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It is truly a tale of two funerals and gross mishandling by the Congress that denied such an honour to a former PM. While former PM Dr Manmohan Singh is all set get a state funeral befitting his stature in Delhi thanks due to PM Modi, his mentor, former PM PV Narasimha Rao was denied a funeral in the national capital thanks due to gross mishandling by the Congress party and inability of Dr Singh as PM to ensure the same when he died in December 2004. Rao was hailed by Dr Singh as “father of economic reforms in India” but a state funeral was not considered fit for him by Cong leader Sonia Gandhi; she did not even allow his body into party headquarters. In his book Sanjaya Baru The Accidental Prime Minister wrote “Ahmed Patel wanted me to encourage Rao’s son Ranga and Prabhakhar and his daughter Vani to take their father’s body to Hyderabad for cremation. Clearly, it seemed to me Sonia did not want a memorial for Rao, anywhere near Delhi but felt it would not be appropriate for me to convey to the family.” He says “The Congress had deployed then Home Minister Shivraj Patil and Andhra CM YS Rajashekhar Reddy to “persuade the family to fall in line”. With PM Modi swiftly organising a week-long national mourning and state funeral for Dr Singh, who passed away on Dec 26, the Congress simply had to catch up with the speed of government action. The Congress which was celebrating 100 years of Mahatma Gandhi presiding over the AICC session at Belgavi in Karnataka cut short its celebrations. Dr Singh’s last rites would be held on December 28 as his youngest daughter, a professor at Stanford Law School, is likely to land in India by December 27.
Leaders and thinkers from Maharashtra describe the state as the cradle of progressivism and rationalism. But the current discomfiture attached to a palatial bungalow in south Mumbai and a cabin in Mantralaya are proving amusing for the pall of superstition they have spread. At the centre of the controversy is the historic ‘Ramtek’ bungalow in Mumbai’s posh Malabar Hill area. Ramtek has been tagged as ‘unlucky’ for its occupants. And history is quoted to bolster this claim. The first such victim was then deputy chief minister Gopinath Munde, who lived in Ramtek between 1995 and 1999, never to return. Soon after becoming a Union minister in 2014, he died in a car accident in Delhi. If a bungalow is perceived to be unlucky, a mere cabin, too, is seen with apprehension. Though just a cabin in Mantralaya, Room 602 is viewed as jinxed. Presently used by a bunch of bureaucrats, ministers are reluctant to move into it. In this list, Chhagan Bhujbal is at the top since Room 602 was allocated to him in 1999. He was at the time the deputy CM and home minister. Residing in Ramtek, he became the focus of the multi-crore fake stamp paper Telgi Scam. After him, Ajit Pawar started using the cabin but he also had to step down after accusations regarding the irrigation scam started against him. He later returned as deputy CM but kept away from Room 602. The others to be hit are then BJP leader Eknath Khadse, who had to resign after being implicated in a land scam. The next occupant, BJP’s Pandurang Fundkar, died suddenly in 2018. The most recent occupant was then BJP minister Anil Bonde, who lost the assembly election in 2019. Who will occupy Ramtek and Room 602 is watched with considerable interest.
Political attacks against embattled minister Dhananjay Munde and his cousin Pankaja Munde, a cabinet minister in Maharashtra, are becoming more and more damaging for the Mahayuti government since they indirectly target the law and order situation in the state. The state’s atmosphere has been in a spin ever since a village sarpanch in the district, Santosh Deshmukh, was brutally murdered 19 days ago. The flurry of allegations was started by Beed district BJP MLA Suresh Dhas. Now, another MLA from the district, Prakash Solanke, who belongs to the NCP led by deputy CM Ajit Pawar, has joined the melee. Both have demanded that Beed’s situation will not improve unless chief minister Devendra Fadnavis himself accepts the responsibility as its guardian minister. This is seen as an oblique criticism of Munde. Incidentally, both have attracted ire from within the Mahayuti since Ajit Pawar’s spokesman Amol Mitkari has charged that it is a smear campaign to damage the reputations of Dhananjay and Pankaja. Till now, Fadnavis as well as deputy CMs Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar have been maintaining that the guilty will be punished. However, the police department’s failure to nab the three absconding suspects has pushed the Fadnavis government in the dock. Of the three, Walmik Karad, is closest to Dhananjay. Pictures of them hugging each other have gone viral. Dhananjay has admitted their intimacy but has claimed that those responsible for the murder of Santosh Deshmukh deserve severest punishment. This stance has not pacified the local people, who will hold a protest march to demand immediate action by the authorities.
