s past:

    • British Capital: Kolkata was the capital of British India [2]. The city’s infrastructure, including buildings, roads, and train systems, still reflect the influence of the British Raj [2].
    • New Market: The world’s first supermarket, known as New Market, was built by the British in Kolkata [2].
    • Historical Significance: The text mentions that Kolkata is a city where people of different backgrounds have lived together and celebrated many festivals [1]. It’s also described as a city with a global significance [1].
    • Cultural Identity: The speaker in the text expresses a deep love for Kolkata, stating that it “beats in my heart” [1]. They describe it as a city where people live together [1].
    • Personal Connection: The speaker in the text mentions having spent 26 years of their life in Kolkata and retains strong memories of the city [1].
    • British Legacy: The speaker notes that the legacy of the British is visible in the city, and that the British kept Calcutta as their capital [2].
    • Ghalib and Calcutta: The text references Mirza Ghalib’s reaction to seeing Calcutta’s modern system and lighting, which astonished him [2]. The source notes that Ghalib saw how the British had changed the city and was amazed by it [2]. Ghalib is said to have told a Syed to look at the new light coming from Calcutta [2].
    • Mother Teresa: The source also mentions Mother Teresa, stating that she spent time in Kolkata serving people, and notes that the speaker had her photo on their bedside as a child [2].
    • Gandhi’s visits: The text references Gandhi’s visit to Kolkata and states that he went there to stay with unhappy people [3]. It also notes that Gandhi went to Calcutta to stop a Hindu-Muslim fight [4].

    The sources highlight Kolkata as a city with a unique blend of historical significance, cultural diversity, and personal connections [1, 2]. The city’s role as a former British capital is evident in its infrastructure and architecture, while its cultural heritage is reflected in its diverse population and celebration of festivals [1, 2]. The text also portrays the city as a place of personal importance, with the speaker expressing deep affection and nostalgia for their time there [1].

    The British Raj and its Legacy in India

    The provided text discusses the impact of the British Raj on India, particularly focusing on its effects on the political, social, and economic landscape. Here’s a breakdown of the key points:

    • Political Impact: The British ended the Mughal rule, which is described as a major mistake and a grave injustice [1]. They also removed and humiliated Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Mughal emperor, which was considered a significant act of oppression [1]. The British are seen as having implemented a “divide and rule” strategy, which created divisions between Hindus and Muslims [2, 3]. This division is seen as a direct cause of the partition of India and Pakistan [2]. The text also states that the British broke the back of the Sajan government and weakened the British army [2].
    • Economic Impact: The British are credited with building the world’s first supermarket in Calcutta, called New Market [4]. The British also developed infrastructure like roads and train systems in Calcutta [4]. However, the text criticizes the British for exploiting India for their own benefit [3]. The British system is described as one where they “take away everything” [3]. The text also notes that systems like the running of trains do not improve the language and administrative systems do not end corruption [3]. The text also mentions that the British left a broken economy [1, 2]
    • Social Impact: The British introduced modern systems and lighting in cities like Calcutta, which astonished people like Mirza Ghalib [4]. However, the British are blamed for creating a culture of division and hatred between Hindus and Muslims [2, 3]. The sources state that the British tried to make Hindustan from their own perspective [3]. The text emphasizes the pain and suffering caused by the partition, including displacement and loss of life [1, 2]. The British are also seen as having created a system of governance that did not prioritize the welfare of the people [1, 3]. The text notes that the British also made it so that people in India and Pakistan now have to deal with things such as corruption and bribery, whereas they did not before the British [3].
    • Legacy of Division: The British are blamed for creating a lasting legacy of division and conflict between India and Pakistan [2]. The text states that even today there are graveyards and floods [2]. The partition is described as a hasty decision that did not consider the consequences for the people [1, 2]. The British are described as having left without principles [2]. The sources also state that the British caused destruction in India and that their actions led to further conflict [1]. The British are blamed for creating a situation where people on both sides are troubled [1].
    • Criticism of British Policies: The British are criticized for their selfish policies and for prioritizing their own interests over the welfare of the Indian people [1, 5]. The text states that the British are not praised, but instead that people should see the harm that they did to the country [3]. It is also noted that the British did not provide enough training for the Indian people before they left [2]. The sources state that the British also did not spend enough time to properly immigrate and pay taxes and that they did not spend a year thinking about this [1].
    • Positive Viewpoints: While the text is mostly critical of British rule, there are a few points that acknowledge some positive contributions of the British, such as modern infrastructure [4]. However, even those advancements are seen as coming with a negative side [3].

    In summary, the sources portray the British Raj as a period of significant political, economic, and social upheaval in India, with long-lasting negative consequences. The British are criticized for their role in dividing the country and for implementing policies that led to widespread suffering and injustice. While the British did introduce some modern systems, their overall impact is viewed as overwhelmingly negative. The text emphasizes that the legacy of the British Raj continues to shape the relationship between India and Pakistan today.

    Indian Muslim Minority: Challenges and Injustice

    The sources discuss issues facing the Muslim minority in India and the broader context of Muslim communities in South Asia. Here’s a breakdown of the key points:

    • Discrimination and Lack of Status: The text suggests that Muslims in India face discrimination and have not achieved their full potential within the country. It is stated that Muslims in India and Bangladesh did not gain status after the partition of India [1]. Muslims are described as being troubled in India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan [1].
    • Economic and Social Problems: The text notes that the problems of Indian Muslims are similar to those of common people worldwide, including unemployment, housing insecurity, and lack of safety [2].
    • Historical Context of Mistreatment: The source indicates that before the partition, Hindus were forced out of Pakistan [3]. It also notes that at the time of the partition, there were 9% Muslims in India and that number is now 15% [3]. In contrast, in Pakistan, the minority population was 22-25% at the time of partition and is now below 3% [3]. The text suggests that the Muslim population in Pakistan was dramatically reduced and that many Muslims were murdered [3, 4].
    • The Partition’s Impact: The partition is presented as a major cause of the issues facing Muslims, with the creation of Pakistan leading to a loss of status for Muslims in India and Bangladesh [1]. The text emphasizes that both Hindus and Muslims suffered during the partition, and that neither community was spared from violence and mistreatment [1, 5, 6].
    • Misconceptions and Stereotypes: The text argues against the notion that all Muslims are the same or that they share the same goals. It pushes back against stereotypes of Muslims as terrorists or criminals [7]. The text notes that people promote the idea of Muslim unity to create hatred [8].
    • The Role of the Government: The text criticizes the Indian government for not doing enough to address the issues facing Muslims and for sometimes creating or exacerbating their problems [9, 10]. The text states that the government is not protecting the rights of Muslims in India and that there is a need for the government to make laws and policies to protect Muslims [7, 9, 11, 12]. It also mentions that the government is not always strict with people who harm Muslims and that they do not always arrest them [7].
    • The Need for Justice: The text argues for the need for justice and equality for all, regardless of religious background. The text also argues that it is important to speak out against injustice, even if it is against one’s own community [7].
    • Political Manipulation: The source states that political leaders manipulate the situation and create further division [6]. It also notes that people in power are creating problems for Muslims and that there is a need to change the political structure to better protect them [6, 9, 10].
    • Article 370 and Kashmir: The discussion raises questions regarding the removal of Article 370 in Kashmir and how it affects the Muslim population in the area, noting that Kashmir is a sensitive state due to its majority Muslim population [10]. It also states that Kashmiris have been kept as prisoners and that they do not have the same rights as other Indian citizens [1].
    • Comparisons with Pakistan: The sources highlight the treatment of minorities in Pakistan, where the minority population has drastically decreased since the partition [3]. It is noted that Hindus from Pakistan have been murdered and have gone to India due to this [4]. The sources present that there is discrimination and inhumanity in both India and Pakistan [3]. The text suggests that neither country has done well in protecting the rights of their minorities [3].

    In summary, the sources reveal that the Muslim minority in India faces numerous challenges, including discrimination, economic hardship, and political marginalization. The partition and its aftermath have contributed to these issues, and there is a call for justice, equality, and a change in the way Muslims are treated by the government and society.

    Religious Harmony in India and Pakistan

    The sources discuss the complexities of religious harmony in the context of India and Pakistan, highlighting both historical challenges and potential paths toward peaceful coexistence. Here’s a breakdown of key points:

    • Historical Tensions: The text emphasizes that the British Raj exacerbated tensions between Hindus and Muslims by implementing a “divide and rule” strategy [1, 2]. This is seen as a major cause of the partition of India and Pakistan, which resulted in widespread violence and displacement [1, 2]. The sources note that before the British, people of all languages and religions had lived together peacefully for centuries [2].
    • Partition’s Impact: The partition is depicted as a traumatic event that shattered religious harmony and led to immense suffering on both sides [1]. The text argues that the partition was a hasty decision made by the British that did not consider the consequences for the people and left a legacy of division [1, 3]. It notes that both Hindus and Muslims suffered during the partition, and neither community was spared from violence and mistreatment [1, 4].
    • The Ideal of Unity: Despite the historical conflicts, the sources suggest that it is possible for people of different faiths to live together harmoniously [5]. The speaker expresses a deep love for Kolkata, stating it is a city where people of different backgrounds have lived together and celebrated many festivals [5, 6]. The source also suggests that there is no religion above humanity, and that people should focus on justice and equality for all [7, 8].
    • The Dangers of Division: The text repeatedly warns against the dangers of religious division, arguing that it is often used by politicians to manipulate people and further their own agendas [3, 9-13]. It is noted that people who promote the idea of religious unity often do it to create hatred [10]. The text also states that people in power use religion to create division [3, 9-13].
    • Shared Problems: The text states that the problems faced by people in India and Pakistan are similar, regardless of their religious background. These problems include unemployment, housing insecurity, and lack of safety [13-15]. The text argues that it is important to focus on these shared challenges and work together to solve them [13-15].
    • The Role of Extremism: The sources are critical of extremist groups that use religion to justify violence and hatred [16-18]. The text notes that criminals exist in all religions, and that a criminal is a criminal, regardless of their religious affiliation [17]. The text states that criminals use religion as an excuse to commit crimes [17].
    • Importance of Dialogue: The text emphasizes the importance of dialogue and mutual understanding in overcoming religious divisions [16, 19]. The speaker states that people should speak out against injustice, even if it is against their own community [7, 12]. The sources call for a focus on justice and equality for all, regardless of their faith [7, 8, 12]. The text suggests that all religions should be respected and that their orders should be followed [19].
    • The Need for a Secular Approach: The text argues that the government should protect the rights of all citizens, regardless of their religious background [19]. The sources note that the state should defend and protect the rights of every citizen [19]. The text notes that the Indian Constitution is meant to provide this protection and that is a great blessing [19].
    • Moving Forward: The sources call for a move away from the hatred and division created by the partition. The sources state that there are still many people who believe in peace and that humanity is the most important thing [8]. The text states that everyone should look out for each other and share love, and spread love [7].
    • Criticism of Modi’s Policies: The text notes that some people feel that the current political climate in India is not promoting religious harmony, and that some policies are dividing the population [13, 20]. Some feel that Modi meets with Hindus happily and Muslims unhappily, leaving Muslims alone [20]. The text notes that the current government has put poison into the country and made people focus on division based on religion [20].

