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Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath’s biggest political test started this week. Over 40 crore people are expected to gather in the city of Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh Mela and take a holy dip at the confluence of three sacred rivers — the Ganga, the Yamuna, and the mythical, invisible Saraswati. A sacred event for Hindus, the Maha Kumbh started from January 13 and will end on February 26. During the six weeks pilgrims will take part in elaborate rituals, prayers and religious processions. Yogi has personally supervised all arrangements to ensure that his management of the Kumbh will be remembered for a long time. A sprawling 4,000 hectares of open land along the river banks has been converted into a temporary city to house visitors in 150,000 tents, equipped with 3,000 kitchens, 145,000 toilets and 99 parking lots. PM Modi has given such importance to the Kumbh, that he even took the unprecedented step of effecting a bureaucratic reshuffle in the Finance Ministry in midst of budget making. A day after the Tirupati stampede, revenue secretary Arunish Chawla was moved out and replaced by Tuhin Kanta Pandey. As culture secretary, Chawla was in charge of Maha Kumbh and Republic Day. The Centre is spending Rs 5,000 crore for the Kumbh and expecting to generate revenue of Rs 2 lakh crore for UP. The Centre is taking all kinds of precautions as it does not wish for any repetition of the 1954 Kumbh stampede at Prayagraj, in which 800 people died. It happened under Nehru’s watch and Modi had referred to it in one of his speeches. People may credit Yogi if everything goes well. Yogi was praised last time for the arrangements made for Ram temple inauguration in Ayodhya in January 2024.
The Congress will finally have its own premises in New Delhi. Never mind that it is coming 15 years too late. At least it has come up in the midst of Delhi Assembly elections which the party is fighting with renewed vigour. The foundation stone of Indira Bhawan (IB) was laid by Sonia Gandhi, as Congress President, on the party’s 125th anniversary in December 2009. On the auspicious occasion of Makar Sankranti, January 15, she will be launching IB as CPP chairperson. Party sources said MCD clearance had delayed IB’s opening by four months. The Congress led by Indira Gandhi had moved into 24 Akbar Road office — a Type VII Lutyens bungalow — in 1978 when the party was out of power for the first time since Independence. It was offered by a Lok Sabha Dalit MP from Telangana. Ironically, when it is moving out of the bungalow, the party is also out of power. Nevertheless, there is a lot of confidence among Congress leaders that the party could see a comeback. Much hope is riding on Priyanka Gandhi, as she is a MP now. Meanwhile, to avoid having the BJP icon in its address, the Congress chose to have its front gate on Kotla Marg, which is essentially the rear of the plot. As a result, 9A Kotla Marg will become its new address. This has of course got many Cong men wondering if the vaastu for the hi-tech building is perfect. This is the fourth time Congress will be moving its party’s office since independence. From 7 Jantar Mantar Road to 5 Rajendra Prasad Road in 1971 and then to 24 Akbar Road in 1978. In 2015, the Centre cancelled the allotment of 4 bungalows given to the Congress — including 24 Akbar Road. In contrast, the BJP built its headquarters in 6A Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg in a record time of 18 months in Feb 2018.
Sunil Gavaskar dressed in a pistachio China collar gave a pleasant surprise to the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) president Ajinkya Naik and its Apex Council by gracing the Wankhede Stadium Golden Jubilee inauguration on January 12. The MCA had invited the batting maestro and legend for the big celebration on January 19 when the association will felicitate the India captains from Mumbai. Upon being called to the stage after the MCA Apex Council match against the Sports Journalists Association of Mumbai on Sunday — a 10-over thrash — Gavaskar said: “I got myself invited for today’s function because I was captain of Bombay (Mumbai) first before leading India. So I decided to invite myself.” The MCA was naturally excited at its illustrious son of the soil cricketer turning up at the Wankhede where he has scored 1122 runs in 11 Tests at 56.10 with five centuries including a high of 205 against the West Indies in the 1978-79 series. He had missed a century in the first Test at the Wankhede against the West Indies in January 1975. He scored 86 in the first innings. Gavaskar led India for the first time in January 1976 against New Zealand in Auckland, several months after he led Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy season of 1975-76. Gavaskar led Mumbai to three Ranji Trophy title wins; in April 1977 against Delhi at the Kotla, in April 1984 against Delhi at the Wankhede when he scored an unbeaten 206 and in April 1985 against Delhi at the Wankhede. No wonder he arrived at the historic venue on Sunday, January 12, to the delight of one and all!