Salman Khan is undeniably one of the most iconic figures in the Indian film industry whose impact transcends mere box office statistics. With a career that spans over three decades, his films–regardless of critical reception — frequently surpass the Rs 100-crore mark signifying his extraordinary appeal and star power. Throughout his illustrious career, Salman Khan has found himself at the centre of numerous controversies and has come unscathed. With a net worth estimated at around Rs 2,900 crore, he is an immensely sought-after star for brand endorsements. However, in recent years, his forays into guest appearances in films such as Baby John, Singham Again, Godfather and Antim have not garnered the kind of response one might expect from the audience. While his cameo in Pathaan was well-received, his lead role in Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan released on Eid, faced significant criticism and was largely snubbed by both critics and fans alike. Looking ahead, the anticipation surrounding his upcoming film Sikandar is palpable. Directed by AR Murugadoss, this film marks a significant moment in his career, as it will be his first mainstream lead release following Tiger 3. Sikandar represents a pivotal juncture in his career, especially after a series of mixed receptions for his recent projects. Rumours are rife that he is in talks with well-known south director Atlee. Despite his immense charisma and dedicated fan base, a pressing question lingers in the face of ongoing controversies, and the challenges posed by a rapidly evolving industry: whether Sallu bhai at 59 can still captivate the new generation of moviegoers?
Rohit Sharma ought to be mulling over his Test/international career sooner than later. Joining the Indian team after the Jasprit Bumrah led Indian team trounced Australia in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, he has not been able to contribute with the bat at all. His fifth-ball dismissal in the first innings in Melbourne to his counterpart Pat Cummins reflected his diminishing confidence levels; initially he chose to drop down the order allowing Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul to continue opening the innings. This was the same pair that had put on 201 in the second innings in Perth. But after the Test matches in Adelaide and Brisbane, he reverted to the opening slot — allowing Jaiswal to take strike first — and perished quickly and traced his steps back to the pavilion, an unhapppy man. A powerful batter in the white-ball format, Sharma would have been wiser batting before Rishabh Pant (5/6), but he rushed to the top, a decision that resulted in Shubhman Gill being dropped “to give a sense of balance” to the playing XI.. Should the home team win the contest at the MCG, Sharma may begin to introspect about captaincy before the fifth and final Test in Sydney. Nothing has gone right for him since the first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru. Sharma focussed a lot to win the two ICC World Cups — he lost the final against Australia in Ahmedabad and won the final against South Africa in Bridgetown. Sharma, an attractive player to watch, is struggling and that’s not a good sight!
Kolkata’s bustling winter markets, once a vibrant hub of Afghan and Kashmiri traders, are now grappling with a decline in traditional businesses. For decades, these traders have enriched the city’s seasonal economy with their exquisite dry fruits, handcrafted garments, and winter essentials. However, the changing tides of commerce, marked by the rise of e-commerce and increased costs, threaten to erode their livelihoods. Kashmiri vendors, particularly those from Budgaon, have been an integral part of Kolkata’s winter landscape for generations. From November to March, they bring a colourful array of shawls, blankets, and sweaters, woven with intricate patterns and warmth. But the bustling markets of yore are now a distant memory. Regular to Kolkata market, one of the Afghan traders, Rahmat Khan mentioned that he had been to the city for past three decades and the business was booming in contrast to the present day situation when it’s a constant struggle to make ends meet. Younger generations of Kashmiri traders are increasingly hesitant to carry on the family legacy. The convenience of online shopping has shifted consumer preferences, leaving traditional vendors struggling to compete. Afghan traders, known for their premium dry fruits, have fared slightly better due to consistent demand, they too face significant challenges but rising operational costs are eating into their profits.