    In summary, the sources present a complex picture of religious harmony in India and Pakistan, where historical tensions and political manipulation have created deep divisions, but also offer hope that through dialogue, justice, and a focus on shared humanity, peaceful coexistence can be achieved. The text suggests that focusing on common problems and working together to solve them is the only way to create religious harmony. The sources strongly emphasize that humanity is more important than any religion and that people should treat each other with respect, regardless of their beliefs.

    A Critical Assessment of British Rule in India

    The speaker in the sources presents a complex and critical view of the British Raj, acknowledging some positive contributions while strongly condemning its negative impacts, particularly regarding the division of India. Here’s a breakdown of the speaker’s views:

    • Negative Impact on Religious Harmony: The speaker believes the British intentionally created divisions between Hindus and Muslims, employing a “divide and rule” strategy [1]. This is viewed as a primary cause of the partition of India and Pakistan, which is described as a traumatic event resulting in immense suffering [1, 2]. The speaker emphasizes that before British rule, people of all languages and religions lived together peacefully for centuries [1].
    • Criticism of the Partition: The speaker argues that the partition was a hasty decision made by the British, driven by their own political and economic interests, and without consideration for the consequences for the people [2, 3]. The British are criticized for breaking the country apart [3]. The speaker expresses the opinion that the British broke the back of the country during the second war [2].
    • Exploitation and Selfishness: The British are accused of prioritizing their own interests over the well-being of the Indian people [3, 4]. The speaker notes that the British left without principles and created problems for both sides in order to serve their political interests [2, 3]. The British are described as having broken the back of the country for their own selfish interests [2].
    • Condemnation of Humiliating Treatment of Leaders: The speaker condemns the British for their humiliating treatment of the last Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar, who they ousted and imprisoned in Burma [3]. The speaker calls this a grave mistake and demands an apology for killing an established king [3].
    • Acknowledging Some Positive Contributions: While heavily critical, the speaker does acknowledge some positive contributions of the British. The speaker recognizes that the British built infrastructure such as buildings, roads, and trains in Kolkata, which served as their capital [5]. The speaker also notes that the world’s first supermarket was built by the British in Calcutta [5].
    • The British Legacy: The speaker contends that many of the systems in place in India and Pakistan today were created by the British [1]. The speaker acknowledges that the British did give some training to the people [5]. However, these positive contributions do not mitigate the overall negative assessment of British rule [1].
    • The End of the Mughal Empire: The speaker states that the British made two grave mistakes: ending Mughal rule and humiliating Bahadur Shah Zafar [3]. The speaker notes that the British ended the established rule of the Mughals [3].
    • Call for Accountability: The speaker believes that the British should be held accountable for the damage caused by their rule [4]. The speaker believes that the British should have done more to prevent the violence that followed their departure [6]. The speaker argues that the British should have given maximum training to the people before they left and should have not divided the country [7].

    In summary, the speaker views the British Raj as a period of exploitation and division that had a devastating impact on the Indian subcontinent. While acknowledging some infrastructural developments, the speaker’s overall assessment is strongly negative, emphasizing the lasting damage to religious harmony and the suffering caused by the partition [2, 5]. The speaker strongly believes that the British were selfish and were only interested in their own political and economic interests [3, 4].

    The Trauma of Partition

    The speaker views the impact of Partition as overwhelmingly negative, describing it as a traumatic event that caused immense suffering and long-lasting damage to the social fabric of the Indian subcontinent [1]. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the speaker’s perspective:

    • A Catastrophic Event: The speaker describes the Partition as a period of intense pain and sorrow for both Hindus and Muslims [1]. They believe that no one should have had to endure the suffering caused by the Partition, emphasizing the depth of the trauma experienced by those affected [1]. The speaker indicates that families were worried, and faced difficulties in coming and going [1].
    • Artificial Division: The speaker views the division of the country as an artificial and unnecessary act [1]. They believe that the British hastily partitioned the country without considering the consequences [1]. They suggest that the British were primarily concerned with their own political interests, rather than the well-being of the people [1, 2]. The speaker believes the British did not have good intentions when they decided to partition the country [1].
    • Undermining Harmony: According to the speaker, the Partition shattered the existing harmony between Hindus and Muslims [1]. They state that prior to the British, people of all languages and religions had lived peacefully together [3]. The speaker implies that the Partition introduced a level of animosity and distrust that had not existed before [1].
    • Loss of Shared Heritage: The speaker expresses a sense of loss for the shared culture and heritage that was disrupted by the Partition. They suggest that the division of the country led to a loss of community and shared identity [1]. The speaker notes that the country was given two types of punishments, but the people are still the same [1].
    • Displacement and Suffering: The speaker recognizes the displacement and suffering experienced by people on both sides of the border [1]. They feel that the pain of the Partition is a wound that has not healed, with families facing continued difficulties in travel and communication [1]. The speaker suggests that the pain of the Partition is still felt by the people who stayed and also those who were forced to leave [1].
    • Critique of the British: The speaker strongly criticizes the British for their role in the Partition [1]. They feel that the British acted irresponsibly and hastily, driven by their own political interests [1]. The speaker suggests that the British did not care about the impact their decision would have on the people [1].
    • Long-Lasting Consequences: The speaker believes that the negative consequences of the Partition continue to affect the region [1]. They argue that the division has created a legacy of distrust and conflict that continues to this day [1]. The speaker suggests that the problems faced by people today are a result of the division of the country [1].
    • Unnecessary Division: The speaker believes there was no need to break the country into pieces [4]. They believe there was a better way for the Muslims to benefit, without having to divide the country [4]. They question whether there was no alternative for Muslims to benefit without dividing the country, and that the division caused more problems than it solved [4].
    • Continued Pain: The speaker expresses that they are still jealous of those who have hurt them, and that people continue to put hatred on each other [5]. They note that the pain of the Partition does not go away [5].

    In summary, the speaker views the Partition as a deeply tragic event, a consequence of the British’s “divide and rule” policy, that led to immense suffering, shattered religious harmony, and continues to have negative repercussions for the region [1]. The speaker believes that the Partition was not a solution but rather a cause of more problems [1].

    Kolkata and the British Raj

    The speaker in the sources discusses the British Raj’s role in shaping Kolkata, highlighting both the positive and negative impacts [1, 2].

    • Kolkata as the Capital: The speaker notes that the British designated Calcutta (now Kolkata) as their capital [2]. This decision led to significant developments in the city.
    • Infrastructure Development: The British constructed various infrastructural elements in Kolkata, including buildings, roads, and trains [2]. The speaker acknowledges that the British-era infrastructure is still visible in the city’s systems [2].
    • New Market: The speaker points out that the world’s first supermarket, known as New Market, was built by the British in Kolkata [2]. This is presented as a notable development from that time.
    • British Legacy: The speaker states that the story of the British Raj is still visible in the city and that many systems in place in India and Pakistan were created by the British [2, 3].
    • Negative Impacts: While acknowledging some infrastructural developments, the speaker emphasizes the negative impacts of British rule, especially the “divide and rule” policy, which they believe exacerbated tensions between Hindus and Muslims [4]. This policy eventually led to the partition of India and Pakistan [4].
    • Exploitation: The speaker believes that the British acted out of selfishness and prioritized their own political and economic interests over the well-being of the Indian people [3, 5]. The speaker asserts that the British broke the back of the country for their own selfish interests [4].
    • Humiliating Treatment of Leaders: The speaker also criticizes the British for their humiliating treatment of the last Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar, which occurred as part of the overall British Raj [5].

    In summary, the speaker recognizes that the British Raj had a significant role in shaping Kolkata by developing its infrastructure and establishing it as a major center of power. However, the speaker also emphasizes the negative consequences of British rule, particularly the social and political divisions that led to the partition of India and Pakistan. The speaker views the British as having acted out of self interest, which led to long-term negative outcomes [3-5].

    Kolkata: A City’s Heartbeat

    The speaker describes Kolkata as a city of great significance, both personally and historically, emphasizing its unique cultural and historical importance. Here’s a breakdown of how the speaker portrays Kolkata:

    • Personal Connection: The speaker has a deep personal connection to Kolkata, stating that “Kolkata beats in my heart” [1]. The speaker mentions that Kolkata is their “love city” and that they spent 26 years of their life there [1]. The speaker also notes that they met someone in Kolkata in 1985 [2].
    • A City of the World: The speaker believes that Kolkata is a significant city not just in India, but in the world [1]. They emphasize that in Kolkata, “all the people live together” and that “many festivals are celebrated” [1].
    • Historical Importance: The speaker notes that Calcutta was the capital of British India, which led to the development of the city’s infrastructure [3]. The speaker mentions that the British built buildings, roads, and trains and that the “story of the British Raj is still visible” in the city [3]. The speaker also points out that the world’s first supermarket, New Market, was built in Calcutta by the British [3].
    • Cultural Significance: The speaker notes that Kolkata is a place where people live together and celebrate many festivals [1]. The speaker expresses a deep love for the city and feels a strong connection to its history and culture [1, 3].
    • A City of Contrasts: The speaker contrasts the city with Lahore, noting that in Lahore people get justice, which is difficult to mention far away [1]. The speaker also states that Kolkata is not the same as the big cities, suggesting that it has a unique character [1].
    • A City of Memories: The speaker states that their memories of Kolkata are strong, and that the first identity of the city was to be the capital of the British [3]. The speaker also mentions that they have memories of meeting people there [2].
    • The Legacy of Partition: The speaker also discusses the impact of Partition on Bengal, noting that it was divided into two parts [2]. They connect the experience of Bengal’s division with that of Punjab [2].

    In summary, the speaker views Kolkata as a city of great personal significance, a place of rich history and culture, and a city that has been shaped by its role in British India. The speaker’s description highlights both the positive and negative impacts of the British Raj on Kolkata, while also emphasizing the city’s unique identity and personal connection. The speaker sees Kolkata as a city that is both historically and culturally significant to the world and to the speaker personally.

    Kolkata Under the British Raj

    The speaker in the sources discusses the British Raj’s role in shaping Kolkata, highlighting both positive and negative impacts on its development [1].

    • Capital of British India: The speaker mentions that the British designated Calcutta (now Kolkata) as their capital [1, 2]. This decision led to significant developments in the city, establishing it as a major center of power and administration [1].
    • Infrastructure Development: The British constructed various infrastructural elements in Kolkata [1]. This includes buildings, roads, and trains [1]. The speaker states that the British-era infrastructure is still visible in the city’s systems [1].
    • New Market: The speaker notes that the world’s first supermarket, known as New Market, was built by the British in Kolkata [1]. This is presented as a notable example of the British influence on the city’s development and commercial activities.
    • British Legacy: The speaker states that the story of the British Raj is still visible in the city [1]. The speaker also indicates that many of the administrative and systemic structures in place in both India and Pakistan were created by the British [1, 3].
    • “Divide and Rule” Policy: While acknowledging some infrastructural developments, the speaker emphasizes the negative impacts of British rule, particularly the “divide and rule” policy, which they believe exacerbated tensions between Hindus and Muslims [3, 4]. This policy, according to the speaker, ultimately led to the partition of India and Pakistan [3, 4].
    • Selfish Interests: The speaker believes that the British acted out of selfishness and prioritized their own political and economic interests over the well-being of the Indian people [3, 5]. The speaker indicates that the British broke the back of the country for their own selfish interests [4, 5].
    • Humiliating Treatment of Leaders: The speaker criticizes the British for their humiliating treatment of the last Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar, as part of their overall governance and actions during the British Raj [5].
    • Negative Social Impact: The speaker suggests that the British caused divisions in society, creating a legacy of distrust and conflict that continues to this day [3-5]. The speaker believes that many of the problems faced by the people today are the result of the British policies and their decision to divide the country [3].

