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PM Narendra Modi who chaired the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) on the back of terrorist attack on April 22 in Pahalgam, in which 25 Indians and one Nepali citizen were killed, took a series of steps to corner Pakistan and express India’s anger over Islamabad’s mischief in killing the innocents. Delhi began with what could hit Pakistan the hardest; it declared holding the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 in abeyance with immediate effect, until the recalcitrant neighbour credibly and irrevocably abjured its support for cross-border terrorism. In another significant move, the Integrated Check Post Attari will also be closed with immediate effect. Those who have crossed over with valid endorsements may return through that route before May 1 2025. It was also made clear Pakistani nationals will not be permitted to travel to India under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES). Any SVES visa issued in the past to Pakistani nationals are deemed cancelled. Any Pakistani national currently in India under SVES visa has 48 hours to leave India. Cracking down on the Pakistani High Commission, the CCS wanted the Defence/Military, Naval and Air Advisors in the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi to be declared Persona Non Grata. They have a week to leave India. India will be withdrawing its own Defence/Navy/Air Advisors from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. These posts in the respective High Commissions are deemed annulled. Five support staff of the Service Advisors will also be withdrawn from both High Commissions. The overall strength of the High Commissions will be brought down to 30 from the present 55 through further reductions to be effective from May 1. It was noted that this attack came in the wake of the successful holding of elections in the Union Territory and its steady progress towards economic growth and development.
PM Narendra Modi who flew into New Delhi early April 23 morning after curtailing his Saudi Arabia visit by a day in view of the Pahalgam terrorist strikes in J&K decided to get cracking as soon as he reached the capital. Security officials who were preparing to brief Modi on his arrival at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg were surprised, when they were asked to reach the Palam Air Force base by 6 am for the meeting at the airport itself. He took stock of the situation along with EAM Dr S Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and other top brass of security agencies. Meanwhile as the world mourned the massacre of 28 innocent tourists, Pakistan and Turkey have drawn outrage by using the tragedy to rake up the Kashmir issue. Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif during a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara thanked Turkey for its “unwavering support” on Kashmir—just hours after the terror attack. The Resistance Front, a Lashkar-e-Taiba proxy, has claimed responsibility for the massacre. The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) will meet once HM Shah reaches Delhi and FM Nirmala Sitharaman returns from the U.S. In a post on X, Modi said the attackers would not be spared. “Those behind this heinous act will be brought to justice…they will not be spared! Their evil agenda will never succeed. Our resolve to fight terrorism is unshakable and it will get even stronger,” said Modi. While the CCS could possibly discuss a range of options and authorise retaliatory strikes; timing of such a step would of course be strategised by our security forces. After all, if we recall Pulwama attack that claimed lives of 40 CRPF jawans in February 2019 was retaliated with Balakote airstrike a good 10 days later.
In an unusual move, the Congress suspended its Buxar District Cong president Manoj Kumar Pandey indefinitely and stripped him of all organisational posts for “inaction” or low turnout at party president Mallikarjun Kharge’s Buxar rally. The party apparently decided to suspend Pandey from all posts he was holding in the organisation, including that of Buxar District Congress president, with immediate effect due to lack of coordination and irregularities on his part in connection with “the Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan” rally held at Dalsagar Stadium in Buxar on April 20, which was addressed by Kharge. Pandey himself made it clear that it was not lack of coordination but the sweltering heat — about 42 degrees — that had made people stand in the shade. Efforts to get people to occupy empty chairs had failed. Bihar Congress leaders are stunned that Pandey was even being blamed for low-turnout.” Action should be taken against the PCC leadership and AICC in charge Krishna Allavaru who chose this time of the year to organise these rallies. How can you organise these Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan rallies when villages are getting busy with weddings? Besides, most of these areas are Brahmin dominant — Buxar, Madhubani and Darbhanga where rallies are being planned, ” pointed out a senior Cong leader. It was also felt that recent organisational changes have been quite ineffective. The new PCC chief Rajesh Kumar — who fulfils Rahul Gandhi’s goals of filling up Dalits in all party posts– has substantially weakened the Bihar unit. At this rate, under the new set-up Cong men fear their tally which is at present in double digit with 19 MLAs is bound to fall in the upcoming Bihar assembly polls.
The general trend among politicians who move into spacious Lutyens bungalows in Delhi as ministers is to ensure that their children are married in style before their term ends. AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal who was voted out of Delhi government on February 8 this year after a three-term stint may have planned well for that; he did not expect to lose power. He was voted out as he built a “Sheeshmahal” for himself and failed to deliver on promises that had disillusioned voters. Yet, he ensured that his daughter Harshita is married off in style. Never mind the propriety of it all. Or else how does one explain that within two months of losing power, Kejriwal was back in the news in connection with Harshita’s wedding with Sambhav Jain, her batch mate from IIT Delhi. What raised eyebrows was the manner in which the wedding and other ceremonies were held at the Kapurthala House, the official residence of Punjab CM in Delhi. Apparently four different events were held. The jaimala and reception were both solemnised at Kapurthala House. A day before the wedding, the engagement ceremony was held at Shangri-La hotel in Delhi on April 17. A video of Kejriwal and his wife Sunita dancing to Pushpa 2 songs has been doing the rounds on X. Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar, in his tweet, took a dig at CM Bhagwant Mann for the manner in which Kapurthala House had morphed into a ‘marriage palace of eminence’…before Kejriwal’s daughter’s marriage, AAP MP Raghav Chadha’s pre-wedding ceremonies with actor Parineeti Chopra had been held at the same venue in May 2023. It’s just a matter of time before CM Mann decides to monetise Kapurthala House” — a model of ‘kranti’ to earn revenue by bankrupt Punjab for solemnising marriages — in Khaas Aadmi style.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has not uttered a word about the status of the Indian team’s Assistant Coach Abhishek Nayar who was part of the Gautam Gambhir-steered support staff. But the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) has announced that Abhishek Nayar has returned to the franchise — which has confirmed that Nayar extolled by none other than India’s star batter KL Rahul and a few more — has lost his job with the Indian team. Nayar was with KKR from 2018 to 2024, and so returning to the Shah Rukh Khan owned franchise team indicates that KKR was happy with the work done by him. Reports, citing “one or many of BCCI’s million sources” say that Nayar’s position became untenable after India’s 0-3 rout by New Zealand in the home series and 1-3 defeat in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. It can be surmised that Nayar was not able to help skipper Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli and the others score runs off the Australia pace pack in Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland. Josh Hazlewood did not play the full series after he suffered a calf injury in the second Test in Brisbane. The BCCI believes that Sitanshu Kotak, appointed batting coach of the men in blue teams for the home series against England and continued for the ICC Champions Trophy in Dubai, can deliver wonders for the national team. Kotak’s appointment from Centre of Excellence duties to the Indian team was a cue that Nayar was on the way out. A regional broadsheet even went to the extent of suggesting that Nayar was divulging dressing room happenings to the outside world and hence, was asked to go! What a reason!