BJP’s top brass ignored RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat’s latest broadside seeking to curtail the rising momentum to reclaim, reinstall old temple sites to their pristine glory. A politically savvy RSS man says, “There is little likelihood of response or retort from either PM Modi or Shah to Bhagwat’s vocalisation for limiting the number of devastated temples in India needing reinstallation.” Legal remedies are increasingly the resort of Hindus thanks to the mountain of evidence unearthed by the Archaeology Survey of India (ASI). Modi-Shah will plough ahead with their rejuvenation plans for Hindutva ignoring Bhagwat even as their political favourites: UP CM Yogi Adityanath, his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma espouse political advocacy stridently furthering Hindutva’s agenda. Notwithstanding PM Modi’s radio silence over Bhagwat’s repeated outbursts, last time prescribing arrogance shedding over general election results that restricted BJP to 240 MPs, social media platforms unleashed criticism waves targeting the RSS Chief over his soft advocacy of Hindutva. “Typical of RSS claiming credit for political wins registered by BJP after Haryana and Maharashtra elections while feigning sleep over their own track record in states like Jharkhand over RSS’ abject failure at outreach in tribal belts through Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram,” the RSS man says. NASA has confirmed the structural engineering marvel of the Ram Setu while Dwarka city is truly resting underwater and yet, India dilly-dallies over Moghul-British era false narratives including scheduled castes and tribes introduced by the latter. Latest infringement at Sambhal was exposed by the ASI to be the remains of a 200-year-old temple built over a mosque and yet, Bhagwat preaches secular values today. Advocacy of Moghul-British invaders next?
The prestigious New Delhi Assembly seat is poised to witness a fierce electoral contest with sitting MLA and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal pitted against the sons of two former Delhi chief ministers. While the Congress has already declared Sandeep Dikshit, son of late former Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit — who was three time CM — as its candidate, the BJP has asked Parvesh Verma, the son of late former Delhi chief minister Sahib Singh Verma to prepare for the contest. The BJP has so far not declared its list for the Delhi Assembly elections. For Sandeep Dikshit, taking on Arvind Kejriwal would be like avenging his mother’s defeat in 2013 by Kejriwal. The AAP supremo shot to fame by defeating incumbent CM Sheila Dikshit by a margin of over 25,000 votes. In 2015, he again won from the same seat defeating the BJP candidate by more than 31,000 votes. His victory margin was reduced to 2,000 votes in 2020 polls. Of the 70 assembly seats, the New Delhi constituency is one of the smallest assembly seats and is dominated by the government employees as voters. It has 17% SC voters. Also in the fray is former AAP leader, Dr Munish Raizada, a U.S. trained neonatologist, is vigorously pushing for his candidacy as Bharatiya Liberal Party candidate. A boost for him is that at least his main rival BJP, is taking him seriously. “It gives me satisfaction that the BJP candidate’s managers took my name more often than Kejriwal,” says Dr Raizada. As for Kejriwal, it is only his wife Sunita and two children who are campaigning for him. It is possible the AAP supremo is acutely aware that even if he wins, he may not be able to return as CM.