    In summary, the speaker recognizes that the British Raj had a significant role in Kolkata’s development by establishing it as a major center of power, developing its infrastructure and establishing many systems that are still in place today [1]. However, the speaker also emphasizes the negative consequences of British rule, particularly the social and political divisions that led to the partition of India and Pakistan [3-5]. The speaker believes the British acted out of self interest, leading to long-term negative outcomes [3, 5].

    Kolkata Resident’s Age and Profession

    The speaker’s age and profession in Kolkata are mentioned in the sources.

    • Age in Kolkata: The speaker states, “my age in Kolkata is 26 years” [1]. This indicates that the speaker was 26 years old while living in Kolkata.
    • Profession in Kolkata: The speaker’s profession in Kolkata is not explicitly stated in the sources. However, the speaker mentions that they currently work in a hospital, noting, “I work in a hospital here, the government gave us money to do this” [1]. It’s important to note that this statement refers to their current job and not necessarily their profession during their time in Kolkata.
    • Current Profession: The speaker also notes, “I got a degree in Social Science and in this way I am working as a professional” [1]. This indicates that they have a degree in social science and are working in a related profession. The speaker mentions they got a degree in Social Science, and that they are working as a professional [1].

    Although the speaker’s exact profession in Kolkata is not specified, it is clear that they were 26 years old while living there.

    The Partition of India: A Critical Perspective

    The speaker has strong opinions about the partition of India, viewing it as a deeply negative event with lasting consequences [1]. Here are the speaker’s key views on the partition:

    • Pain and Suffering: The speaker believes that the partition caused immense pain and suffering, stating, “whatever pain you had to bear and whatever we had to bear, I think no one should have to bear the partition” [1]. The speaker feels that the pain of partition is a wound that continues to affect people, and that families were worried and faced difficulties coming and going across the borders [1, 2].
    • Unnecessary Division: The speaker believes that the partition was not necessary and that there could have been other ways to address the issues at the time [3]. They ask, “was it necessary to break it, was there no other way for the benefit of the Muslims?” [3]. The speaker laments the breaking of the country and feels that the pain does not go away [4].
    • British Responsibility: The speaker is critical of the British for their role in the partition [1, 2]. They believe the British acted hastily and selfishly, noting, “the British did the partition very hastily because the second war was a huge one” and “the back of the British was broken by that” [1]. The speaker also states, “the second mistake they made was that they showed the result of their selfishness,” saying that the British left without principles to serve their own political interests [2]. The speaker argues that the British should have provided more training and support to the people before leaving [5].
    • Negative Consequences: The speaker emphasizes the negative consequences of the partition, including the violence and destruction that occurred [2, 4]. The speaker points out that “the families who have stayed here are worried, they are facing difficulty in coming and going,” highlighting the practical difficulties of divided families [2].
    • Rejection of the Two-Nation Theory: The speaker expresses skepticism about the two-nation theory, stating, “I did not find any place with the You Nation Theory,” suggesting they do not believe that the partition was the correct approach [4]. The speaker is concerned with the displacement and loss of property, stating, “how can I make people go out after seeing so much life, look at their houses, everyone is present from their homes, they love their own cities, their own villages, their own houses, their men,” [2] emphasizing the human cost of the division of the country.
    • Impact on People: The speaker expresses concerns about the impact of the partition on the common people, stating that the people on both sides were troubled [2]. The speaker says that the division of the country has led to “spices, graveyards and floods” [1]. They note that both Hindus and Muslims suffered losses due to partition, not just one side [6]. The speaker also mentions that Muslims are troubled in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, suggesting that the partition did not benefit them [6].
    • Long-lasting Issues: The speaker believes that the issues created by partition are still relevant today, leading to violence and conflict. They mention that the division is used for political gains, and that even today there is an issue of people being divided in the name of religion [2, 3, 7].
    • Critique of Violence: The speaker is critical of the violence and hatred that resulted from the partition, saying that it has “ruined humanity” and that they are ashamed of how people were treated [2]. They argue that criminals are criminals, regardless of their religion, and that the focus should be on justice and humanity [3, 4]. They believe that people use religion as a way to provoke conflict [4].
    • Call for Unity: Despite the division, the speaker emphasizes that people of all languages and religions have lived together for centuries, before the British created divisions [8]. The speaker believes in the importance of love and justice, and that humanity should come before religion [9, 10].

    In summary, the speaker views the partition as a tragic event caused by the selfish interests of the British, resulting in immense suffering, violence, and long-lasting negative consequences for the people of India and Pakistan. The speaker does not believe that the partition was necessary, and feels it did not serve the interests of the people and that the root of the problem lies with the British. They are critical of the divisions that have resulted from it and argue for unity, justice, and humanity.

    Kolkata: A City’s Heartbeat

    The speaker describes Kolkata as a city of immense personal, historical, and cultural significance [1, 2]. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the speaker’s views on Kolkata:

    • Personal Connection: The speaker has a deep emotional attachment to Kolkata, referring to it as their “love city” and stating that it “beats in my heart” [1]. They mention living in Kolkata for 26 years [1], and fondly recall meeting someone there in 1985 [3].
    • Historical Importance: Kolkata, formerly Calcutta, was the capital of British India, which significantly shaped the city [2]. The speaker notes that the infrastructure built by the British, such as buildings, roads, and trains, are still visible in the city [2]. The world’s first supermarket, New Market, was also established by the British in Kolkata [2].
    • Cultural Significance: The speaker describes Kolkata as a city where people live together and celebrate many festivals [1]. The speaker implies that Kolkata has a unique character and is different from other big cities [1]. The speaker also notes that Kolkata is not far for them [1], and is a place of memories [2].
    • A Global City: The speaker believes that Kolkata is an important city not only in India, but in the world. They note that in Kolkata, people from all walks of life live together [1].
    • City of Contrasts: The speaker contrasts Kolkata with Lahore, noting that in Lahore people get justice, but it is not the same in Kolkata [1]. The speaker also states that Kolkata is not the same as the big cities [1], implying a unique character.
    • Impact of Partition: The speaker also acknowledges the impact of the partition on Bengal, noting that it was divided into two parts [3]. The speaker relates the experience of Bengal’s division with that of Punjab, indicating the wide-reaching consequences of the partition [3].
    • Memories and Identity: The speaker states that their memories of Kolkata are strong, and that the first identity of the city was to be the capital of the British [2]. The speaker expresses a strong connection to the city’s history and culture [1, 2].

    In summary, the speaker’s depiction of Kolkata emphasizes its significance as a city of personal importance, a place with a rich history shaped by the British Raj, a vibrant cultural hub, and a city that evokes strong memories for the speaker. The speaker believes Kolkata’s unique identity stems from its history, culture, and its impact as the capital of British India [1, 2]. The speaker also feels a deep personal connection to Kolkata, describing it as their “love city” and stating that it “beats in my heart” [1].

    The British Raj: A Legacy of Injustice

    The speaker levels several strong criticisms against the British Raj, highlighting its negative impact on India and the lasting consequences of its policies. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the speaker’s criticisms:

    • Hasty and Ill-conceived Partition: The speaker is highly critical of the British for their hasty partition of India [1]. The speaker believes that the partition was done without proper planning and consideration for the people, leading to immense suffering and long-lasting conflict between India and Pakistan [1]. They mention that both Bengal and Punjab were broken into two parts during the partition [1]. The speaker also implies that the British did the partition because their backs were broken by the second war and they wanted to leave without taking any responsibility [1]. The speaker believes that the partition was a huge mistake by the British, and that no one should have to bear that pain [1].
    • “Divide and Rule” Policy: A significant criticism is the British policy of “divide and rule,” which the speaker believes continues to fuel divisions in the region [2]. The speaker argues that the British deliberately created divisions between Hindus and Muslims to maintain control [2]. They believe that this policy is the root cause of many of the problems faced by India and Pakistan [2]. The speaker states that before the British, people of all religions and languages lived together peacefully, but that the British repeatedly tried to make Hindustan from their perspective, creating conflict [2].
    • Economic Exploitation and Injustice: The speaker suggests that the British exploited the resources of India and did not care about the well-being of the people [2]. They believe that the British created systems that led to corruption and that the current economic problems in India and Pakistan are a result of British rule [2]. The speaker implies that the British implemented an administrative system that did not end corruption [2].
    • Humiliating Treatment of Leaders: The speaker criticizes the British for their humiliating treatment of Mughal leaders, specifically mentioning the ousting and imprisonment of Bahadur Shah Zafar [3]. They view this as a grave injustice, pointing out that the British punished an established king while they called him a terrorist [3]. The speaker believes that the British should apologize for their actions, and that this was a major injustice [3].
    • Creation of Unjust Systems: The speaker argues that the British imposed systems that were not suitable for the region [2]. They suggest that many of the current problems in India and Pakistan are a result of the administrative systems and policies put in place by the British [2]. The speaker also notes that the systems created by the British have led to corruption in both countries [2].
    • Lack of Responsibility: The speaker believes that the British did not take responsibility for the consequences of their actions [4]. They point out that the British left the region without ensuring proper training and stability, resulting in chaos and conflict [4]. The speaker states that the British were in a hurry to leave, and that they did not care about the impact of their actions on the people of the region [4]. They believe that the British were more concerned with their own interests and did not care about the long-term impact of their policies [3].
    • Imposition of Western Perspective: The speaker criticizes the British for repeatedly trying to make Hindustan from their own perspective [2]. They suggest that the British imposed their own ideas and values on the region, without regard for the local culture and traditions [2].

    In summary, the speaker’s criticisms of the British Raj are extensive and focused on the long-term negative impacts of their rule, including the hasty partition, the “divide and rule” policy, economic exploitation, the mistreatment of leaders, and the imposition of unjust systems. The speaker emphasizes that many of the current problems faced by India and Pakistan are a direct result of British policies and a lack of responsibility.

