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Modi farm
Repeal Of Farm Laws & Loud Welcome By Captain Amarinder Raises New Possibilities In Punjab
In a big, bold gesture, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stooped to reach out to Sikh farmers in Punjab by announcing repeal of contentious three farm laws on the occasion of Gurpurab. In a national address, he apologised to farmers who have been protesting for close to a year against the farm laws and declared that all three laws will be repealed in the upcoming winter session of Parliament beginning November 29. Punjab’s former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh welcomed it. In fact, he had insisted on resolution of farm laws as pre-condition for his alliance with BJP.  The former Punjab CM is launching Punjab Lok Congress. There are about 20% Hindu votes in urban Punjab areas, usually aligned with the BJP; an alliance with the BJP is viewed as useful to clinch elections. Rakesh Singh Tikait seemed defiant and said he will call off the agitation only after the Bill is repealed in the Parliament. But, those in support of the Bill were shocked by the expediency displayed by the Government. Was it merely to secure an election victory in Uttar Pradesh? Or make some gains in Punjab? Or is it the prospect of unrest being fueled from across the border in Punjab? People in the know say issues of security seem to have weighed on the minds of PM Modi. From cracking down on PIOs who were funding the agitation, to blocking visas of some Canadian employees to increasing the BSF patrol of up to 50 km in border states, the Government wants to ensure that there is no misadventure in a border state.  Shetkhari Sanghatna chief Anil Ghanwat, who was part of the Supreme Court appointed panel to find a solution, feels the move to withdraw laws is the most retrograde step: “After this no Government in India will have courage to initiate agriculture reforms for next 30 years.”
Spotlight On PM Modi’s Sikh Outreach & Surprise Farm Laws’ Repeal
It is on the occasion of Gurpurab – the birth anniversary of Sri Guru Nanak Dev – that Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to break the impasse by repealing three farm laws. Modi’s surprising climbdown on farm reforms acknowledges that the farm protests were not only hurting BJP’s prospects in poll-bound states but were also causing unintentional, deep divide in the society. During his earlier outreach to Sikhs (February 2021), Modi offered the nation’s gratitude: “What have they not done for this country? Whatever respect we give them will always be less.” At Rajya Sabha came his call to stand with the Sikhs: “We must not forget what happened with Punjab. It suffered the most during the Partition 1947. It cried the most during the 1984 riots.” The new farm laws – despite being transformative – had stirred passions with the most vocal resistance coming from Punjab and adjoining geographies that gave Green Revolution. The PM’s fresh outreach must be welcomed: The Sikh families not only contribute disproportionately to the farming sector but also send the bravest of warriors to the defence forces. It may be recalled that it was the failure of the then government to manage the Punjab agrarian alienation which eventually led to a violent separatist movement, followed by a series of tragic consequences: Operation Bluestar, assassination of PM Indira Gandhi, and anti-Sikh riots in 1984.
Farmer_support_FC
Spotlight On PM Modi’s Sikh Outreach & Surprise Farm Laws’ Repeal
It is on the occasion of Gurpurab – the birth anniversary of Sri Guru Nanak Dev – that Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to break the impasse by repealing three farm laws. Modi’s surprising climbdown on farm reforms acknowledges that the farm protests were not only hurting BJP’s prospects in poll-bound states but were also causing unintentional, deep divide in the society. During his earlier outreach to Sikhs (February 2021), Modi offered the nation’s gratitude: “What have they not done for this country? Whatever respect we give them will always be less.” At Rajya Sabha came his call to stand with the Sikhs: “We must not forget what happened with Punjab. It suffered the most during the Partition 1947. It cried the most during the 1984 riots.” The new farm laws – despite being transformative – had stirred passions with the most vocal resistance coming from Punjab and adjoining geographies that gave Green Revolution. The PM’s fresh outreach must be welcomed: The Sikh families not only contribute disproportionately to the farming sector but also send the bravest of warriors to the defence forces. It may be recalled that it was the failure of the then government to manage the Punjab agrarian alienation which eventually led to a violent separatist movement, followed by a series of tragic consequences: Operation Bluestar, assassination of PM Indira Gandhi, and anti-Sikh riots in 1984.