Perhaps the time is upon the BCCI to take stock of women’s cricket and effect changes starting from now on. It’s 18 years since women’s cricket came under the BCCI umbrella and in this long period things have looked up for the teams across formats on all counts, from contracts to match fees, coaching, exposure in India and abroad. It’s the women in blue team that’s seen in action much more than they being in whites. What has been disappointing is that the national team has not been able to bring the ICC tournament silverware even once. The women’s team, under the BCCI, has taken part in four 50-over World Cups and nine Twenty20 World Cups. The illustrious former India allrounder Diana Edulji squealed at the team’s inability to rise above mediocrity and lose to Australia 3-0 recently. As far as the World Cup matches are concerned India has played 27 ODI World Cup matches since 2009, won 16 and lost 11 and played 40 World Twenty20 matches, won 22 and lost 18. Not impressive! India’s top five batters average around 25 in World Twenty20 matches and in 50 over World Cups, India’s batters have not been consistent. In general the women in blue team has not been able to outwit Australia, England and New Zealand in matches/series away from home. In less than a year’s time India will host the 13th World Cup and hence just the time now to make changes that’s likely to bring in fresh ideas. The big question the BCCI and the selection committee has to take a call on is who should lead the team: Harmanpreet Kaur or Smriti Mandhana?
For over a year now the social media has been on an overdrive about Aishwarya and Abhishek’s marriage. Mirroring this sentiment, shortpost.in on December 22, 2023 ran a story headlined “Aishwarya And Abhishek: Rocky Marriage Or Only Hiccups? Now, Aishwarya and Abhishek have shut the mouth of rumour mongers after the two were spotted together at their daughter’s Aaradhya birthday party. Then tongues started to wag that Aishwarya is having issues with her in-laws. What gave credence to this rumour is her solo appearances with her daughter at Ambani wedding and other events. So the Bachchans took the opportunity to clear the air with Amitabh Bachchan making it to Aaradhya’s annual school day function. The video that went viral shows Aishwarya all smiles when Amitabh Bachchan steps out of the car. But, many say that it was done for optics as grandmother Jaya Bachchan was missing from the scene. So too were Aaradhya’s cousins (Shweta Nanda’s children). All these clearly indicate all is still not well but amends are being made. The reports about fallout began when a news report said that the actress had walked out of the Bachchan’s Jalsa bungalow and moved into Amu which is in close vicinity. Although there was no official statement but once Abhishek showed his wedding ring to the media to indicate all is well. Sources say that Aishwarya is slowly getting back to doing more work. This should be music to ear for her diehard fan.
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal United (JDU) has shared a cryptic post on X in which he has talked about both Nyay and Vikas — two ideas that are close to the Congress and the BJP. He is all set to play a kingmaker’s role after Lok Sabha 2024 results, it is interesting that he has used both the terms. In Bihar, Nitish Kumar’s JDU performed better than NDA allies as it contested along with the BJP. In fact, he walked out of the RJD tie-up under pressure of MPs and sided with the BJP. His party is leading in 14 and BJP in 11. There are speculations that Nitish Kumar, who has a history of switching sides at key moments, is keeping both options open. Many social media users earlier speculated that the Bihar CM could change sides again and join the I.N.D.I.A bloc if he is offered the PM’s post. In fact there were reports that Nitish initially resisted meeting the Bihar BJP chief. When such reports reached Delhi, BJP’s top leadership had a special emissary sent to him to ensure that he reaches Delhi to attend the NDA meeting on June 5. At least one state CM and I.N.D.I.A leader– Mamata Banerjee– is not very happy about the importance that PM Modi is bestowing on Nitish Kumar. She is getting quite upset about the talk of the deputy PM’s post being offered to him. She had reportedly brushed off performance claims about JDU, considering the TMC has also done well. After all both Nitish and she have been rail ministers in the Vajpayee government. Both the leaders are not known to get along.