The electoral victory of former cricketer Yusuf Pathan from Baharampur rekindled the long-standing debate over whether celebrity status alone could shape an effective politician. Pathan, a political novice, was fielded by the Trinamool Congress (TMC)—reportedly at Abhishek Banerjee’s behest—and went on to defeat Congress heavyweight Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. However, his silence during unrest in Murshidabad led to criticism of his political detachment. A social media post of him sipping tea amid tensions drew backlash, highlighting concerns about celebrity MPs’ lack of engagement. This reflected a broader trend of celebrities being fielded for name recognition or to balance party equations, often without expectations of long-term political commitment. While some like Kirti Azad transitioned successfully, others faded from active roles. TMC’s Satabdi Roy, Dev, June Maliah, Sayoni Ghosh, and BJP’s Locket Chatterjee, Agnimitra Paul showed sustained dedication. Conversely, Moon Moon Sen and Sandhya Roy won seats but failed to leave a mark. BJP stars Hema Malini and Sunny Deol also faced absenteeism charges. Among Pathan’s cricketing peers, Lakshmi Ratan Shukla exited politics; Manoj Tiwary, despite a ministerial post, remained largely inactive. BJP’s Ashok Dinda, however, stayed visible. Though TMC defended Yusuf, arguing that the unrest occurred in a Congress MP’s area, even party insiders admitted only a few celebrities remained actively engaged. BJP’s Dilip Ghosh remarked that most celebrities joined politics for perks, not service. CPM’s Mohammed Salim emphasized that real leadership demanded grassroots work and personal sacrifice—values rarely found overnight.
The AIADMK supremo Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) could not have asked for more. Every wish of his was granted by the BJP that was seeking an alliance in Tamil Nadu with a major party at any cost. The first concession that EPS made in return was in withdrawing the case against Sasikala’s nephew TTV Dhinakaran that he had filed at the height of the battle for the party and its ‘Two Leaves’ legacy symbol. This is the first sign that some sort of rapprochement might come about between EPS and his bete noire O Panneerselvam, who has stood by Sasikala. It is, however, unlikely that any of the Sasikala clan and cronies will be allowed back into the party. At most, they may be accommodated in the seats that the BJP gets from AIADMK. Earlier, the BJP had empowered EPS after it became known that Vijay was bent upon going into his poll debut on his own with his fledgling TVK. EPS and his party have been named the leaders of the grand coalition that the BJP was desperate to cobble together to take on the DMK that has further entrenched its position by being a fierce voice of opposing the ruling national party. Former BJP TN chief Annamalai may have fought tooth and nail to improve the party’s vote share in the Lok Sabha polls but BJP had to ditch him to get EPS on its side. Today, EPS is bold enough to state that there will be no coalition government in TN even if the alliance wins a majority even though Amit Shah had hinted at a sharing of power in the state.
Multifaceted Kamal Haasan launched the first song of Thug Life written by him. The song titled Jingucchhan sounded Chinese to many of the pan India gathering of Journos. Kamal with his inimitable spontaneity started off in Tamil, quite expecting a mild protest…quickly sauntered to English, the “The Link Language” of India. Thug Life is a collaboration of ace director Mani Ratnam and Ulaga Nayagan (world hero) Kamal, after a gap of 35 years. They worked together for the iconic classic, Nayakan released in 1987. Kamal himself wondered why there was this hiatus? Before any surmises, he skipped on to actor Abirami (his one-time heroine), who had talked about being his ardent fan from age 11. A crestfallen Kamal gently chided her “with Trisha on the stage, you need not have referred to my age”. He built up the narrative to interesting highlights, especially the comparison of his two directors …late K Balachander and Mani Ratnam. Not just Kamal’s engaging oratory but Simbu’s compelling presence in a chequered suit and a luxurious man bun further added to his star personality when he openly vouched for Kamal as his Guru. Kamal for his part retaliated that through the movie he had no chance to say I love you to either Trisha or Abirami. Trisha and Simbu are paired after a 15-year gap. As always, a pragmatic Kamal said “now we wait for your verdict, after doing our best”. More memes of Thug Life to blow Tupac Shakur’s creation?
PM Narendra Modi’s ‘Look South’ policy may see former Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai’s induction as Union cabinet minister (Rajya Sabha) or general secretary of southern states (TN, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala) like Hemanta Biswa Sarma took charge of North Eastern states. Three-time MLA, N Narendran, elected as AIAIDMK MLA twice under Amma’s tenure, turned BJP president of TN playing a crucial role for fostering improved coalition relationship with his former party. Similarly, four to five state BJP presidents are likely to be replaced before BJP announces its national president by the end of this month. Manoharlal Khattar, Bhupinder Yadav are still front-runners for post, even as Manoj Sinha, Dharmendra Pradhan candidatures were seriously considered. Consultations with RSS next week will finalise the name of the next incumbent. An open secret in BJP that Shah effectively was backseat driving BJP’s politics even while JP Nadda held the post, adding grist to rumour mills over his candidature for presidential responsibility. His holding crucial ministries (Home and Cooperation) is the only hitch. Next incumbent will lead BJP’s election juggernaut at the 2029 general elections so appointment will require persuasion of the Hindutva brigade. Pertinent to note here, Nadda was RSS prerogative in 2014 when PM Modi imposed Shah as national president. Shah’s heightened activity of addressing Parliament, visits to Maharashtra, Kashmir and West Bengal on a single day exposed the fact that he runs BJP’s national politics as de facto president. The May-June cabinet reshuffle may see BJP leaders from Bihar elevated with an eye on the forthcoming state assembly elections.