ashwin_006_bcci
Ravi Ashwin Back In Action As Kohli-Shastri Experiment Era Ends
Ravichandran Ashwin has a lot to say within his circle. He can be vociferous at team meetings because he loves to discuss things and dissect ideas. But he is best when he lets the cricket ball do the talking. Which is what he did in the first T20i when he starred with the white ball in a match-changing over taking out New Zealander’s Mark Chapman and getting the dangerous Glenn Philips to scotch the visitors’ hopes of a 170-plus total that could have challenged Team India. What Ashwin’s deeds with the ball have done since he was reluctantly brought into the side as an afterthought in the T20 World Cup after India had been virtually eliminated was to expose the prejudiced view of Virat Kohli towards off spin in general and against its leading proponent Ashwin in particular. Having decided that wrist spin was the answer to counter the big hitters in T20 cricket, the Kohli-Shastri duo had dumped Ashwin four years ago from white ball cricket and then simply refused to admit they could have been wrong even after the novelty of wrist spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav had worn off. It is a tribute to Ashwin that he never gave up on honing his white ball skills. It is his good fortune that Team India is making a fresh start with a new captain and coach.
Salman_Khan_FC
Salman Lends Support To Maha Govt’s Vaccine Drive, Stands With SRK On Aryan Case
Vaccine hesitancy mindset seems to be the biggest challenge for both the Central and State governments. And, this hesitancy is more pronounced in Muslim-dominated areas, says Maharashtra’s Public Health Minister Rajesh Tope. With a view to address this issue, the Maharashtra government sought Salman Khan’s help to convince people to take jab. On his part, Salman very quickly put out a short video and appealed to people to take vaccines. Salman’s mass appeal should certainly help. On Twitter alone he has 43.2 million followers. It is quite well known that both he and his father, the well-known script writer Salim Khan are close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi from his days as the Chief Minister of Gujarat. During the Uttarayan Festival both Salman and Modi were seen flying kites. Yet, Salman surprised everybody visiting Shah Rukh Khan’s house when his son Aryan was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau in connection with the drugs-on-cruise case. Many stars did not show their solidarity openly for the fear of incurring wrath of the Central government but not Salman. Surprisingly, nobody trolled him for that. He is the only Khan who is known to be non-political and that has worked to his advantage. Yes, he has strong views but he does not hesitate to pick up the phone and talk to any politicians if he can help somebody.
saint_gobain
Saint Gobain’s Rs 2,500-Cr Bet On India To Target Booming Work From Home Segment
 Covid has changed the world upside down for many. The distance between the home and the office has, in many cases, simply shrunk drastically. One part of the house has become a regular office. And, this has thrown new business opportunities. The housing sector at least is witnessing a demand re-jig.  Safety and WFH (work-from-home) compulsions are forcing home-buyers to opt for bigger flats. Sensing this, French glass maker Saint-Gobain has trained its focus on providing downstream solutions in India. Towards this it has chalked out an ambitious capex plan of Rs 2,500 crore. It has already set up a separate business unit for home solutions to satiate the emerging needs of home buyers. And, it is promising to offer customized solutions for every individual client. This calls for a sense of agility and spirit of entrepreneurship. To be sure, a highly technology-oriented and end-to-end digitized independent entity is now anchoring Saint Gobain’s foray into this downstream exercise. A game-changing initiative, this move reflects a new strategy in thinking for this predominantly material manufacturer. The end-user-focussed unit has already hired over 300 people with diverse skill sets to grab a reasonable share in the $25 billion home solution pie. End-user, nay home-buyer, terrain isn’t going to be an easy nut to crack. But Saint-Gobain has chosen to do so. India is shining for this French group, it appears.