What’s in a name? Who cares for longevity? Time just sweeps everything aside. Well, the year just went by was significant for this iconic name in the city of Chennai. N Srinivasan-owned The India Cements Ltd (ICL) has changed hands. And, the Birlas have become the new owner of the company. No doubt, change is the only constant in this world. But this change was totally unanticipated. At the employee-level, this change has come as a bolt from the ICL blue. Srinivasan has always been known to be a caring and employee-friendly owner. To be sure, the entire ICL team rallied around him through thick and thin. That bonding with his employees stood Srinivasan out in this highly competitive cement business. But he had little choice but to ship out. It was a bold call from an aging owner. To quit or hold on. That was a tough decision to make. In the end, Srinivasan chose to go out. It requires an extraordinary courage to give up something you were passionate about and something you nurtured all along with sweat and toil. In the end, he chose to call time so that the organisation could continue and become robust. One can debate until the cows come home as to what caused this change. As the new owners – UltraTech Cement — take charge at ICL, speculations are rife. Will the new owner keep the identity of ICL? Will ICL remain a Chennai company? Well, imaginations are running amok at the moment. One thing is sure, however. For Chenniates, it is hard to see ICL slipping into a new hand.
Come to think of it, one does not really see yesteryear popular stars like Reena Roy or Jaya Prada getting publicity…save for some guest appearances on reality shows. The same cannot be said of the 70-year old husky sexy popular star Rekha. From time to time she is visible in the social media space and makes dramatic appearances at the big event. The paparazzi loves her because she has struck a good chemistry with them…goes that extra mile to pose for them. But ironically, she is not friendly with any journalists. That’s why you only see her…don’t read her interview. An insider said, “She is a costly affair when she agrees to participate in an event or award function and goes into details like Amitabh Bachchan.” Rekha who has acted in more than 180 films is nostalgic, mystical and continues to have a big draw wherever she goes. Just recently she was spotted at Raj Kapoor’s 100th birthday celebration. Here too the actress pleased all the paps… even gave a photo of Raj Kapoor sweet kiss. Sources say she is keen to get back to acting. Any Bollywood producers listening?
The situation in Bangladesh has become a matter of grave concern, particularly for the Hindu community, which is reportedly facing severe persecution with alleged administrative complicity. In light of these developments, RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat along with nine senior leaders, is scheduled to visit Bengal for 10 days from February 7 to 16. This visit is being viewed as unprecedented, with no recent parallel in the state, according to sources inside the RSS headquarters. The RSS is celebrating its centenary this year, and officials have stated that the visit is primarily for organizational meetings and discussions on the various events organized across the country for the occasion. Bhagwat and other leaders will be in Kolkata for three days of closed-door meetings, followed by a visit to Bardhaman, where they will engage with regional leaders about the RSS’s activities in central Bengal, particularly in tribal and Kurmi-dominated areas. The visit has attracted significant attention from political analysts and international relations experts, especially given the current geopolitical dynamics. In neighboring Bangladesh, the Hindu community continues to face increasing violence, and the political instability has ramifications for India. Additionally, the presence of radical Islamic groups in eastern India has heightened concerns over internal security, leading to increased vigilance from central agencies. Inside RSS circles, however, some see this trip as addressing deeper concerns about the organization’s presence and influence in Bengal. A senior RSS member noted that while Hindu assertiveness has grown significantly in northern and central India, Bengal has lagged behind, prompting the leadership to focus on the state’s socio-political landscape.
Old timers may still reminisce about that 1964 runaway Tamil comedy hit, Kadhalikka Neramillai. Tamil audience is in for yet another namesake of this film, Kadhalikka Neramillai, directed by Kiruthiga Udhayanidhi, wife of Tamil Nadu deputy CM, to be distributed by husband’s Red Giant Movies. So when the film’s cute heroine Nithya Menen said in the music promo and trailer event, “I just don’t like the filmi world I am in. Just when I decided to quit and look for another career (pilot), destiny dropped the National Award for best female lead in Thiruchitrambalam, in my lap”. An award she richly deserves. Even as she goes from strength to strength as a bankable actress, she wonders why she continues … .no freedom to move, an image to be kept up. How many aspiring leading ladies would happily exchange places with her! Nithya comes from an agnostic family based in Bengaluru. But now she strongly believes that there is a “supreme power and destiny that presides over our lives”. She admits that she has turned into a believer. Is she practising the essence of Gita philosophy? Do your duty to the best of your ability, be detached and don’t depend on outcomes. She is sought after in all South Indian languages, delivers the best that a character demands. Her all-time favourite is the 2023 Kolaambi. O Kadhal Kanmani brought her many accolades. This sparkling lady is sure to find “kadhalikka neram” soon.