A dog biting a man (and not vice versa), hit the headlines in Maharashtra reflecting on the way things have changed these days. A stray dog bit Hindutva leader Sambhaji Bhide, who heads the Shivpratishthan Hindustan. As the octogenarian Bhide, hit the hospital for treatment, the Sangli local municipal corporation launched a massive drive against stray dogs on the streets of Sangli. News channels not just reported about the dog bite and the resultant campaign but they also zoomed in visual shots of that particular dog that had bitten Bhide and had led to the furore in town. Some reports even suggested that the local civic administration had been working zealously overnight for almost 36 hours to track the particular dog that had bit the Hindutva leader, even as they detained some 10-12 dogs in the process. All this ado was enough to spark much sardonic commentary from the political class in the state. While Congress legislator Vijay Waddetiwar demanded a SIT inquiry be instituted on why a loyal animal like dog knew not whom he bit. Jitendra Awhad hoped that dogs in his area had the sense to bite some VIP in order to get the authorities to act. An advocate from Ulhasnagar, Jai Gaikwad offered to adopt the canine for his deed. Incidentally, this incident comes on the heels of the controversy over the statue of the pet dog of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Waghya, installed near Raigad Fort. While a scion of Shivaji had been demanding its removal citing no historical evidence about the dog’s existence, Bhide has been vociferous to let the dog’s statue be retained. Clearly, the Sangli stray dog did not know Bhide’s love and support for his fellow dog.
The Maharashtra government has come out with a pleasant surprise for motorists as it has announced that the toll tax for cars using the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) will be Rs 250 for a single trip. It was expected that the toll amount of Rs 500, as recommended by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), would be endorsed by the state government. The Centre’s conditionalities, too, stipulate the toll charge of Rs 500. However, at the cabinet meet on January 4, the state has decided to charge Rs 250 for a one-way journey that would take merely 20 minutes against the present duration of hours needed to travel the distance. Named ‘Atal Setu,’ the fuel required to cross the link will be just a litre against the present requirement of around seven litres to travel by the existing road. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate the 22-km link to the nation on 12 January in a grand function, to be held at the location of the upcoming Navi Mumbai international airport. The time and cost overrun have affected the project which was scheduled to be ready in 2022 at a cost of about Rs 18,000 crore. Now, it is estimated to cost over Rs 21000 crore. Modi, too, is expected to make some major announcement at the inaugural in view of the impending Lok Sabha election later this year.
Making her Tamil film debut in Petta, this classic Malayalee beauty, Malavika Mohanan has mesmerised her fans in every film since Master (with Vijay), Maran (with Dhanush). Her classic good looks and proven talent gave her the boost to be cast with Chiyan Vikram in the soon to hit screens, Thangalan, yet another KGF story about the Kolar Gold fields . This story is about a tribal leader Thangalan and his valiant fight with the British rulers to save his gold mine from being overrun. Malavika had to train intensely for her role, especially for the Silambam martial art. The movie slated for release on January 26 has now been postponed. Malavika in the meanwhile has signed up for a Telugu starrer as the heroine of star hulk Prabhas. With such exciting professional activities, she still finds time to express her views on social media. When a looker and actor write, the audience are drawn to such posts. Imagine the effect her post on the poor service of IndiGo Air had on her 1.2 mn followers. She took to X to convey her unhappiness with the bad service and rude staff on her flight from Jaipur. “My career is going places, but Indigo service is not what one expects. “IndiGo of course responded with the usual come back…we shall definitely look into this matter and get back to you.”
Politicians of all shades always talk of secularism, social equality and fraternity but when something contrary to their policies occurs, they forget all lofty principles and do exactly what they charge their opponents for. This was seen recently when senior Maharashtra minister Chhagan Bhujbal paid tributes to Savitribai Phule, hailed as founder of girls’ education in India. The event, Savitribai Phule’s birth anniversary was celebrated in Naaygaav in Satara district. Bhujbal garlanded her statue and gave a brief speech. Soon after he left, workers ostensibly belonging to the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) bathed the statue with milk and performed what is popularly known as purification ceremony to undo what the OBC leader had propitiated. In recent months, Bhujbal is the object of hate for the protagonists of the Maratha caste’s reservation demand. Bhujbal has been opposing this and holding public rallies to mobilise resistance to the demand. The irony is that several top NCP leaders have made controversial statements in connection with certain castes and faiths although they insist that they are rationalists and take oath of office ‘solemnly’ instead of ‘in the name of God.’ Incidentally, purification is a Hindu ritual practised by most of its followers but not by the so-called seculars. Tension prevailed in the area when the statues of Savitribai and Jyotiba, her husband and a social reformer, were cleansed with milk though no untoward incident took place.
How politics brings strange bedfellows together has been endorsed once again after a meeting between farmers’ leader Raju Shetti and Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai. A former MP and BJP’s sympathiser, Shetti had walked out of the arrangement after he lost the 2019 Lok Sabha election. Meanwhile, Uddhav has teamed up with the Congress and the NCP’s Sharad Pawar faction. Shetti was a sworn foe of Congress parties over farmers’ demands. In the changed atmosphere, Shetti has shaken hands with Uddhav as both are opposing the Adani group’s projects in Maharashtra. While Uddhav has declared war against Adani over the Dharavi slum redevelopment plan, Shetti has alleged that the Adani group is making preparations to divert the Patgaon dam’s water from Kolhapur to neighbouring Sindhudurg district for electricity generation in its power plant there. Shetti has reiterated that the Union government has favoured Adani by slashing duty on soybean oil, hitting domestic growers of the oilseed. Shetti’s outburst against Adani and his talks with Uddhav have led to guessing new combinations in political circles. Shetti had invited the ire of top leader Sharad Pawar over the sugarcane growers’ agitation but patched up later with him. It was said at the time that he had switched sides to get nominated to the state legislative council. Now, his adversaries have charged that Shetti is mending fences with Uddhav for the next Lok Sabha election.