Arvind_Kejriwal
Kejriwal’s New Model: Spend Rs 16-Cr On All India Ads For Rs 40k Pollution Solution For Delhi
Even as the Supreme Court warned the AAP Government in Delhi that it could order an audit of its advertisement spending if it did not submit an action plan soon enough to combat toxic air in the national capital, the warning got the BJP to dig out an RTI reply given by the Arvind Kejriwal Government. Citing an RTI reply and statement in the Delhi Assembly given by the Kejriwal Government, the BJP showed how the AAP leadership was more busy promoting itself than in tackling pollution. “As per information provided by the Government, we see the AAP Government bought a biodegradable solution from Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa for Rs 40,000. The solution was to be used on paralis or rice stubble. The programme covered 310 farmers in the National Capital Region. So far so good,” points out BJP spokesperson Dr Sambit Patra. However, what takes the cake is the money splurged by the Kejriwal Government to disseminate information about its efforts to check stubble burning via ads all over India. “The AAP Government spent close to Rs 16 crore on ads about itself. It tried to educate even people in Kerala about what it is doing in Delhi. This also we came to know via RTI,” said Dr Patra.
kangana ranaut_twitter
India @ 75: Making Sense Of Kangana's Pro-Modi Remarks
Actor Kangana Ranaut’s remarks that India’s Independence from the British was bheekh and that “real freedom was won in May 2014” has hardly amused the BJP. Though she may have made politically incorrect noises about India winning freedom only after Narendra Modi came to power, the party is simply going nowhere near this pretty young woman from Himachal Pradesh. Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil was the first to openly denounce the decorated actor’s views. With the Modi government all geared up to celebrate the 75th year of India’s Independence, one can hardly expect the party to endorse her views. “Kanagana is not a member of the BJP, why should we even be talking about her,” says a party spokesperson. This even as the Congress took to the streets, launching public protest against her. There is no doubt that the 34-year-old actor is a self-made person who has carved a niche for herself in the big, bad Mumbai film world. It speaks volumes about her grit and determination. As for her assessment about the freedom movement, guess it was not meant to be taken seriously.
kangana ranaut_FC_002
Making Sense Of Kangana’s Viewpoint On The Great Indian
Kangana Ranawat has earned the sobriquet stormy petrel of Indian Cinema. Time and again she has shown a near megalomaniac side, with strong delusions of her own grandeur. She is in the news for all the wrong reasons. Like the time when the combined vitriol of the Shiv Sena, Maharashtra Congress and the BMC led to demolishing illegally a part of her plush Mumbai office…Kangana called it “rape”! Kangana moved from B Team apparatchik to A team BJP mouthpiece, and then came the foot-in-the mouth moment. She declared loftily, deadpan and sensationally to a news channel, “What India got in 1947 was not Independence, it was Bheek from the Brits. We became truly Azaad only in 2014”. Many clutched their bellies LOL, but most came down strongly on this silliness. Varun Gandhi, the also ran of the clan, “It is an outrage and national betrayal.” But what historian Ramchandra Guha wrote is the most telling indictment of all such affront profanations…Winston Churchill, the Greatest Briton hated the Greatest Indian….Mahatma Gandhi! The cigar chomping bulldog pathologically loathed this loin cloth fakir marching up the steps of the Imperial Viceregal Palace, demanding Freedom for India. And he got it for us, without firing a single shot from his gun. Kangana Ranawat, don’t ever desecrate or denigrate the Father of Our Nation. He is above all party aspirations.