Not surprisingly, the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas organised in Bhubaneswar, Odisha between January 9 and 11 did not get that kind of national media coverage across the country as it normally does. Going by the local media, the event organised for the first time in Odisha and inaugurated by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi seems to be badly executed with too many obvious misses. To start with, the name and picture of Mahatma Gandhi was conspicuous by its absence. It may be mentioned that the event was organised from 2003 on January 9 was to commemorate the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa. Organised at the cost of Rs 125 crore the turnout was poor and reportedly there were hundreds of empty chairs. Different people threw different numbers on NRI turnouts; Odisha chief secretary said 3,000 NRI’s attended, while BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi said there were 5,000 delegates, a TV channel said 7,000. Other misses were the State song Bande Utkal Janani not being played at the event and local Odia cuisines not served. Net, net the event reflected poor organising skill of the Majhi government. But, the chief minister on his part was happy as his State has received Rs 2.5 lakh crore investment commitment by the Indian diaspora.
PV Sindhu has been in the news in recent times for all happy reasons; first and foremost, she chose to settle down in life, marrying Venkata Datta Sai in Udaipur, and now comes another pleasant news that she has been chosen as the Brand Ambassador by the top German footwear, apparel and accessories company PUMA which has been associated with such illustrious sportspersons like the World’s all-time great athlete Usain Bolt, Brazil’s top-notch football player Neymar Jr and Indian sportspersons like Harmanpreet Kaur (cricket), Mohammed Shami (cricket), Olympian Sarabjot Singh (shooting), and Paralympian Avani Lekhara (shooting). With a market cap of Rs 562.26 billion, the company has entered a big way in Indian badminton by zeroing in on a champion player who won the silver medal in the women’s singles at the Rio Olympics in 2016 and a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics 2020. Sindhu did not have a particularly memorable time at the Paris Olympics, but she has won medals — gold to bronze in almost every competitive regional and global tournament. She will target the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi and Nagoya (Japan) and perhaps the Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028. PUMA, in the business of sports brands for more than seven and half decades, has announced a multi-year arrangement with the star Indian badminton player who is 29 and has been a splendid achiever, bestowed the Khel Ratna, Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and Arjuna Awards. Sindhu will be seen in PUMA colours from the India Open in New Delhi on Tuesday, January 14. Last November, she announced plans to start the PV Sindhu Center for Badminton and Sports Excellence in Visakhapatnam.
Sundar C’s Madh Gaja Raja, a project in the works for 12 long years is at last ready for release this Pongal. As if its jinxed image and optics were not enough to tarnish a good entertainer, hero Vishal attended the promo and audio launch event with high viral fever…a pitiable sight to watch his hands and voice trembling as he took the mic. MC Divya Dharshini had the presence of mind to make him sit along with Sundar, the Director and other members of the film unit. It was enough fodder for a news hungry social media and trolls to go after his reputation, and level all kinds of surmises. Vishal made his debut in 2004 with Chellamae, soon gave successive hits with Sandakozhi, Thimiru, Thaamirabharani, Malaikottai and other hits. An action hero with compelling talent and screen presence. But his aggressive and angry attitude soon came to the fore …keeping pace with his angry young man image. Tamil Film Producers Council charged big misappropriation which he stoutly denied. He took a potshot at the censor board for delay in release of his film Mark Antony. The personal life of this 47-year old star too was in turmoil, even as he acted in over 25 films. Every person has highs and lows …a film star is more vulnerable. His close friend actor Jeyam Ravi is confident that “Vishal will overcome this bad patch and get his lion-like stride back”. Till then Vishal needs empathy not brutal trolls.
PM Narendra Modi was in his element as he spoke for nearly 90-minute in the Rajya Sabha on the motion of thanks on President’s address. He did not let the din of shouting Opposition MPs affect him and spoke with his sense of humour intact. Referring to how some people had problems with names of government schemes with Sanskrit words, Modi said 600 government schemes were in the Gandhi-Nehru family’s name. In a jibe at the Gandhis, he asked “If Nehru was such a great person, why did the family shy away from using ‘Nehru’ surname.” He was more keen on sending out a message to poll-bound Tripura where the CPM has tied-up with the Congress to take on the ruling BJP in next week’s elections. That’s why he elaborated on the contradictions of the Congress-CPM alliance and pointed out how the first Marxist government in India was dismissed by Nehru within months after it had won a mandate in Kerala. “Elected governments were toppled 90 times! Who were those who did that? A Prime Minister used Article 356, 50 times and that name is Indira Gandhi. In Kerala, the Communist government was elected which wasn’t liked by Pandit Nehru and was toppled in 1959. In Tamil Nadu too, governments of veterans like MGR and Karunanidhi were dismissed by the Congress. Sharad Pawar’s government was toppled too. We have seen what happened with NTR when he was in the U.S. for medical treatment; attempts were made to topple his government.
When Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and NCP’s powerful leader Praful Patel were patting each other on the back for their various individual virtues, the political circle was agog with speculation, to the extent of forecasts hinting at Patel’s change of loyalty. Both leaders shared the dais at Gondia, Patel’s hometown, to laud his father Manoharbhai’s 117th birth anniversary. Incidentally, only a couple of days ago, Patel’s certain properties were seized by the Enforcement Directorate. Amidst various rapid political permutations and combinations churning Maharashtra politics, eyebrows were raised when it was announced that Fadnavis had accepted the invite to attend the gala event. The rumour mill received extra grist as the venue is the base of state Congress chief Nana Patole, a former BJP MP, who had defeated Patel in the hustings in 2014. Sensing the possible fallout, Patel said Fadnavis was gifted with exceptional leadership qualities and added that both held discussions on a variety of subjects. Reciprocating, Fadnavis said they were political adversaries, not personal. Patel has been elected from Bhandara-Gondia LS constituency several times and is presently a RS member. Considered to be NCP president Sharad Pawar’s closest confidant, the ED’s order to attach some of his prime real estate properties in Mumbai were being interpreted as a signal for Pawar. The Gondia meet is hence considered significant.
Leaders across parties – BJP, TMC, CPM, TIPRA — have converged at Tripura as it goes to poll on February 16. This North-Eastern state has come to prominence since its last election in 2018, after BJP ousted the 25-year old Communist regime. While BJP is desperate to hold on to the state, the CPM, keen to be back in the driver’s seat, has entered into an alliance with the Congress and Trinamool Congress. And the new entrant is the Tipraha Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance (TIPRA) Motha, a regional party floated by former royalty Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma, after leaving the Congress. Interestingly he is going solo. Up for grabs is 60 seats. BJP is aware of its shortcomings as it failed to live up to voter’s expectations that accompanied its swift rise in 2018 winning 35 seats. So it did mid-course correction by replacing chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb with Manik Saha. With nine states slated to go to polls before the 2024 Lok Sabha election, the BJP is leaving no stone unturned to win all the states. Towards this, its senior leaders like the Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma have trooped into Tripura and kicked off their election campaign. Likewise, the West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee in tow with her nephew Abhishek Banerjee had camped for two days. The result of this four- cornered fight will be known on March 2.
Time was when Chennai airport was just workhorse functional, fliers comparing it to the glittering breathtaking Changi, and feeling second class. Frequent construction for cosmetic renovation was always knocking the fliers’ rush. Suddenly this not so glamorous poor cousin airport has emerged as an attractive, talked about airport. Parking bays, arrival and departure bays, all spruced up. But it is the mint new AeroHub adjoining the airport with an umbilical aero bridge that is now raved about. Even before the mall has come up, PVR cinemas have thrown open a razzle dazzle multiplex of 5 screens to showcase favourite films, all on the fly. Delayed flights, overnight transfers, waiting for technical glitch to resume your flight will turn into a fun experience as you walk across the bridge, drink, dine and dawdle over the latest film. The foyer decor, seating for 1150 people, Dolby sound , reclining seats, ample legroom, crystal clear projection on 5 screens , with Audi2 and Audi4 offering luxe viewing will definitely take the pain out of flying . Not just fliers, but outsiders are also welcome to come, drop a load of money on the peripheral attractions. Tamilians may appear stodgy and serious…but finally what they present in terms of entertainment and deluxe experience reminds one of Rajini’s dialogues, ”Naan lateaa vandalum latestaa varuven “ (I may be late, but I am the latest).
In climbing the Mount Everest of professional basketball, LeBron James of the LA Lakers has recorded one of sport’s greatest achievements. Having overtaken Kareem Abdul Jabbar’s 38,387 points, the 38-year-old is now the pro sport’s highest ever scorer. While Jabbar had taken 1,560 games to build his career tally, LeBron made it in just over 1,400 appearances. Jabbar was on hand to celebrate the moment when the game between the LA Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder was stopped the moment the record was broken. “Breaking records is a benchmark of human progress”, Jabbar said graciously. Michael Jordan (32,292) holds the record for the most points (30.1) per game, LeBron is fifth on that all-time list. Marked for greatness early in his life, LeBron’s 38,390 could well go over 40,000 points before he calls it a day. He intends playing at least one game with his elder son Bronny before he hangs up his boots. LeBron has considerable achievements to his name in the books. He has won at least one NBA title for each of his three teams and been the NBA’s MVP four times. LeBron has received many accolades for his game skills and his leadership qualities. One of his teammates in Cavaliers captured it best when he said – “It’s not just his body. It’s not just his process. It’s not just his intention. It’s his brain.”
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.