    India and Pakistan: A Shared Legacy of Challenges

    The speaker expresses a complex and critical view of the current states of both India and Pakistan, highlighting numerous issues and challenges. Here’s a breakdown of the speaker’s perspective:

    • Shared Problems: The speaker suggests that both India and Pakistan are facing similar problems, especially concerning the treatment of their citizens. The speaker believes that the people on both sides have been troubled to serve political interests, and that there are families that are worried and have difficulties traveling between the countries [1, 2]. They note that the people of both countries are still the same and are facing similar difficulties [1].
    • Economic Issues: The speaker believes that there are significant economic issues in both countries. The speaker mentions that wealth distribution is still unequal in India [3]. The speaker describes Pakistan’s economic situation as poor, saying that it has become like a “goat and Bheem in the whole world” [4]. The speaker uses the example of expensive tomatoes in India that are not visible in Pakistan [4]. The speaker criticizes the fact that when the value of money decreases, prices increase [3].
    • Social Divisions: The speaker is concerned about the divisions within both societies, particularly the use of religion to create conflict [5]. The speaker believes that the “divide and rule” policy of the British continues to have an impact, leading to a society divided by religion and hatred [1, 2, 6]. The speaker notes that while people of all religions and languages lived together peacefully for centuries before the British, now there is a lot of “spice” or conflict [6].
    • Discrimination and Injustice: The speaker believes that discrimination and injustice are prevalent in both countries. They state that in Pakistan, minorities are facing problems [7]. They also mention that in India, Muslims are not getting their due status and that they are being abused [5, 8]. The speaker notes that there is discrimination against minorities in both countries [7]. They also note that both countries have a history of killing innocent people [5, 9].
    • Government Failures: The speaker is critical of the governments in both India and Pakistan, believing that they are not addressing the needs of their people. The speaker feels that the administrations of both countries are not right and that they are not focusing on the needs of the common people [4]. The speaker suggests that the governments are serving political interests over the needs of their people [2, 9]. They believe that the government should ensure that there is justice for everyone, and that no one is above the law [10]. The speaker says that governments are not protecting the rights of every citizen [11].
    • Corruption: The speaker suggests that corruption is an issue in both countries [6]. The speaker uses the example of shopkeepers charging extra for goods and inspectors taking bribes [3, 4]. The speaker notes that bribes are a problem, and that both countries inherited a corrupt system from the British [6].
    • Impact of British Rule: The speaker emphasizes that the systems and problems in both India and Pakistan are a result of the British rule [6]. The speaker believes that the British policies and the way they divided the country are the reasons for the current problems [1, 2].
    • Need for Unity: Despite the issues, the speaker believes that there are still many peace-loving people in both countries and that humanity should come before religion [12]. The speaker argues that the focus should be on justice and equality [4, 10]. They feel that it is important to recognize the common humanity of the people in both countries, and that they should not be divided by religion [12].
    • Disappointment with Current Leadership: The speaker expresses disappointment with the current state of affairs in both countries. They critique the political climate and question whether the current governments are effectively addressing the needs of their people [2, 5, 9]. They feel that the governments are using religion to divide people and are not concerned with the well-being of all citizens [5, 8].
    • Kashmir Conflict: The speaker references the removal of Article 370 in Kashmir as an example of the issues that the countries are facing. They indicate that Kashmir is a sensitive state in India with a majority Muslim population, and that Article 370 was intended to protect the rights of the people in the state [13]. The speaker is concerned about the security and unity of India, and the impact of these changes on the people [13, 14].

    In summary, the speaker’s view of the current states of India and Pakistan is largely critical. They see both countries as facing similar problems, such as economic disparities, social divisions, discrimination, government failures, and corruption. The speaker feels that the root of these issues lies in the legacy of British rule, particularly the “divide and rule” policy. Despite the challenges, the speaker believes in the potential for unity, justice, and humanity. They critique the current state of affairs, urging people to focus on the common good rather than divisions and conflicts.

    India-Pakistan Relations: A Troubled History

    The speaker characterizes the current relationship between India and Pakistan as strained, complex, and deeply troubled, marked by ongoing issues stemming from the partition and the legacy of British rule [1, 2]. Here’s a breakdown of their perspective:

    • Shared Suffering and Division: The speaker believes that the people of both India and Pakistan are suffering from similar problems and that both countries are troubled to serve political interests [1-3]. The speaker mentions that both sides are facing difficulties in coming and going between the countries and that families are worried [1]. This highlights a shared sense of pain and disruption caused by the division. The speaker also notes that there is a lot of “spice” or conflict between the two countries [2].
    • Legacy of Partition: The speaker emphasizes that the root of the problems between India and Pakistan lies in the hasty partition done by the British [1, 3]. The speaker notes that both Bengal and Punjab were broken into two parts during the partition, and that no one should have to bear that pain [1]. The speaker views the partition as a huge mistake by the British, resulting in the division of people, and the creation of long-standing tensions [1, 3]. The speaker believes the British broke the country to serve their political interests and that the “divide and rule” policy has continued to have a negative impact on the relationship [2, 3].
    • Ongoing Conflict and Mistrust: The speaker suggests that there is a lot of hatred between the two countries and that there are many people who have daggers in their hands [4]. The speaker describes the political climate in both countries as being driven by religious division and hatred [4, 5]. They feel that people in both countries are being used to serve political interests, and that there is a lack of justice and equality [2, 4, 5]. The speaker also expresses concern about the mistreatment of minorities in both countries [6].
    • Similarities in Problems: The speaker notes that both India and Pakistan are facing similar problems such as economic disparities, corruption, social divisions, and discrimination [2, 7]. The speaker indicates that the systems and problems in both countries are largely a result of British rule [2]. The speaker believes that despite the differences, people in both countries are essentially the same and are facing similar struggles [1].
    • Impact of Political Leadership: The speaker is critical of the governments and political leaders of both India and Pakistan [7-9]. They feel that the leaders are exploiting the divisions and that they are not focusing on the well-being of the common people [2, 5, 7]. The speaker expresses disappointment with the current leadership in both countries and critiques the way that they handle the conflicts between the two nations [5, 10, 11].
    • Need for Reconciliation: Despite the negative assessment of the current relationship, the speaker suggests that there is a need for reconciliation, justice, and equality. The speaker believes that people should focus on common humanity rather than divisions [12, 13]. The speaker feels that it is important to speak the truth and to hold everyone accountable for their actions, whether they are on their side or not [7]. The speaker also notes that there are many peace-loving people in both countries and that they should work towards a better future [13].

    In summary, the speaker depicts the current relationship between India and Pakistan as one marred by the negative consequences of partition, ongoing conflicts and mistrust, and similar issues faced by both nations. The speaker’s assessment is critical, highlighting the failures of political leadership, the use of religion to create division, and the need for unity, justice, and equality [1-4, 12].

    Gandhi: A Legacy of Peace and Complexity

    The speaker views Mahatma Gandhi as a complex and significant figure, acknowledging his positive contributions while also noting some criticisms and nuances related to his actions and legacy [1-7]. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the speaker’s perspective:

    • A Symbol of Humanity and Peace: The speaker portrays Gandhi as a figure deeply committed to humanity and peace, emphasizing his efforts to bridge divides during times of conflict [1, 2, 4]. They highlight Gandhi’s dedication to helping unhappy people, noting that he left Delhi and his marriage to go to Kolkata to be with them [8]. The speaker also references Gandhi’s attempts to stop violence, stating that he went to Kolkata to try to stop Hindu-Muslim conflict [3].
    • Advocate for Unity: The speaker acknowledges that Gandhi worked towards Hindu-Muslim unity and that he was against the partition of India [2, 3]. They refer to Gandhi’s efforts to calm tensions between Hindus and Muslims in Kolkata [4]. The speaker also mentions that Gandhi was a leader who inspired many people [7].
    • Criticism of Gandhi’s Approach: The speaker notes that Gandhi’s approach was not universally accepted, and that some people criticized his views [3, 6, 7]. They also mention that there were people who did not agree with Gandhi’s views and that there were people who abused Gandhi [7, 9]. The speaker indicates that Gandhi’s views were criticized, and some people started the Hindu-Muslim thing [3].
    • Gandhi’s Death and its Aftermath: The speaker discusses Gandhi’s assassination and how, in 1948, his killer became a celebrity [4]. They note that his death did not end the violence and that even today, the property of Hindus is attacked and that they are killed [4]. The speaker indicates that Gandhi was killed because he wanted to go to Pakistan and stay there for a few days [7].
    • Gandhi as a Leader: The speaker presents Gandhi as a leader who was not fond of “audit” and who did not love women. The speaker acknowledges that they themselves used to leave Gandhi a lot, and that they were not happy with the way they were made [7]. The speaker says that they bow their head to Gandhi [7]. The speaker suggests that Gandhi was a leader in his own place and that there were differences between him and other leaders [7].
    • Gandhi’s Impact: The speaker feels that Gandhi’s life and work have had a lasting impact. They imply that his efforts to promote peace and unity should be remembered. The speaker mentions that Gandhi is someone whose example should be followed when there is violence [4, 10]. They also note that Gandhi’s views are still relevant today [6, 9]. The speaker also indicates that there are Gandhi devotees who believe in Gandhi [9].
    • Rejection of Violence: The speaker strongly emphasizes Gandhi’s opposition to violence and his advocacy for peace. They note that Gandhi is a symbol of non-violence, and his message that one should offer oneself to be hit first before striking back is mentioned [4, 10]. The speaker states that Gandhi’s message should be followed to combat violence and promote humanity [4].
    • Support for Muslims: The speaker notes that Mahatma Gandhi gave his life to support Muslims [5].

    In summary, the speaker views Mahatma Gandhi as a complex figure, recognizing him as a champion of humanity, peace, and unity, particularly in the context of Hindu-Muslim relations [1-4]. However, the speaker also acknowledges that Gandhi faced criticism and his life was cut short by violence [3, 4, 7]. The speaker also presents nuances about Gandhi’s views and personality, noting that Gandhi’s approach and views were not universally accepted [7].

    India and Pakistan: A Legacy of British Rule

    The speaker compares the British Raj’s impact on India and Pakistan by highlighting the shared negative consequences both countries experienced, while also noting some differences in their experiences. Here’s a breakdown of the comparison:

    • Shared Negative Consequences: The speaker emphasizes that both India and Pakistan suffered immensely under British rule and continue to experience negative effects from the British Raj [1, 2].
    • Hasty Partition: The speaker argues that the hasty and ill-conceived partition by the British caused immense suffering for both countries, leading to long-lasting conflict and division [1]. Both Bengal and Punjab were broken into two parts during the partition [1].
    • “Divide and Rule” Policy: The speaker believes that the British deliberately created divisions between Hindus and Muslims to maintain control, and that this policy is the root cause of many of the problems faced by both India and Pakistan [1, 2]. The speaker believes that before the British, people of all religions and languages lived together peacefully [2].
    • Economic Exploitation and Injustice: The speaker implies that the British exploited the resources of both India and Pakistan [2]. The speaker suggests that the British created systems that led to corruption, and that the current economic problems in both countries are a result of British rule [2]. The speaker also indicates that the British implemented an administrative system that did not end corruption [2].
    • Lack of Responsibility: The speaker points out that the British did not take responsibility for the consequences of their actions, leaving the region without ensuring proper training and stability, which resulted in chaos and conflict [1, 2]. The speaker feels that the British were more concerned with their own interests and did not care about the long-term impact of their policies [2].
    • Imposition of Unjust Systems: The speaker believes that the British imposed systems that were not suitable for the region, leading to ongoing problems in both countries [2].
    • Similarities in Problems: The speaker notes that both India and Pakistan face similar problems, such as economic disparities, corruption, social divisions, and discrimination [2]. The speaker believes that despite the differences, people in both countries are essentially the same and are facing similar struggles [1, 2].
    • Impact on Minorities: The speaker suggests that the mistreatment of minorities is a problem in both countries, although the scale and specifics may vary. The speaker notes that both countries have issues with discrimination against minority populations [3, 4]. The speaker notes that in Pakistan, the minority population decreased from 22-25% at the time of the partition to less than 3% today, while in India the Muslim population increased from 9% to 15% [4].
    • Differences in Development: While both countries suffer from the legacy of British rule, the speaker notes that India has seen more economic growth while Pakistan is “like goat and Bheem in the whole world” [5]. They attribute this disparity to factors like population control, implying that India’s economy has benefitted from a more controlled population growth whereas Pakistan has increased the population [5]. The speaker notes that India has become the 5th largest power in the world [5].
    • Shared Blame for Current Issues: The speaker suggests that while the British are largely responsible for the initial problems, both India and Pakistan bear some responsibility for perpetuating these issues. They argue that political leaders in both countries have exploited the divisions and not focused on the well-being of the common people [1, 2, 6, 7].