wankhede stadium
MCA Sees India-NZ Test Drawing 70% Capacity, High Instadia Revenues
The faithful in Mumbai always look forward to an international cricket match at the Wankhede Stadium. Some IPL matches of Season 14 were held at the ‘D’ Road venue  at Churchgate closed-doors last April  before a few cases of the Coronavirus-19 bug struck a few players necessitating the unfinished  part of the tournament to be held in the United Arab Emirates. With the pandemic easing out a bit, the BCCI which is set to make substantial money — around Rs 500 crore from the five-match home series against New Zealand, awarded the second Test to the Mumbai Cricket Association from December 3 to 7. The MCA President Dr Vijay Patil has asked the Government of Maharashtra to allow for full capacity attendance for the match. The MCA is yet to receive a response from the Uddhav Thackeray led Government, but it is readying itself for 50% or 70% capacity. The MCA can seat around 32,000 from which 8,000 odd are given to the 330 odd clubs and 4,800 to the Garware Club House at reduced rates. But while the white ball internationals and IPL matches receive a full house response, Test matches played over five days don’t appeal to even the public with immense interest in cricket. The MCA which will get a decent sum from in-stadia advertising is expecting a good turnout, with Virat Kohli returning to the ranks, but without homegrown boy Rohit Sharma.
jai_bhim
Kollywood Superstar Suriya’s 'Jai Bhim' Stirs A Hornet’s Nest
South Indian star couple Suriya and Jyotika have bagged unheard of recognition and accolades for their home production, Jai Bhim. It is rumoured that they had to pledge jewellery for completing this film, which has overtaken classics like The Shawshank Redemption and The Godfather in IMDb ratings since its release on November 2. It has no kickass glamour, song and dance titillation, near naked costumes and all the B town masala elements to salivate over. Just a stark, gut wrenching and conscience hitting real life incident of 1993 about the socially marginalised, oppressed and downtrodden Irular caste of TN. The protagonist, retired Justice Chandru played by Suriya is not only surprised at all the encomiums flooding his mailbox but also shocked by political reactions. The most telling objection and angry angst came from PMK party head and former Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramdoss. Some remote areas where Jai Bhim was screened erupted in violence. PMK leader A Palanisamy offered a bounty of Rs 1 lakh for kicking Suriya! And there was a death threat too. A calendar depicting a PMK symbol was hastily deleted from the film. Iconic film director Bharathi Raja, President of South India Film Chamber and scores of directors have taken strong objection to Anbumani saying, “At this rate, it looks like we creative guys have to go to every two-bit political outfit to get our scripts okayed.”

TRENDS & VIEWS

Editor’s Note: Big Punch In Small Pack

It is the Third Anniversary of Short Post and as a news media startup launched during the Covid-19 pandemic it certainly feels better than good to find ourselves where we are today. Here, I must cite the unstinted support of our seasoned contributors, all senior editors in the country, who brought a great degree of maturity and sagacity to the Short Post newsroom. But for them, our tagline “Authentic Gossip”, an Oxymoron, would not have matured viably. Our user numbers may be small but our stories have created the desired impact among people who matter — decision makers and influencers. We offer a big punch in a small pack and Short Post with its 225-word stories has been punching above its weight category. Having posted close to 3,000 stories in the last 36 months, Short Post, I feel, is an idea whose time has come.
And this is vindicated by our two marquee advertisers – IDFC FIRST Bank and ICICI Lombard. Both believed in our story and have supported us from Day one. A big thank you to both.
If you look at the media landscape – print, TV and digital — it is a mixed bag. There are job losses as some outfits have closed down while a lucky few were bailed out by large corporate houses. Yes, there is a lot of action in the digital space. However, the entry of corporate houses has raised the question of independence of news media outfits. Sadly, there are just a handful of independent media outfits in the country that are highly respected for their neutrality. At Short Post, our credo is not to take sides, prejudge issues or be biased but, informing readers of behind-the-scenes happenings. In essence, Short Post strives to be a neutral editorial platform — neither anti-establishment nor pro-establishment.
As I said last year, disruptions in the media world are moving at a fast and furious pace. Technology is playing a very big role in how content is generated and consumed. But, we are neither alarmed nor perturbed as it is all a part of the evolution process. What gives us comfort is that AI is unable to create original gossipy content. And that is the news arena where we have achieved a distinction.