With Lok Sabha elections a few months away all states are investing in infrastructure projects to reap the electoral dividends. The Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik is no different. Without the Centre’s support he has announced a metro rail project involving a big investment of nearly Rs 6,000 crore. In the first phase, the 26 km long rail line will connect Cuttack and Bhubaneswar. This is the single largest investment made in any infrastructure project in Odisha. The state has signed a pact with DMRC and expects the project to be completed in four years. The underlying objective of the rail project is to reduce the road traffic density. Political analysts are asking why is Patnaik going solo without seeking investment from the Union government? Reportedly, Patnaik government has been chasing the Union government for years to support this project but did not get any positive signal. Instead of waiting endlessly, the Patnaik government decided to go on its own. This is a flagship programme under the 5T Initiative that will also symbolise the emergence of a new Odisha. The Opposition BJP dismisses it as an election gimmick and it will be shelved once the elections are over in 2024. Only time will tell.
The verbal war between the BJP and the Shiv Sena (Uddhav) over taking credit for the Babri demolition in 1992 is intensifying by the day. Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis took it to another level. Fadnavis revealed that the Sangh Parivar activists had been asked not to claim credit for the demolition and hence had never done so. He was livid since some Sena leaders, including Uddhav Thackeray, have castigated the BJP by asking about its contribution in the razing of the disputed structure. In a sharp retort, Fadnavis said the entire world knew that LK Advani, Uma Bharati and Murli Manohar Joshi were among those present in Ayodhya on 6 December 1992 while not a single Sena activist was involved in the demolition. Replying to questions about Balasaheb Thackeray’s statement that “I am proud if the demolition is carried out by Shiv Sainiks,” Fadnavis said that it was done in response to a media question, nothing more. However, those people who did not venture out of their house were trying to claim credit for the demolition, he said, taking a dig at Uddhav. He said he himself had attended the Kar Seva in Ayodhya repeatedly and was once in jail, too. “The moment the structure came down was so joyful that it can’t be described in words,” recalled Fadnavis.
The crowds that came to mourn late Captain Vijayakanth, founder of Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam(DMDK), were unprecedented, harking back to the same heart-rending sorrow when MGR passed away. The intelligence wing conveyed that 1.5 lakh people had come in person. Starting his political career in 2005, Vijayakanth aka “dark MGR” had not just made a significant transition from films to politics, but had become the leader of the opposition when J Jayalalithaa was in power — a rare feat. Apparently, Vijayakanth’s demise has not left a succession void or clamour for leadership. Wife Premalatha, who is also a party treasurer, had taken charge even as he was in and out of hospitals in the last few years. She is no pretender inheritor. A little known fact about her. A BA in English literature, Premalatha is a former national level Shotput and Discus Throw athlete. Even as she stood by her husband’s cortège in the heat with crowds milling around, the determination to swim through this was evident. So were the efforts of the BJP, and other local TN parties to bring her into their sphere. Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman who attended the funeral was seen conveying the woman to woman empathy. Would the cosying up translate into an alliance? Premalatha is a canny and savvy woman. She must be fully aware of the worth and weight of Vijayakanth’s legacy. The ensuing months will show how strong and agile a sharpshooter Premalatha turns out to be.
The dream of outsmarting South Africa in the two-Test rubber and winning a series for the first time in 31 years in South Africa — India played its first Test in the Kruggerand country in November 1992 — came down in a thud at the Super Sport Park in Centurion last week. The Rohit Sharma-led visitor came a cropper inside three days going down by an inning and 32 runs. KL Rahul, Virat Kohli and to an extent Shreyas Iyer (in the first inning) offered glimpses of the ability to foil a well-oiled bowling unit spearheaded by Kagiso Rabada; Rahul in fact constructed a classic century that lifted his reputation by a few notches. The short series of two Tests will be over by January 8 and Sharma will return home empty-handed because his team cannot win the series, but can only draw level. Newlands with its imposing Table-Top mountain has not once favoured India in six previous Tests and the odds look against it to cause an upset. This brings the million-dollar question of whether India’s bowling combination will have the strength to bundle out its rival for small totals. They will go after Dean Elgar, who made 185 in the first Test and will lead the home team in his last appearance in International cricket. India’s best chance will be its new ball operators Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. They have to do most of the damage; of course with substantial help from their batter teammates.
For a leader who was hoping to emerge as the PM face or at best as national convenor of the I.N.D.I.A front, it is odd that Nitish Kumar should find himself once again at the starting line. Yes, at the end of 2023 the Bihar CM found he was almost back to the beginning, getting unanimously re-elected as president of Bihar’s ruling Janata Dal (United), a party he had help found nationally in October 2003. At the party’s national executive in Delhi, he was re-appointed party chief after close aide Lalan Singh stepped down. It is widely believed JDU Lok Sabha MP Lalan Singh had to make way for Nitish as the CM had become extremely suspicious of growing proximity between RJD leader Lalu Prasad and Lalan Singh; it was speculated that Lalan Singh could join a Tejashwi Yadav-led government in Bihar as deputy CM. Nitish who is prone to be circumspect of those close to him, grew very suspicious of Lalan Singh after Union Minister Giriraj Singh claimed Lalu Yadav had told him that “… the JDU will merge with RJD soon”. That buzz was dismissed by Tejashwi Yadav himself. With Lok Sabha polls 2024 round the corner, it is likely that time is running out for Nitish Kumar to hand over the baton to RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, who is now Deputy CM. Nitish’s lasting contribution to Bihar would be hiking reservation from the existing 60% to 75%.
A day ahead of PM Modi’s visit to Ayodhya to inaugurate its airport and its redeveloped Ayodhya Dham Railway Station, the Congress decided it must also draw media attention to its wobbly Ayodhya stand. The party felt the best way to keep media interest alive would be to half disclose whether any of its top leaders would be attending temple inauguration on January 22. While initially a top party leader at an informal media interaction did indicate that Sonia Gandhi would be attending the event, for some reason effort was made by the same leader to obfuscate that Sonia’s participation would only be known on January 22. “A decision will be taken at an appropriate time, and communicated at an appropriate time,” said Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh. Why was the Congress playing hide & seek with Bhagwan Ram’s sentiment? “For the Ram temple opening, someone from the Nehru-Gandhi parivar has to be there. As a Rae Bareli MP, Soniaji would be best advised to accept the invite — never mind what her partners in the I.N.D.I.A front like the TMC, the DMK or the Left Parties may say. Only we have a political stake in North India. None of I.N.D.I.A partners have any stake in the Hindu votes in north India,” pointed out a Congress leader. After all it was late PM Rajiv Gandhi, who had opened the locks of Babri Masjid in 1985. Party sources also admitted that Sam Pitroda’s views on Ram Temple were so out of sync with today’s India and had boomeranged on him, forcing the party to officially distance itself from his views
Amid growing differences between the senior bloc and the new bloc of state BJP and several lobbies of the top functionaries of the Bengal unit, the Central BJP unit has decided to work with a private political consulting agency for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Jarvis Technology & Strategy Consulting has been appointed to counter ruling Trinamool Congress’ political strategist the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), created by Prashant Kishor. Party sources said that there won’t be any conflicts in the functioning of the agency and the BJP state unit. While the party’s state leadership will handle political campaigns and grassroots outreach initiatives, the agency will carry out on-the-ground and backup research to provide information to the state leadership which can enable political tactics for the state unit. Interestingly, State BJP president, Sukanta Majumdar hasn’t acknowledged or refuted the development, though asserting that election strategies are private and internal affairs. Meanwhile, party insiders said that as per initial plans, the consulting agency will operate not only from Kolkata but will set up camp offices in different districts of the state as well. Incidentally, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and National President JP Nadda who recently visited Kolkata made it categorical to the state unit that they will have to frame their strategies and policies to target 35 LS seat-win in 2024. Further, they must intensify social media campaigns from now on.