    In summary, the speaker views the British Raj’s impact on India and Pakistan as overwhelmingly negative, with both nations suffering similar consequences from the partition and the exploitative policies. The speaker emphasizes the shared pain caused by the British, while also acknowledging differences in the current state of the two countries. The speaker sees the legacy of the British Raj as a major source of conflict and instability in the region [1, 2].

    Gandhi and Jinnah: A Nuanced Perspective

    The speaker presents nuanced opinions of both Mahatma Gandhi and Jinnah, acknowledging their significance while also offering some criticisms and noting the complexities of their roles in the history of India and Pakistan [1-4].

    Mahatma Gandhi:

    • A Symbol of Humanity and Peace: The speaker views Gandhi as a figure deeply committed to humanity and peace, emphasizing his efforts to bridge divides during times of conflict [3]. They highlight Gandhi’s dedication to helping unhappy people, noting that he left Delhi and his marriage to go to Kolkata to be with them [5]. The speaker also references Gandhi’s attempts to stop violence, stating that he went to Kolkata to try to stop Hindu-Muslim conflict [6]. The speaker suggests that Gandhi was a leader who inspired many people [7].
    • Advocate for Unity: The speaker acknowledges that Gandhi worked towards Hindu-Muslim unity and that he was against the partition of India [1, 6]. They refer to Gandhi’s efforts to calm tensions between Hindus and Muslims in Kolkata [8].
    • Criticism of Gandhi’s Approach: The speaker notes that Gandhi’s approach was not universally accepted, and that some people criticized his views [6, 7]. They also mention that there were people who did not agree with Gandhi’s views and that there were people who abused Gandhi [7, 9]. The speaker indicates that Gandhi’s views were criticized, and some people started the Hindu-Muslim conflict [6].
    • Gandhi’s Death and its Aftermath: The speaker discusses Gandhi’s assassination and how, in 1948, his killer became a celebrity [8]. They note that his death did not end the violence and that even today, the property of Hindus is attacked and that they are killed [8]. The speaker indicates that Gandhi was killed because he wanted to go to Pakistan and stay there for a few days [4].
    • Gandhi as a Leader: The speaker presents Gandhi as a leader who was not fond of “audit” and who did not love women [4]. The speaker acknowledges that they themselves used to leave Gandhi a lot, and that they were not happy with the way they were made [4]. The speaker says that they bow their head to Gandhi [4]. The speaker suggests that Gandhi was a leader in his own place and that there were differences between him and other leaders [4].
    • Gandhi’s Impact: The speaker feels that Gandhi’s life and work have had a lasting impact [7, 9]. They imply that his efforts to promote peace and unity should be remembered [7, 8]. The speaker mentions that Gandhi is someone whose example should be followed when there is violence [8]. They also note that Gandhi’s views are still relevant today [7, 9]. The speaker also indicates that there are Gandhi devotees who believe in Gandhi [7].
    • Rejection of Violence: The speaker strongly emphasizes Gandhi’s opposition to violence and his advocacy for peace [7, 8]. They note that Gandhi is a symbol of non-violence, and his message that one should offer oneself to be hit first before striking back is mentioned [8]. The speaker states that Gandhi’s message should be followed to combat violence and promote humanity [7, 8].
    • Support for Muslims: The speaker notes that Mahatma Gandhi gave his life to support Muslims [10].

    Jinnah:

    • Leader of Pakistan: The speaker notes that Jinnah was a significant leader who led the formation of Pakistan [4]. The speaker states that Jinnah had no option and was ready for the formation of Pakistan because there was no leader in Pakistan at that time who could lead the country [4].
    • Not Necessarily Wrong: The speaker believes that Jinnah did not do anything wrong and that it was definitely a matter of time [4]. They feel that Jinnah’s actions were a response to the circumstances of the time [4].
    • No evidence of Jinnah wanting Gandhi killed: The speaker states that they did not find any evidence that Jinnah wanted Gandhi killed [4]. They note that some people in Pakistan felt that Gandhi should not have been killed [4]. The speaker also mentions that too many people had entered Pakistan at that time [4].
    • Jinnah’s Muslim League: The speaker notes that Jinnah’s Muslim League was a common party, with its foundation in Dhaka [6]. They note that the Muslim League was helpless in Kerala, Madras, Kolkata, and Bihar [6].
    • Criticism of Actions: The speaker also acknowledges that some people believe Jinnah’s actions were wrong [4]. They mention that Jinnah left the Indian National Congress when the opposition became his, and that he then led his Pakistan [4].

    In summary, the speaker views Gandhi as a complex figure, recognizing his contributions to peace and unity, but also acknowledges the criticisms he faced. They see Jinnah as a leader who made a difficult decision in the face of complex circumstances, while also acknowledging that his actions are controversial and subject to criticism. The speaker doesn’t take a strictly pro- or anti- stance on either leader, instead highlighting the complexities of their roles in the history of India and Pakistan.

    Modi Government Criticisms

    The speaker expresses several criticisms against the Modi government, focusing on its divisive policies and their negative impacts on Indian society [1, 2]. Here’s a breakdown of these criticisms:

    • Divisive Policies and Social Discord: The speaker argues that the Modi government has introduced “poison” into Indian society, creating divisions between different religious and linguistic groups [2]. They feel that this is a departure from India’s history of peaceful coexistence and that Modi has created a sense of “us vs them” [1, 2]. The speaker contends that the government’s actions have caused discord and tension among the people, undermining the nation’s unity [2].
    • Unequal Treatment of Religious Groups: The speaker criticizes the Modi government for unequally treating Hindus and Muslims, noting that Modi meets Hindus happily but leaves Muslims alone [2]. They believe that this creates an environment where Muslims feel marginalized and that the government’s policies favor one community over the other [2]. They observe that they see Modi meeting Hindus happily and Muslims unhappily and that the government leaves Muslims alone [2].
    • Economic Disparity: The speaker suggests that under the Modi government, the economic benefits have not been evenly distributed, and that the middle and working classes are being harassed [1]. They believe the government favors certain groups while neglecting the needs of ordinary people [1]. They specifically mention that the wealth distribution is still not equal in India, and that those who are already in good standing with the government are the ones who benefit [1].
    • Article 370 and Kashmir: The speaker expresses concern about the removal of Article 370 in Kashmir [2]. They see it as an action that may be undermining the rights of the people in the region and that the government isn’t trying to prove anything with their actions [2]. They believe that this action is not promoting unity within India, but rather it is causing more insecurity [2]. They suggest the government is not interested in the unity of India, and that they are only concerned with power [2].
    • Promotion of a Particular Ideology: The speaker states that the Modi government is aligned with a specific ideology that is not inclusive of all Indians [3]. They also note that Modi’s party was the same party that killed Gandhi [4]. The speaker also seems concerned that they have observed Modi meeting with Hindus happily and leaving Muslims alone [2].
    • Undermining Democratic Principles: The speaker implies that the Modi government’s actions undermine democratic principles by creating divisions, not treating all citizens equally, and attacking minority groups [1, 2, 5]. They point out that a healthy democracy needs to treat all people the same, regardless of religion [1, 5]. They suggest that the government is creating an environment of inequality and injustice.

    In summary, the speaker is critical of the Modi government for what they perceive as divisive policies, unequal treatment of religious groups, economic disparity, the handling of Kashmir, the promotion of a particular ideology, and for undermining democratic principles [1-3]. They suggest that the government is not working towards the unity and well-being of all Indians, and that their policies are creating instability and conflict [1, 2].

    Calcutta and the British Raj

    The speaker discusses several aspects of the British Raj’s legacy in Calcutta, noting both its physical and systemic impacts on the city [1].

    • Physical Infrastructure: The speaker observes that the buildings, roads, and trains in Calcutta still display the influence of the British Raj [1]. They note that the “story of the British Raj is still visible in that system” [1]. This indicates that the infrastructure built during the British colonial period continues to be a part of Calcutta’s urban landscape.
    • New Market: The speaker highlights that the world’s first supermarket, called New Market, was built by the British in Calcutta [1]. This is presented as a significant and perhaps surprising detail about the British influence on the city’s commercial history.
    • Calcutta as the British Capital: The speaker mentions that the British kept Calcutta as their capital, emphasizing its importance during the Raj [1]. They see this as a key part of Calcutta’s identity, noting that their interest in the city began with the fact that it was the capital of the British [1].
    • Systemic Legacy: The speaker suggests that the British left behind systems and structures that continue to have an impact on the present day [2]. They note that “all the systems that are there in India and Pakistan,” were created by the British [2].
    • Modern System and Lighting: The speaker recounts how people, such as Mirza Ghalib, were astonished by the modern systems and lighting introduced by the British in Calcutta [1]. This highlights the technological advancements that were a part of the British colonial project.
    • British Influence on Sir Syed: The speaker discusses how Sir Syed was impressed by the British and their systems in Calcutta and believed that the British should come and give training [1]. This illustrates how the British Raj influenced thought and perspectives within Indian society.

    In summary, the speaker views the British Raj’s legacy in Calcutta as a complex mix of physical infrastructure, commercial developments, and systemic influences. They suggest that the city still bears visible marks of its colonial past and that the British impact extends beyond physical structures to impact societal systems and ways of thinking. The speaker’s tone is observational rather than strictly critical, acknowledging the lasting imprint of the British in Calcutta [1].

    By Amjad Izhar
    Contact: amjad.izhar@gmail.com
    https://amjadizhar.blog

  • Texas Redistricting: Democrats Flee to Block GOP Plans

    Texas Redistricting: Democrats Flee to Block GOP Plans

    The provided article examines the complex political struggle surrounding the redistricting of Texas’s congressional map, focusing on how Democrats are attempting to block Republican-led efforts to redraw district lines ahead of the 2026 midterms. It details the Republican strategy to create more safe seats and the Democratic response, including legislative maneuvers and a walkout to prevent a quorum. The article further explains the potential impact of the proposed changes on the balance of power, highlighting Republicans’ rationale for the changes and the Democrats’ efforts to counter them. Finally, it touches on broader national implications and reader sentiment regarding the Texas redistricting controversy.

    Texas Redistricting and the Battle for House Control

    Electoral map changes, particularly the redrawing of Texas’s congressional map, are a significant political maneuver that could help Republicans control the U.S. House in the 2026 midterms.