One of the biggest surprises of the 2024 Lok Sabha results was that the I.N.D.I.A bloc gave a tough fight to the BJP-led NDA in Uttar Pradesh. While everyone has been lauding Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav for repackaging his party and making a spectacular comeback, BJP sources said the I.N.D.I.A front gained mainly by manufacturing a lie about reservation and how Modi in his third term would do away with it. It was this lie that saw the BJP falling short of a majority on its own in the 543-member parliament. The SP and the Congress deliberately spread panic among dalits and managed to win 42 seats. This means Modi will have a lot of trouble in his third term as he will have to depend on allies to form the government. It will introduce some uncertainty in policy-making as Modi has ruled with a free hand in the last decade. The party has so far won 239 seats compared to the 303 seats it had won in 2019. Besides in UP alone, it appears Ram Mandir has not yielded the party any special dividend. In fact, before the temple was built in 2019, the BJP had bagged 62 of 80 seats in UP, but in the post Ram Mandir era the BJP has been restricted to 38 seats, bringing down the overall BJP tally and weakening PM Modi’s third term. Party sources conceded that the conspiracy theories floated by the Congress and SP weakened Modi’s mandate. Congress leaders twisted the call for a 400 paar mandate as a ploy to undo reservations for the Dalits. “There are 17 reserved seats in UP. Because of this damaging campaign by Congress we have been restricted to three or four reserved seats this time. As a result this time our tally from UP has been hit,”points out a BJP Dalit leader.
The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) began the fresh season 2024-2025 with a bang at the MCA’s Indoor Cricket facility at Bandra-Kurla Complex. And it pleased Milind Rege — whose heart and soul has been with Mumbai cricket for six decades as player, administrator, selector and advisor — no end. Sitting alongside the brilliant Mumbai stalwarts in Ajinkya Rahane, Dhawal Kulkarni, Shardul Thakur, Abhishek Nayar and Sarfaraz Khan, the former Mumbai all-rounder and captain Rege said the past is history and that he is looking forward to another bright and successful season during which the dressing rooms of different MCA teams — men and women and juniors and seniors — will have the running theme of “Home of the Champions”. Mumbai won the 42nd Ranji title three months ago, a performance that reflected teamwork of all concerned. Rege and Rahane thanked the MCA administration for its wholehearted support, in particular its President Amol Kale and the hands-on Secretary Ajinkya Naik. The season opener assembly — held three months in advance — enabled the cricketers to tell the 400 odd off season campers the importance of maintaining fitness in order to face challenges during the six month long season. The meeting was meant to happily convey to the boys and girls that MCA means serious business about its cricket, but with a great deal of passion. Soon the MCA will celebrate its golden jubilee of the Wankhede Stadium and what it can mull over is putting in place a museum which doesn’t seem to be taking off at all!
The results of the Lok Sabha elections have disappointed the rank and file in the BJP but, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already commenced his third term work to flesh out his 100-day plan for India, including flagship policy amendment for handing over administration of temples across India to the Hindu community. This strategy, even while Modi continues in election mode targeting forthcoming state assembly elections in five states of the Indian union. A closed-door meeting between expected incumbent PM Modi and erstwhile Union Home Minister Amit Shah decided to prioritise the first council of Union Ministers comprising public representatives from states facing imminent assembly polls. Maharashtra’s citizens will elect 288 Members to its state legislative assembly by November 2024 just like Haryana, Jharkhand and Jammu & Kashmir. Delhi and Bihar follow suit in 2025 while Tamil Nadu, Assam, Puducherry, Kerala, West Bengal state assemblies are scheduled in 2026. PM Modi’s 3.0 political regime will likely include Shivraj Singh Chauhan who relinquished Union Ministership to deliver Madhya Pradesh state assembly to BJP. Maharashtra’s Lok Sabha outcome has dampened and shocked everybody in the BJP coming in the wake of the double sympathy wave attracted by Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar. Pawar has silenced critics who foretold the end of his political career. There is going to be serious introspection and there may be reshuffle in Maharashtra according to sources. So, parliament ushers in the amendment allowing Hindus to administer their own temples (take it away from respective state governments) bringing the community on par with Muslim and Christian religious trusts.
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.