From the high hopes of winning the first-ever Test series in South Africa to finding ways to level the series is a massive change in perception of the team that was beaten hollow in the first Test of the Freedom Series at the lovely Centurion venue. Even after 30 years of coming here Indian batters are groping in the dark, clueless as to what’s coming at them from a champion operator Kagiso Rabada with the new ball and tyros trying to make their mark in their first Test. Rohit Sharma did not find the elevation of a pull shot in the first hour of the first morning when the home team challenged his team to face its pace battery. And in the second innings was hoodwinked off the surface, and became a sort of bunny to the slenderly built practitioner of fast bowling Rabada — drawing comparisons with the likes of Allan Donald and Dale Steyn. Sharma who has carved a niche for himself in white-ball formats doesn’t have anything to show for in Test appearances in these parts. Cape Town in a few days, will give him two more chances, but more importantly, the team has to redeem itself against a team that has the power to do an encore. South Africa is keen and eager to hold on to the undefeated record. Its coach Shukri Conrad said it aloud at the press conference.
The ruling alliance in Maharashtra is making intense efforts to coincide Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Nasik visit on 12 January next year with the inauguration of the massive Mumbai Trans Harbour Link project, connecting Mumbai with the mainland. Modi is scheduled to open the National Youth Festival on that day in Nasik on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekanand. Preparations have started for the mega event in which thousands of participants from across the country have been invited. To benefit from the slated visit in view of the coming general election, the Shinde-Fadnavis-Ajit Pawar triumvirate has decided to invite Modi for declaring open the longest sea bridge in the country, being constructed at a cost exceeding Rs 18,000 crore. In fact, it was to be commissioned on 25 December but this did not happen since some finishing touches remained. The link will prove to be of immense political importance for the ruling side since it will open new vistas of development. Similarly, the choice of Nasik for the youth fest is crucial since the city is identified with Lord Ram’s footprint and a major pilgrimage centre. Senior Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan has been entrusted to make adequate preparations for the PM’s visit, during which some major announcements eyeing the polls are anticipated.
Since acquiring the distribution business in Odisha three years ago, Tata Power has successfully reduced the AT&C loss levels in the State. Having ushered in an era of distribution reforms, its four discoms in the state are now focusing on community and youth empowerment through focused initiatives. Under chief minister Naveen Patnaik Odisha is poised to witness exponential economic growth vis a vis increase in power demand. To ensure that this demand is met with reliable and quality power supply enabled by a skilled and industry-ready workforce, the company is focusing on skill development. It is ensuring that STEM students are equipped with relevant technical and operational skills aligned with the power industry’s changing requirements. Recently it signed a MoU with the Skill Development Technical Education Department of Odisha government to impart industry-level training to students enrolled in ITIs. Besides, the company is also empowering women in STEM to shine by offering a variety of roles and opportunities across its functions. Impressed by the work done by the company in MSME space, GRIDCO’s MD Trilochan Panda feels Tata Power’s consumer centric, social approach will create a vibrant socio-economic system in Odisha. Likewise Tata Power’s T&D President Sanjay Banga is quite excited about focusing on technical education in Odisha. The company which is committed to invest Rs 6,000 crore in Odisha is focusing on developing the EV charging network, microgrids, rooftop and floating solar plants.
This New Year, Tamil Nadu is all set to host The Global Investor Meet on January 7. TN Industries minister Dr TRB Rajaa has conceptualised a number of unusual investor magnets to make this summit not just a meet, greet and eat exotic South Indian cuisine congregation, but a totally new investor experience with a wide spectrum of business choices. The summit will showcase not just big tech, the new energy vistas, green footprint enterprises but also give a ringside seat to TN’s vast rural economy. For starters, the much talked about Village Cooking you tube channel is to participate and present the country’s scrumptious village cuisine, unique to every region, using local ingredients and in season produce, and drool worthy dishes . A Pudukkottai village, Chinna Veera Mangalam has gained 100 million viewers for its Village Cooking — a start-up launched by six friends in 2018, viewed globally. But for its chief dreamer M Periathambi, it was not a millet cake walk. Initially they had no viewers for the rustic and unfamiliar cuisine. “So they paused, took a look at their mistakes and learned from other cooking channels. From 3 episodes per week, it is only three per month now but fine-tuned, presented with much spontaneity. They earn Rs 10 lakhs per month. According to Vishnu Venugopal from Guidance (a nodal agency for Investor inflows) its aim is to tap the entrepreneurial talent of rural areas. Food is a great leveller, rural or urban.
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AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palanisami (EPS) seems to have got his calculations all wrong when he broke away from the NDA to Lone Ranger status for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Was it an act of bravado or was his defiance based on ego problems with the BJP? Incidentally, EPS did not attract that overwhelming response from small political parties that cannot face an election alone, but add up to respectable strength as allies. The only party (quite unknown), Puratchi Bharatham led by Poovai Jagannathan has allied with AIADMK. Even as his cadres were focusing on flood relief work in Southern districts, EPS had to attend a “conclave“ of this unknown party in Villupuram. The veteran, better known parties and power stakeholders like PMK and Vijayakanth’s Themu Thika are not making haste to join AIADMK-led coalition. His cadres are lamenting, “What seat sharing with one party”? Are both the breakaways regretting the break-up? According to some sources, the BJP is now firmly in the saddle after the three states election wins. The talk is that the BJP high command have zeroed in on Tamil Manila Congress leader GK Vasan to bring about a face saving rapport. Vasan is perceived as a calm pacifist, capable of convincing stubborn sides and like his late father GK Mooppanar bring prickly issues to the deal making table.