    Here’s a breakdown of the electoral map changes and their implications:

    • Purpose and Process
    • The redrawing of maps is typically a once-a-decade process that follows the U.S. Census Bureau’s population count. This process can significantly alter the balance of power between political parties.
    • Texas’s GOP-led state legislature convened a special session to draft preliminary maps, with the goal of ensuring Republican control of Congress. Republicans aim to secure a “good plan for Texas” that would give their party more seats in Congress.
    • Proposed Map Changes and Impact
    • The proposed maps would shift five districts currently held by Democrats towards Republicans.
    • Under the current maps, Republicans hold 25 of the state’s 38 congressional districts. The new plan aims for Republicans to win 30 seats in the state, with ten proposed districts expected to be won by Republicans by 10 points or more.
    • These changes could provide Republicans with a “backstop” to maintain control of the House, even if they perform poorly in other midterm elections.
    • Five of the potential GOP pickups have Hispanic majorities.
    • Specific examples of districts significantly tilted to the right include those held by Democrats Greg Cuellar, Henry Cuellar, Al Green, Vicente Gonzalez, and Julie Johnson. Democrats Joaquin Castro and Marc Veasey were moved into districts previously held by Republicans.
    • The maps presented on Wednesday, which were preliminary, are expected to be taken up by the House and Senate.
    • Republican Perspective
    • Texas Republicans assert that their redistricting efforts are typical and necessary to prevent a Republican effort to redraw district boundaries.
    • They claim the new maps are designed to maintain communities and increase the number of minority majority districts, stating they are not ignoring the Voting Rights Act.
    • Republicans believe the previous map failed to achieve partisan goals, stating it did not “produce five districts for partisan purposes”.
    • Democratic Response and Efforts to Block
    • Democrats view the proposed maps as a “power grab” and a violation of the Voting Rights Act. They argue the maps are designed to prevent Black and Latino communities from electing candidates of their choosing.
    • To prevent the passage of these maps, 57 of the 62 Texas Democrats left the state, breaking the quorum needed for the chamber to conduct business. This move was praised by Democrats nationwide.
    • A boycott could slow down the process because the Texas House requires two-thirds of its 150 members to be present to conduct business.
    • Democratic efforts to block a quorum were successful for over two months. Fifty state House Democrats went to Oklahoma, and eleven state Senate Democrats went to New Mexico to block the plan.
    • However, the senators capitulated after six weeks, and one member of the House boycott broke ranks, enabling Republicans to proceed.
    • Legal Challenges and National Implications
    • The Trump Justice Department has sought to pressure Texas to prevent the new maps from being adopted, arguing they dilute the voting power of minority voters. While the Justice Department cited specific districts, Texas Republicans primarily targeted other districts in their proposal.
    • The Justice Department and other groups filed lawsuits against the map.
    • States like California, Illinois, and New York are considering redrawing their own lines to gain more House seats if Texas approves its new maps.
    • The redrawing of maps could impede efforts to grow in the suburbs and represents a major impediment to Trump’s legislative agenda.
    • Historical trends and Trump’s low approval ratings suggest the midterms could be challenging for the GOP, potentially making redrawing maps an even greater challenge for Republicans to control Congress.

    Texas Redistricting: The Power Play

    Political power dynamics are clearly illustrated through the ongoing debate and actions surrounding the redrawing of Texas’s congressional map. This process is a significant maneuver designed to shift and consolidate political power, primarily in favor of the Republican Party.

    Here’s a breakdown of the political power dynamics at play:

    • Republican Efforts to Consolidate Power:
    • Goal of House Control: The primary objective of the Texas GOP-led state legislature in redrawing the map is to help Republicans control the U.S. House in the 2026 midterms. They aim for their party to gain more seats in Congress, believing it’s a “good plan for Texas”.
    • Strategic Map Redrawing: The proposed maps are designed to shift five districts currently held by Democrats towards Republicans. Under this new plan, Republicans anticipate winning 30 of the state’s 38 congressional districts, with ten proposed districts expected to be won by Republicans by 10 points or more. This strategy provides a “backstop” for Republicans to maintain House control, even if they perform poorly elsewhere.
    • Justification: Texas Republicans portray their redistricting efforts as typical and necessary, aiming to maintain communities and increase minority-majority districts, asserting they are not ignoring the Voting Rights Act.
    • Democratic Efforts to Resist and Block Power Shifts:
    • Accusations of “Power Grab”: Democrats view the proposed maps as a “power grab” and a violation of the Voting Rights Act, arguing they dilute the voting power of Black and Latino communities. They believe the maps are designed to prevent these communities from electing candidates of their choosing.
    • Legislative Tactics (Quorum Break): To prevent the passage of these maps, 57 of the 62 Texas Democrats left the state, breaking the quorum needed for the Texas House to conduct business. This move, praised nationwide, successfully slowed down the process for over two months. Fifty state House Democrats went to Oklahoma, and eleven state Senate Democrats went to New Mexico, though senators eventually capitulated and one House member broke ranks, allowing Republicans to proceed.
    • Legal Challenges: The Trump Justice Department, along with other groups, filed lawsuits against the map, arguing it dilutes the voting power of minority voters.
    • Broader National Implications of Power Dynamics:
    • Influence on National Elections: The redrawing of Texas’s map is explicitly aimed at influencing the national balance of power in the U.S. House.
    • Response from Other States: States controlled by Democrats, such as California, Illinois, and New York, are exploring redrawing their own maps to gain more House seats if Texas approves its new maps, indicating a tit-for-tat power struggle across states.
    • Presidential Agenda Impact: The redrawing of maps could impede efforts to grow in the suburbs and represents a major impediment to Trump’s legislative agenda. This highlights how redistricting can affect the ability of a presidential administration to implement its policies.

    These actions demonstrate a clear struggle for political dominance, where redistricting is a powerful tool used to solidify one party’s control and limit the influence of the opposing party, impacting both state-level and national political landscapes.

    Texas Redistricting: A Battle of Legislative Strategies

    Legislative strategy, as demonstrated in the context of Texas’s congressional redistricting, involves a multifaceted approach by both political parties to achieve their objectives.

    Republican Legislative Strategy:

    • Initiating Special Sessions: The GOP-led state legislature in Texas convened a special session specifically to draft preliminary maps after the U.S. Census Bureau’s population count. This demonstrates a proactive use of legislative power to initiate a process that could significantly alter the political landscape.
    • Drawing Partisan Maps: The core of the Republican strategy was to design maps that would shift districts to their advantage, aiming to help Republicans control the U.S. House in the 2026 midterms. Specifically, the proposed maps aimed to shift five districts currently held by Democrats towards Republicans, with the goal of winning 30 of the state’s 38 congressional districts. Ten of these proposed districts were expected to be won by Republicans by 10 points or more. This highly partisan mapping is seen as a “backstop” to maintain House control.
    • Justification and Framing: Republicans presented their redistricting efforts as typical and necessary, asserting that they were aimed at maintaining communities and increasing the number of minority-majority districts, while claiming not to ignore the Voting Rights Act. They argued the previous map failed to meet partisan goals.
    • Perseverance Despite Opposition: Despite the Democratic efforts to block the process, Republicans pressed on, eventually having enough members return to resume legislative business. Governor Greg Abbott stated he would take action to “remove and replace absent legislators” if they did not show up.

    Democratic Legislative Strategy:

    • Quorum Break (Fleeing the State): A primary strategy employed by Democrats was to break the quorum needed for the Texas House to conduct business. 57 of the 62 Texas Democrats left the state in an attempt to stall the redistricting plans, successfully doing so for over two months. This tactic required two-thirds of the 150 members to be present, and Democrats strategically moved to states like Oklahoma and New Mexico to maintain the boycott.
    • Public Accusations and Legal Challenges: Democrats publicly decried the Republican mapping efforts as a “power grab” and a violation of the Voting Rights Act, arguing the maps were designed to dilute the voting power of Black and Latino communities. The Trump Justice Department also sought to pressure Texas to prevent the maps from being adopted, citing dilution of minority voting power, and filed lawsuits against the map, as did other groups.
    • Seeking National Support: Democrats across the country praised the Texas Democrats’ efforts to break quorum. This indicates a strategy to garner national attention and support for their opposition to the redistricting plans.

    Interplay of Strategies and Outcomes:

    The legislative strategies of both parties demonstrate a high-stakes struggle for political power. While the Democratic quorum break successfully delayed the process for an extended period, the Republican legislative will ultimately prevailed as senators capitulated and one House member broke ranks, allowing Republicans to proceed with their plans. This dynamic highlights how legislative rules and partisan discipline are critical components of a successful strategy. The national implications are also significant, as other Democratic-controlled states like California, Illinois, and New York are exploring redrawing their own lines to gain more House seats if Texas approves its new maps, illustrating how legislative strategies in one state can ripple across the nation.

    Texas Redistricting: Democrats’ Fight Against a Power Grab

    Democratic efforts, particularly in response to the redrawing of Texas’s congressional map, have been primarily focused on blocking what they perceive as a “power grab” by Republicans and protecting the voting power of minority communities.

    Here’s a discussion of their key efforts:

    • Accusations and Justification:
    • Democrats decried the Republican redistricting moves as a “power grab” and accused Republicans of violating the Voting Rights Act.
    • They argue that the proposed maps are designed to prevent Black and Latino communities from electing candidates of their choosing, thereby diluting their voting power.
    • Texas Democratic leaders asserted that “If Trump is allowed to rip the Voting Rights Act to shreds here in Central Texas, his ploy will spread like wildfire across the country”.
    • House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York) praised the Texas Democrats for refusing to vote on the congressional redistricting proposal, stating it was “designed to rig the midterm elections for House Republicans”.
    • Legislative Strategy: Breaking Quorum:
    • A primary and highly visible Democratic effort was to break the quorum needed for the Texas House to conduct business.
    • 57 of the 62 Texas Democrats left the state to prevent a Republican effort to redraw district boundaries and give the GOP five more safely red seats.
    • This boycott successfully slowed down the process for over two months.
    • Fifty state House Democrats went to Oklahoma, and eleven state Senate Democrats went to New Mexico to block the plan.
    • This move was praised by Democrats across the country.
    • However, despite these efforts, the boycott ultimately ended as the senators capitulated after six weeks, and one member of the House boycott broke ranks, enabling Republicans to proceed. Governor Greg Abbott had stated he would take action to “remove and replace absent legislators” if they did not show up.
    • Legal Challenges:
    • The Trump Justice Department, in an effort that aligned with Democratic concerns, sought to pressure Texas to prevent the new maps from being adopted, arguing they dilute the voting power of minority voters. The Justice Department and other groups filed lawsuits against the map.
    • While the Justice Department cited specific districts, Texas Republicans primarily targeted other districts in their proposal.
    • Seeking Broader Impact:
    • Democrats across the country viewed the Texas Democrats’ efforts as crucial, with Democrats nationwide praising their decision to break quorum.
    • Democratic-controlled states like California, Illinois, and New York are exploring redrawing their own lines to gain more House seats if Texas approves its new maps, indicating a potential counter-strategy to Texas’s moves. This shows an attempt by Democrats to respond nationally to shifts in electoral power.

    In summary, Democratic efforts involved a combination of direct legislative obstruction through a quorum break, public condemnation, and leveraging legal avenues to challenge what they viewed as unconstitutional and partisan gerrymandering. While the quorum break delayed the process, it ultimately did not prevent the maps from moving forward.

    Texas Republicans’ Redistricting Strategy for House Control

    Republican actions, as detailed in the sources, primarily revolve around their strategic efforts to redraw Texas’s congressional map to solidify and expand their political power, both within the state and nationally.