As Maharashtra gears up for yet another political fast fest called by Manoj Jarange Patil, analysts can’t help drawing parallels with state’s another fasting icon — Anna Hazare. Maratha leader Jarange Patil call for an indefinite fast from January 20, 2024 onwards — his third since his last 17-day fast in September. Just like Jarange Patil, Hazare was also known to send shivers down the spine of governments with his call for fasts on various issues be it demanding Lokpal Bill or action against corrupt ministers or demanding stronger Right to Information (RTI) Act. Both attracted huge crowds and sustained media attention. Their fasts follow the same pattern — delegations of ministers turning up to negotiate terms and chief ministers turning up personally to end the fast by offering orange juice. This was true of Hazare who had the honours done for him by Devendra Fadnavis in 2018, a model followed by current CM Eknath Shinde for Jarange Patil in Jalna recently. Both were neither MPs, MLAs nor MLCs and yet managed to wield enough clout to get their way with the government of the day. Both gave distinct identity to their hometowns — Ralegan Siddhi (Hazare) and Antarwel Sarati (Jarange Patil). Anna Hazare’s famous fast at Jantar Mantar in Delhi had led to the birth of the Aam Aadmi Party that is now in power in two states. So far, Jarange Patil claims to have no political ambitions, but it now remains to be seen if his Maratha reservation movement will disrupt existing equations in state.
Putting to rest rumours about getting an extension, Dr Shashank Vikram, Consul General (CG) of India, Birmingham has gone back to New Delhi. The New Year will see him take over as CG of Bali Island. In Birmingham, Venkat Murugan replaces Dr Vikram. The Head of Chancery, Aman Bansal at the CGI Birmingham is now the acting CG. Dr Vikram who held the reins for nearly three years was appointed when Covid-19 pandemic was at its peak. His earlier postings in Lisbon and Durban were challenging. At Durban, it was a trying moment when his house, and family were attacked by a mob. But, he chose to soldier on. At Birmingham, he had to face the pro-Khalistani lobby who did not spare a single opportunity to protest at the CG office. In his three-year tenure in Birmingham he managed to make significant changes that found favours with the Indian diaspora. A case in point is the exponential rise in visa applications — from 5000 to 40000. Dr Vikram may find his new posting in Bali probably less challenging as the larger section of the population is predominantly Hindu and Indonesia as a nation is a strong partner in the ASEAN with India and holds strong cultural, spiritual economic bonds.
Senior Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan has rubbed salt into Uddhav Thackeray’s wound over the denial of invite to him for the Ram Mandir inauguration ceremony as his bete noire Raj Thackeray has been invited to attend the 22 January inaugural in Ayodhya. The absence of any such communication for his cousin Uddhav has been lambasted by Shiv Sena (Uddhav) leaders over the past few days. Taking a dig at this discomfiture, Mahajan quipped, “Uddhav is just a legislator. Perhaps he is not in the Centre’s VVIP list.” When it was pointed out that Uddhav had donated Rs 1 crore for the temple, Mahajan retorted that many people had made such donations. “Let Sena MP Sanjay Raut show me a picture wherein Uddhav is seen performing Kar Seva,” he challenged. A close confidant of deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and a trouble shooter for the three-party government in Maharashtra, Mahajan minced no words while praising the outright stand taken by late Balasaheb Thackeray about the temple, sharpening his attack against Uddhav. “It is one thing to just support some mission by staying at home and quite another to actually toil for it. We were in jail during the temple revival movement,” Mahajan said, reflecting indirectly the stock criticism that Uddhav ran the government for two and a half years by staying at Matoshree, visiting Mantralaya only thrice.
The Union Sports ministry dismissed the newly elected Wrestling Federation of India body under president Sanjay Singh, close confidant of erstwhile president, BJP MP Brijbhushan Singh whose exit followed sexual harassment allegations by women wrestlers in India. The BJP strongman MP had also thrown the gauntlet at MNS Chief Raj Thackeray last year threatening him against visiting UP to seek blessings of Lord Rama. Singh’s criminal antecedents, including live boasts of killing rivals in gunfights and acquittal by special CBI court for lack of evidence over harbouring sharp shooters involved in the infamous JJ Hospital case of 1992 in Mumbai, invited the ire of the BJP high command that had mandated an unbiased welcome for all pilgrims. UP CM Yogi Adityanath even booked the Ayodhya state guest house to facilitate the MNS chief’s proposed June 5 visit this year. A source reveals, “Brijbhushan Singh came under the radar because his outburst against Thackeray followed his closed-door meeting at Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut’s bungalow in New Delhi also attended by NCP chief Sharad Pawar. Vested foreign interests provoked Singh against Thackeray, it was learnt.” The former WFI president announced his sanyaas from WFI in December 2022 and has now started political rounds, meeting BJP national president JP Nadda, over his Lok Sabha candidature from Kaisargang. The BJP’s Sanyasi UP CM Adityanath has clearly won the bout with a knockout “Dhobipachhad’ move as subdued Singh now lives on political hope for survival. Singh’s belligerent posturing has also been replaced with humility now.
Different tales, different strokes! This Christmas will be dissimilar for these two. For one, it will be a joyful celebration. For the other, however, this could be a farewell party. Well, we are talking about two iconic five-star hotels in Chennai. Crowne Plaza (formerly known as Adyar Gate Hotel) and Le Royal Meridien. Crowne Plaza will slip into the pages of history shortly. It has a new owner now in Bhashyam, a leading reality firm in Chennai. What the new owner intends to do with the acquired property is still not known. One thing, however, is sure. A prominent landmark — Crowne Plaza — will disappear from Adyar. The tale is different at Le Royal Meridien hotel at Guindy. Armed with National Company Law Tribunal order reversing insolvency process and restoring Appu Hotels to NRI industrialist, Dr Palani G Periyasamy, the two star hotels, Le Royal Meridien Chennai and Le Meridien Coimbatore are decked up and illuminated for a grand Christmas celebration. Periyasamy is set to step into the New Year with a sense of hope and fresh optimism. No doubt, an appeal has been filed in National Company Law Appellate Tribunal by MGM Healthcare which lost the bid for Appu Hotels and the case is slated for hearing on January 12. But it looks Appu Hotels is not in mood to give up the regained control.
Is the BJP planning to ditch rebels of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Shiv Sena (SS) to contest solo in Maharashtra? This claim by Sharad Pawar supporter Jitendra Awhad has created a flutter and touched a raw nerve among the rebel camps of both Eknath Shinde and the Ajit Pawar. Awhad said that buoyed by the BJP’s recent victory in three North Indian states, the party’s internal surveys and deliberations with RSS had led to this strategy. Awhad also claimed that a BJP survey had found that its old cadres were getting disillusioned with it thanks to its growing proximity to tainted leaders and had wanted those to be kept away. The rebels of SS and NCP, who switched loyalties with Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar are now worried about whether the BJP will accommodate their political aspirations. Not only could Shinde and Pawar find it difficult to hold their flock together, these splinter groups could also be asked to merge with the BJP. The appointments of upstarts over seasoned stalwarts for chief ministership in the three states by BJP doesn’t bode well for the likes of strong leaders like Shinde and Ajit Pawar either. The strategy of going solo works well with the larger BJP strategy to wipe out the political significance and electoral value of strong regional outfits and their symbols. Though the splinter NCP and Shiv Sena groups are aligned with the BJP, the party hasn’t forgotten the 2019 Vidhan Sabha polls when it was upstaged out of power in Maharashtra despite BJP getting the highest tally of legislators.
Has the Ranbir Kapoor starrer Animal changed the palate of the audience? There are people in the trade who have blamed Animal for the lukewarm response to SRK’s Dunki at the box office. They say Dunki is a social film and does not have any high-octane violence voyeurism or blood and gore like Animal. In the same breath the trade people blame Shah Rukh Khan for changing audience taste with Pathaan which earned Rs 1000 crore. Dunki looks weak as it collected only Rs 30 crore on day one while SRK’s other two films Pathaan earned Rs 57 crore and Jawan Rs 75 crore on day one. Both the movies had a hero and an anti-hero in them but Animal has come and changed the idea of hero and today a complete anti-hero is being lauded by the audience in a big way. Sociologists feel that the subject is connected with youth and they have identified with the character of Ranbir Kapoor who speaks their language. It’s common knowledge that audience preference and taste keeps changing. In the late seventies romance themes worked with Rajesh Khanna becoming an icon; in the eighties it was an angry young man image portrayed by Amitabh Bachchan.
The captaincy duty will come calling to Rohit Sharma as the Indian team celebrates Christmas and gets into the Test match mode straight away. India begins its ninth tour of South Africa with the opening Test match scheduled at the Centurion on Boxing Day, December 26. First and foremost, Sharma will have to take a call on the choice of the third seamer. Jasprit Bumrah will return to the Test ranks after a hiatus of 18 months and Mohammed Siraj will be his new ball operator partner. The million-dollar question is who will replace Mohammed Shami, ruled out of the series because of a serious ankle injury. The name that crops up is the tall and gangling Prasidh Krishna who too has come back after a lower back injury. And will Sharma pick both left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja and off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin? The scales could tilt in favour of the speedster Krishna. The other options are Shardul Thakur and rookie Mukesh Kumar. With 90 overs to be bowled in three sessions of two hours each in a day, the captain could be in a fix. Moreover, Sharma will have to deal with Bumrah’s spells judiciously as a flare-up could whittle down India’s pace strength. Bumrah is a wicket-taker and he will start anxiously because he has not played the multi-day Test for a long time. A breakthrough or two from him will go a long way in hurting the South African batting lineup.
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Does Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin’s public spat with Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman have more to do with the way his aunt Kanimozhi has been receiving help from the Centre in combating floods in her Thoothukudi Lok Sabha constituency? It seems so. Stalin Jr who represents an assembly segment in Chennai-Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni, seemed to be struggling to reach out to flood hit in Chennai, when Kanimozhi had already managed to reach her constituency because of a tip off from the Centre and be with her voters. Apart from taking IMD red alert warning seriously, Nirmala also had a chat with her. The FM had taken up the issue of mobilising NDRF support for southern TN districts with Home Minister Amit Shah. In fact, Kanimozhi publicly went on to acknowledge in a post on X the kind of help she received from the Centre via FM. It appears Udhayanidhi tried to step out of his home in Chennai only to compete with his aunt who seemed to be doing well in her constituency. So it seems Udhayanidhi’s petty quarrel with the FM over TN not asking “anyone’s father’s money but only a share of the tax paid by its people” could be more of a point he wanted to settle within the family
In Tamil Nadu new film releases have been part of the Pongal ethos for eons, and for the film stakeholders, a sentiment. This Pongal, the superstar family in TN is ready to make history even as Aishwarya Rajinikanth is all set to Lal Salaam her audience with her father in a cameo in her directorial. Music by AR Rahman is the plus factor that has already set fan hearts pounding with the first teaser single Ther Thiruvizha. The lyrics and rural rustic beat of this song is bound to bring in repeat audiences. As if to prove that the father-daughter duo and their family effort is not the sole offering to entertain on Pongal, Dhanush, the estranged husband is ready to clash with his Captain Miller directed by acclaimed Arun Matheshwaran who gave two unconventional hits, Rocky and Saani Kayidam (cow dung paper). And the music single Killer Killer Captain Miller set to music by GV Prakash and vocalised in Rap by Dhanush himself has already set foot tapping. This is what creative competition and commercial cunning is all about. Bung in brewing family hostility, marital discord to the mix, and looks like everyone can laugh all the way to the bank. But wait there is a catch to this cine Jallikkattu — a third Alien (Ayalaan), with Sivakarthikeyan in lead is all set to intrude into this conflict and hopes to cash in on a new theme. Is it Lal Salam for Captain Miller or can the Ayalaan (Alien) make his mark?