    Here’s a discussion of Republican actions:

    • Goal of Controlling the U.S. House:
    • The overarching aim of the GOP-led state legislature in redrawing the map is to help Republicans control the U.S. House in the 2026 midterms. They intend for their party to gain more seats in Congress.
    • Republicans see their proposed map as a “good plan for Texas”.
    • Legislative Process and Map Redrawing:
    • The GOP-led state legislature convened a special session to draft preliminary maps following the U.S. Census Bureau’s population count.
    • The proposed maps are designed to shift five districts currently held by Democrats towards Republicans.
    • Under this new plan, Republicans anticipate winning 30 of the state’s 38 congressional districts, with ten proposed districts expected to be won by Republicans by 10 points or more.
    • This strategy is intended to provide a “backstop” for Republicans to maintain House control, even if they perform poorly in other mid-term elections.
    • Specifically, districts held by Democrats such as Greg Casar, Henry Cuellar, Al Green, Vicente Gonzalez, and Julie Johnson were tilted significantly to the right.
    • Justification and Framing of Actions:
    • Texas Republicans portray their redistricting efforts as typical and necessary.
    • They assert that their maps are aimed at maintaining communities and increasing minority-majority districts, and claim they are not ignoring the Voting Rights Act.
    • Texas Rep. Todd Hunter (R), the sponsor of the legislation, stated that the new map is “a good plan for Texas” that would give his party more seats in Congress, focusing on “five districts for partisan purposes”.
    • They also argued that the previous map “failed to meet partisan goals”.
    • Republican strategists, like Adam Kincaid, the executive director of the National Republican Redistricting Trust, framed the maps as moving forward and allowing Democrats to take similar actions in other states.
    • Perseverance Despite Opposition:
    • Despite the significant efforts by Texas Democrats to break quorum and stall the process, Republicans pressed on with their legislative agenda.
    • Governor Greg Abbott stated he would take action to “remove and replace absent legislators” if they did not show up.
    • After more than two months, the boycott ended as senators capitulated and one House member broke ranks, which allowed Republicans to proceed with their plans.
    • Response to Legal Challenges:
    • Although the Trump Justice Department and other groups filed lawsuits against the map, arguing it diluted the voting power of minority voters, Texas Republicans primarily targeted other districts in their proposal than those cited by the Justice Department. This indicates a strategic response to legal challenges while pursuing their overall objectives.

    These actions highlight a clear and aggressive strategy by the Republican Party to leverage the redistricting process to secure electoral advantages and influence the national political landscape.

    The Shifting Democratic Party Under Trump

    The provided sources examine shifts in the Democratic Party’s ideology and voter sentiment during Donald Trump’s first term. They highlight a growing proportion of Democrats identifying as liberal, moving away from moderate or conservative stances. Furthermore, the texts analyze changing attitudes within the Democratic base regarding issues such as support for an independent Palestinian state and immigration, as well as approval of Democrats in Congress and national pride. This ideological realignment is explored as a potential factor in the party’s approach to the Trump administration and its evolving policy preferences.

    The Evolving Democratic Party: 2016-2025 Trends

    The Democratic Party has undergone significant shifts in its ideological makeup, policy preferences, and self-identification, particularly during former President Donald Trump’s first term.

    Key shifts within the Democratic Party include:

    • Ideological Transformation:
    • Democratic voters have grown more uniformly left in their outlook.
    • The percentage of Democrats identifying as “liberal” or “very liberal” increased from 40 percent in 2016 to 55 percent in 2024.
    • Conversely, the share identifying as “conservative” or “very conservative” dropped from 15 percent to 9 percent over the same period.
    • The percentage of Democrats identifying as “moderate” also decreased from 37 percent to 34 percent. This ideological movement leftward is described as a “mirror image” of Republicans’ shift rightward under Trump.
    • This attitudinal shift explains why the Democratic base is becoming receptive to figures like Zoltran Mandani, identified as a Democratic socialist.
    • Policy Preferences:
    • Support for an independent Palestinian state among Democrats increased from 61 percent in 2017 to 76 percent in 2025. This issue gained greater importance following the events of October 7, 2023.
    • Attitudes towards immigration have become more complex. The percentage of Democrats who believe “agree immigration is a net good” decreased from 50 percent in 2017 to 35 percent in 2025. However, simultaneously, 44 percent of Democrats in 2025 wanted an increase in immigration levels.
    • Self-Identity and National Pride:
    • Democrats’ self-image as Americans has shifted, with a “significant” decrease in those reporting to be proud of America compared to past trends.
    • In 2017, 67 percent of Democrats felt “extremely proud” or “very proud” of their country, but this number plummeted to 36 percent in 2025. This decline in self-described national pride is a long-term phenomenon.
    • Trust and Inter-Party Relations:
    • Polls indicate a base of voters who are growing more liberal and less trusting of leaders in both parties.
    • In 2017, 48 percent of Democrats expressed trust in their leaders in Congress, but this figure dropped to 39 percent in 2025.
    • Democrats have shifted toward a more antagonistic stance toward their Republican counterparts, showing less support for cooperation across the aisle.

    These shifts reflect a Democratic Party that is not the same as it was eight years ago, particularly in terms of its voter base, which has moved steadily left. The dynamic of the Democratic Party of 2026 is distinct from that of 2018, though midterm dynamics may appear similar.

    Evolving Democratic Party Platform and Ideology (2016-2026)

    While the sources do not explicitly use the term “party platforms,” they extensively detail the evolving policy preferences and ideological stances of the Democratic Party, which are core components of any party’s platform. These shifts define what the Democratic Party stands for and how its base aligns on key issues.

    Based on the sources, the Democratic Party’s “platform,” as evidenced by its voters’ attitudes and preferences, has undergone significant changes:

    • Ideological Shift to the Left: The Democratic Party’s base has become more uniformly left in its outlook. The percentage of Democrats identifying as “liberal” or “very liberal” increased from 40 percent in 2016 to 55 percent in 2024. Conversely, the share identifying as “conservative” or “very conservative” dropped from 15 percent to 9 percent during the same period, with moderates also decreasing from 37 percent to 34 percent. This attitudinal shift explains the Democratic base’s receptiveness to figures like Zoltran Mandani, identified as a Democratic socialist. This ideological movement is described as a “mirror image” of the Republican party’s shift rightward under former President Trump.
    • Key Policy Preferences:
    • Support for an independent Palestinian state has increased significantly among Democrats, rising from 61 percent in 2017 to 76 percent in 2025. This issue gained greater importance following the events of October 7, 2023.
    • Immigration preferences have become more complex. While the percentage of Democrats who believe “immigration is a net good” decreased from 50 percent in 2017 to 35 percent in 2025, simultaneously, 44 percent of Democrats in 2025 wanted an increase in immigration levels.
    • Inter-Party Relations: Democrats have shifted toward a more antagonistic stance toward their Republican counterparts, showing less support for cooperation across the aisle.

    These evolving ideological and policy preferences demonstrate that the Democratic Party of 2026 is not the same as the Democratic Party of 2018, with its voter base moving steadily left. These shifts indicate the underlying “platform” or guiding principles of the party are changing in response to political dynamics and events.

    Democratic Distrust: Leaders Losing the Base

    The sources indicate a decline in trust among Democrats in their political leaders, particularly those in Congress.

    Key points regarding trust in leadership:

    • Decreased Trust in Congressional Leaders: Polls show a base of voters who are growing less trusting of leaders in both parties. Specifically, among Democrats, the percentage expressing trust in their leaders in Congress significantly decreased. In 2017, 48 percent of Democrats trusted their leaders in Congress, but this figure dropped to 39 percent in 2025.
    • Broader Distrust: This trend suggests a broader sentiment of distrust among the Democratic base, not just towards opposing parties but also towards their own leadership.
    • Impact on Party Dynamics: This declining trust contributes to the dynamic of a Democratic Party where its base is described as “growing more liberal and less trusting of leaders in both parties”. It also aligns with a shift towards a more antagonistic stance towards Republican counterparts, with less support for cross-aisle cooperation.

    The Evolving Democratic Identity: Leftward, Less Proud, More Antagonistic

    The sources indicate several significant shifts in the political identity of the Democratic Party’s base, encompassing ideological self-identification, national pride, and their stance towards the opposing party.

    Key aspects of the evolving Democratic political identity include:

    • Ideological Self-Identification:
    • Democratic voters have become more uniformly left in their outlook.
    • The percentage of Democrats identifying as “liberal” or “very liberal” increased substantially, rising from 40 percent in 2016 to 55 percent in 2024.
    • Conversely, the share identifying as “conservative” or “very conservative” dropped from 15 percent to 9 percent during the same period.
    • The percentage of Democrats identifying as “moderate” also saw a decrease, moving from 37 percent to 34 percent.
    • This leftward ideological movement is described as a “mirror image” of Republicans’ shift rightward under former President Donald Trump. This attitudinal shift also helps explain why the Democratic base is becoming receptive to figures like Zoltran Mandani, who is identified as a Democratic socialist.
    • National Pride:
    • There has been a significant decrease in Democrats’ self-image as Americans, particularly concerning national pride.
    • In 2017, 67 percent of Democrats reported feeling “extremely proud” or “very proud” of their country.
    • However, this number plummeted to 36 percent in 2025. This decline in self-described national pride is noted as a long-term phenomenon.
    • Inter-Party Stance:
    • Democrats have shifted towards a more antagonistic stance toward their Republican counterparts, demonstrating less support for cooperation across the aisle. This indicates that their political identity is also increasingly defined by their opposition to the Republican Party.

    These shifts illustrate that the Democratic Party of 2026 is distinct from that of 2018, largely due to the steady leftward movement and changing self-perceptions of its voter base.

    Democrats’ Evolving Views: Ideology, Policy, and Pride

    The sources provide detailed insights into the evolving attitudes of Democratic voters, indicating significant shifts in their ideological alignment, policy preferences, levels of trust, and national pride.

    Key aspects of Democratic voter attitudes include:

    • Ideological Shift Leftward:
    • Democratic voters have become more uniformly left in their outlook.
    • The percentage of Democrats identifying as “liberal” or “very liberal” significantly increased from 40 percent in 2016 to 55 percent in 2024.
    • Conversely, the share identifying as “conservative” or “very conservative” dropped from 15 percent to 9 percent during the same period.
    • The proportion of those identifying as “moderate” also decreased from 37 percent to 34 percent.
    • This attitudinal shift leftward explains why the Democratic base is becoming receptive to figures identified as Democratic socialists, such as Zoltran Mandani. This movement is described as a “mirror image” of the Republicans’ shift rightward under former President Donald Trump.
    • Evolving Policy Preferences:
    • Support for an independent Palestinian state among Democrats increased from 61 percent in 2017 to 76 percent in 2025, gaining greater importance after the events of October 7, 2023.
    • Attitudes towards immigration present a complex picture. While the percentage of Democrats who believe “immigration is a net good” decreased from 50 percent in 2017 to 35 percent in 2025, paradoxically, 44 percent of Democrats in 2025 also wanted an increase in immigration levels.
    • Decline in National Pride:
    • There has been a significant decrease in Democrats’ pride in America. In 2017, 67 percent of Democrats reported feeling “extremely proud” or “very proud” of their country, but this number plummeted to 36 percent in 2025. This decline is identified as a long-term phenomenon.
    • Decreased Trust in Leadership:
    • Democratic voters are growing less trusting of leaders in both parties.
    • Specifically, trust in Democratic leaders in Congress decreased, with 48 percent trusting them in 2017, dropping to 39 percent in 2025.
    • Inter-Party Relations:
    • Democrats have shifted towards a more antagonistic stance toward their Republican counterparts, showing less support for cooperation across the aisle. This suggests a hardening of attitudes regarding political compromise.

    These changes in voter attitudes indicate that the Democratic Party’s base is fundamentally different from what it was eight years ago, particularly in its steady leftward movement and its evolving views on national identity and political engagement.

    Texas Governor Threatens Fleeing Democrats with Arrest and Penalties

    The provided source details the escalating tensions between Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Democratic lawmakers who fled the state to prevent a redistricting bill from passing. Governor Abbott is threatening to arrest the lawmakers and prevent them from engaging in future political activities, asserting that they are abandoning their duties. The article highlights the legal and political arguments surrounding the Democrats’ actions, including discussions on the legitimacy of their exodus and the potential impact on future elections. It also notes the involvement of other states, like Illinois and New York, in supporting or opposing the Texas Democrats’ strategy. Ultimately, the conflict centers on the power dynamics of redistricting and the constitutional implications of legislative boycotts.

    Texas Gridlock: Abbott’s Threats and Democratic Resistance

    Texas Governor Greg Abbott is threatening to take action against Democratic lawmakers who fled the state to prevent a vote on a new congressional map. His threats include:

    • Removing them from office. Samuel Issacharoff, a New York University School of Law professor, noted that governors have the authority to remove legislators for more than 30 years, and Abbott will need to find good grounds for this, otherwise it could lead to a political confrontation in Texas courts.
    • Charging them with crimes.
    • Abbott has stated that he will ensure the Democrats’ commitment to passing his plan and facing the challenges Democrats face. He also wrote in a letter that the Democrats’ actions were for “thwarting the chamber’s business”.
    • He has warned that the lawmakers could lose their pay. Democrats’ pay has been tied to their attendance in special sessions since the 30-day session began. Representative Gene Wu, the chairman of the Democratic caucus in the Texas House, mentioned that Democrats were using legal ways to avoid their costs while they are away.
    • Abbott has threatened to call more special sessions and stated that the Democrats’ presence is expected. He and Republicans hold the upper hand because Democrats have not stated where they will be or how long they intend to stay away.
    • He also launched a $750,000 digital ad campaign aimed at Democrats, stating that Democrats had abandoned their duties and given up their jobs. He claims that this would allow Abbott to call special elections to replace them.

    Other perspectives on the Governor’s threats include:

    • Attorney General Ken Paxton stated in a letter that courts could determine that Democrats had abandoned their duties and given up their jobs.
    • State Representative Gina Hinojosa (D) argued that Abbott couldn’t push lawmakers out of their jobs.
    • New York Governor Kathy Hochul said she was exploring options to redraw New York’s congressional map, viewing the situation as a political process. She stated, “I’m tired with fighting this fight with my hand tied behind my back. With all due respect to the good government groups, politics is a political process,”.
    • Samuel Issacharoff noted that “this is not a unilateral action of the governor,” and even if it goes to court, it will be tough to make it.
    • Gene Wu from the Democratic caucus in the Texas House stated that Abbott “could try to extradite Democrats from other states” but believes he did not have the authority to force Democrats back to Texas.
    • State Representative John Bucy III (D) said Democrats are “not backing down from this fight” and will continue to do everything to preserve democracy.

    Redistricting Battles: Texas, New York, and Ohio

    Redistricting efforts are a significant political process, particularly after a census, as they determine the drawing of electoral maps for the next decade.

    In Texas, these efforts are aimed at enacting a new congressional map. The Republican party in Texas seeks to use this redistricting to gain five more congressional seats, a move that could solidify their majority for the next ten years. The Texas House needs to reconvene to vote on this.

    Currently, of the 150 members in the Texas House, 51 Democrats and 57 Republicans have already advanced their plans. Most of the Democrats who have left the state are located in Chicago or New York.

    Democrats have taken drastic measures, including fleeing the state, to prevent a vote on this new congressional map. Their aim is to block the redrawing of lines that they believe would unfairly give Republicans additional seats and further consolidate power. State Representative John Bucy III (D) stated that Democrats are “not backing down from this fight” and will continue their efforts to “preserve democracy”.

    Beyond Texas, other states are also undertaking redistricting efforts:

    • New York Governor Kathy Hochul mentioned that she is exploring options to redraw New York’s congressional map, viewing it as a political process.
    • Ohio also plans to redraw its map, with other states potentially following suit.

    Democratic Redistricting Strategy: Quorum Breaks and Retaliation

    The core Democratic strategy discussed in the sources revolves around preventing Republican efforts to redraw congressional maps in their favor, particularly in Texas.

    Key aspects of the Democratic strategy include:

    • Fleeing the state to break quorum: In Texas, most Democratic lawmakers exited the state to prevent the Texas House from reconvening and voting on a new congressional map. This action is intended to stop Republicans from advancing with their plan to gain five more congressional seats. Most of the Democrats who left Texas are currently in Chicago or New York.
    • Blocking the chamber’s business: By denying the majority the quorum it needs to operate, Democrats aim to thwart the legislative business related to redistricting.
    • Stance on returning and pay: Democrats have stated they are not backing down from this fight and will continue to do everything to “preserve democracy”. While Governor Abbott has threatened to make them lose their pay, Democrats, through Representative Gene Wu, have indicated they are using legal ways to avoid their costs while away.
    • Resisting extradition efforts: Gene Wu also believes Governor Abbott does not have the authority to force Democrats back to Texas, even though he “could try to extradite Democrats from other states”.
    • Long-term commitment: Democrats were committed to staying away for two weeks when the 30-day special session began, and they anticipate Abbott could call more special sessions. However, they have not stated where they will be or how long they intend to stay away, which gives Republicans the upper hand.
    • Democratic control in other states: Democrats are controlling other states and are threatening to retaliate by drawing new maps of their own if Texas Republicans carry out their plan. The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) has called on Democratic state lawmakers to prepare for carving up their states. They assert that “all options must be on the table” for redistricting, including democratic state legislatures using their power to fight back and pursue redistricting.
    • California’s approach: Democrats in California have indicated they could hold a special election in November to ask voters to adopt a ballot measure that would give Democrats more favorable districts next year.

    Texas Redistricting Battle: A Struggle for Power

    The political conflict discussed in the sources primarily centers around the highly contentious process of redistricting and the struggle for electoral power.

    Key aspects of this conflict include:

    • Partisan Struggle over Redistricting: The core of the conflict is the Republican party’s effort in Texas to enact a new congressional map designed to gain five more congressional seats and solidify their majority for the next ten years. This is viewed by Democrats as an attempt to unfairly consolidate power.
    • Democratic Resistance through Quorum Break: To prevent the passage of this redistricting plan, most Democratic lawmakers in Texas have fled the state to break the quorum required for the Texas House to reconvene and vote. This action directly thwarts the chamber’s business, as stated by Governor Abbott.
    • Governor’s Escalating Threats: Texas Governor Greg Abbott has responded to the Democrats’ walkout with escalating threats, intensifying the conflict. These threats include:
    • Removing lawmakers from office. Legal experts like Samuel Issacharoff note that while governors have this authority, finding “good grounds” is necessary to avoid a “political confrontation in Texas courts”.
    • Charging them with crimes.
    • Warning that lawmakers could lose their pay.
    • Threatening to call more special sessions to force their return, asserting that Republicans hold the upper hand because Democrats haven’t specified how long they will stay away.
    • Launching a $750,000 digital ad campaign claiming Democrats had “abandoned their duties”.
    • Legal and Constitutional Debates: The conflict involves legal interpretations of a governor’s authority and a legislator’s duty. Attorney General Ken Paxton suggested courts could rule that Democrats “abandoned their duties,” while State Representative Gina Hinojosa (D) argued Abbott “couldn’t push lawmakers out of their jobs”. The feasibility of extraditing Democrats from other states has also been debated, with Democrats believing Abbott lacks the authority to force their return.
    • Interstate Retaliation and National Implications: The conflict extends beyond Texas, becoming a national political issue. Democrats controlling other states are threatening to retaliate by drawing their own new maps if Texas Republicans proceed with their plan. The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) has urged Democratic state lawmakers to prepare for redistricting battles, stating that “all options must be on the table” for redistricting and advocating for Democratic state legislatures to use their power to “fight back”. New York Governor Kathy Hochul has also indicated her intent to explore options to redraw New York’s congressional map, viewing redistricting as a “political process” and expressing frustration with “fighting this fight with my hand tied behind my back”.
    • Commitment from Both Sides: Both sides have expressed firm commitment to their positions. Governor Abbott is determined to pass his plan, while Democrats like State Representative John Bucy III have declared they are “not backing down from this fight” and will continue to “preserve democracy”.

    In essence, the political conflict is a high-stakes partisan struggle for control over legislative power and future electoral outcomes, employing a range of legislative, legal, and public relations tactics.

    Redistricting: Texas Quorum Battle and Beyond

    The legislative challenges discussed in the sources primarily revolve around the process of redistricting and the ability of legislative bodies to function when facing partisan opposition.

    In Texas, the primary legislative challenge is the inability of the Texas House to reconvene and vote on a new congressional map. This challenge arises because most Democratic lawmakers have fled the state, effectively breaking the quorum necessary for the House to conduct business. The Republicans need a specific number of members present to advance their plans, and the Democrats’ absence prevents this.

    Specific legislative hurdles include:

    • Quorum Failure: The Texas House requires a specific number of members present to operate. Two-thirds of the 150 members, or 100, are needed to form a quorum. With 51 Democrats having left the state, and 57 Republicans remaining, the House lacks the necessary numbers to proceed. This situation directly “thwart[s] the chamber’s business”.
    • Stalled Redistricting Efforts: The Democrats’ walkout is a direct effort to stop Republicans from moving ahead with enacting a new congressional map that could give the GOP five more seats. Until the quorum is met, the legislative process for passing this map remains stalled.
    • Governor’s Authority vs. Legislative Independence: Governor Greg Abbott is attempting to overcome this legislative challenge through threats, including potentially removing lawmakers from office or calling more special sessions. However, this introduces legal and political challenges regarding the extent of a governor’s authority versus the independence of legislators, as noted by Samuel Issacharoff who stated that such an action would be “a political confrontation in Texas courts”. State Representative Gina Hinojosa (D) also argued that Abbott “couldn’t push lawmakers out of their jobs”.
    • Sustaining the Walkout: Democrats face the challenge of sustaining their walkout, including managing the financial implications of potentially losing their pay. While they are using “legal ways to avoid their costs”, the Governor’s threat to call repeated special sessions also poses a logistical and strategic challenge for Democrats, who have not disclosed how long they intend to stay away.
    • Interstate Legislative Strategies: The challenge extends beyond Texas, as the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) has called on Democratic state lawmakers in other states to prepare to “fight back” and use their power to draw new maps in retaliation. This indicates that similar legislative battles over redistricting are anticipated or already underway in other states like New York and Ohio. New York Governor Kathy Hochul, for instance, mentioned exploring options to redraw New York’s congressional map, viewing it as a “political process”.

    Overall, the legislative challenges highlight the intense partisan nature of redistricting, where fundamental legislative processes like forming a quorum and voting on bills become battlegrounds for political power.

    By Amjad Izhar
    Contact: amjad.izhar@gmail.com
    https://amjadizhar.blog