At a time when Trinamool Congress (TMC) is rife with the debate of old guard vs new guard, there is a strong vibe of tickets being distributed on the basis of age. Party’s second in command Abhishek Banerjee has been pushing for 65 years as the upper limit of age for contesting a poll and holding party post. However, Didi thinks otherwise where in her words, “The age is in mind, and as long as you can serve people you need to continue.” Interestingly, if Abhishek’s theory is to be considered then at present out of 23 MPs, 10 MPs are above the age bracket. They are: Sudip Banerjee (71), Sougata Roy (77), Shatrughan Sinha (77), Mala Roy (66) and Kakali Ghosh (65). Besides age there are other exclusion criteria. For instance, TMC MP Sisir Adhikari, father of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari may be replaced. Significantly, if TMC goes by age criterion then it will have to bring 29 new faces out of 42 seats that they would be contesting in 2024 polls. Besides, party sources indicated that TMC may field in the seats they lost in 2019 Lok Sabha election. Incidentally, the TMC’s candidate list in 2019 polls was a mixed bag comprising stars, youth, seniors, women and backward. They helped the party. So one has to wait-and-watch who has their way –Didi or nephew.
It is no secret Naveen Patnaik’s party, the Biju Janata Dal is focusing on ancient temple development, its beautification and improving its amenities in a big way providing satisfaction to devotees. Just like PM Modi’s revival of Shri Kashi Vishwanath temple in Uttar Pradesh. Patnaik has started in a big way by focusing on improving amenities at five big temples — Lord Jagannath Temple Puri), 11th century Lingaraja Tempe ( Bhubaneswar), 16th century Samaleswari Temple (Sambalpur), Tara Tarni Temple (Ganjam) and Biraja Temple (Jajpur). By investing Rs 943 crore he has already transformed the 12th century Jagannath Temple into a modern day pilgrim centre. The inauguration is lined up between Jan 15 and Jan 17, 2024. Reportedly, 7000 invites which include VVIPs like PM Modi, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, King of Nepal, Baba Ramdev, 857 temple heads from Odisha and heads of temples across India, temple heads from overseas, corporate czars and film celebrities have been sent. Why is Odisha CM prioritising temple development in a big way? Sources say, Patnaik like Modi has opted for a soft Hindutva strategy in shrine management, improving its amenities which is expected to give BJD a leg up in the 2024 Lok Sabha election and also improve religious tourism. This is being hailed as Patnaik’s master stroke game. A political professor at Utkal University said,”Religion is a low hanging fruit and Puri being the religious capital of Odisha, Naveen is using it effectively”.
The ruling DMK has been pushed onto the backfoot in Tamil Nadu. In a first, a senior DMK minister has been convicted of graft. K Ponmudy, already convicted in 2016, had the verdict overturned smartly after the party came back to power in 2021. But the wheels of justice, known to roll along slowly, caught up with him. Priding itself on having nil convictions in its long rule, the DMK used to deride the AIADMK for corruption cases, including those against J Jayalalithaa, in some of which she was convicted and did go to jail. But the smart recovery of convicted Ponmudy may not have escaped the eyes of the Madras High Court. And now other senior ministers are running scared. Having resorted to legal legerdemain to stay in power, the likes of Thangam Thennarasu, S Raghupathy and Anita Radhakrishnan are now worried if their cases would be raked up again. They are hoping that Ponmudy’s appeal to the top court would bear fruit quickly as there is an issue of latent bias in the ruling by tough judge G Jayachandran. Another uncompromising judge in Anand Venkatesan has been posted to take charge of cases against elected representatives and serious judicial action is on the cards. Tamil Nadu’s institutionalised corruption, that has enriched ruling families and close aides of both Dravidian parties, may be exposed again.
Exactly a month from now the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Temple in Ayodhya would have been inaugurated by PM Modi on January 22. Yet, what is really making news is that if those being left out of the event — like Uddhav Thackeray are complaining about being missing from the guest list, it seems those included like Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, are not too happy about receiving the invites. The two leaders received the invites personally from Nripendra Misra, former principal secretary to PM Modi and chairman of the temple construction committee of Shri Ram Janmboomi Teerth Trust. Have the Ayodhya invites put the Congress leaders in a fix? Probably. That is because neither Sonia nor Kharge are known to patronise temples or are practising Hindus. Lok Sabha MP Adhir Choudhury too has been invited. When asked whether any of their leaders would be at Ayodhya, party functionary KC Venugopal curtly replied, “You will know about the party’s stand… on January 22.” Party sources said the Congress leadership seems to be guided by the Left Parties and the DMK which want to mobilise counter opinion against Ram temple. However, at the CWC meeting Kerala leader Ramesh Chennithala who took a strong position in the Sabarimala Temple issue and forced the CPI(M)to change its stand, suggested that the Congress ought to form a panel to assess mood within the party. He felt any move against the Ram temple could cost party votes in the North. Brushing aside such fears a CWC member said,”Ram temple will matter only in UP. In Bihar, we tackle Ram with caste census.”
Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah seems to be in the habit of courting controversy with luxury. If in his last stint in office he had trouble over an expensive Hublot watch that he was wearing, this time it is the private luxury jet he took to Delhi to attend an official appointment with PM Modi. Of course, the entire blame for flying Siddaramaiah in style would go to Karnataka Minorities Affairs Minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan. A close aide of the CM, Zaheer had played an important role in weaning away Muslim votes towards the Congress from the BRS in Telangana. High on Telangana victory, Zaheer uploaded pictures of the CM and a few colleagues enjoying their luxury ride aboard his jet. What riled everyone in Karnataka political circles was that the CM had gone to meet PM Modi to seek funds for drought relief. By the time he returned to Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah was questioning PM Modi travelling in a special jet commensurate with his office. Hounded by queries on his travel mode, the CM lost his cool. Or maybe the info that the entire HD Devegowda family had met with PM Modi had unsettled him. In March 2016 when Karnataka Assembly had witnessed stormy scenes over a Hublot watch Siddaramaiah had worn and JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy led the charge, saying it was worth Rs 70 lakh. After days of being evasive, the CM finally admitted that the watch, a gift from a doctor friend, cost Rs 7 lakh and he would declare it a state asset.
When the groundswell began to drift against Sanju Samson that he was wasting his talent, he chose the wine countryside of Paarl to notch his first significant knock in coloured clothing for India. The big hitter from Kerala shunned reckless shots and emerged with a three-figure knock in the third and final one-day international against the Proteas and won the man of the match award. Endowed with the ability to lift the ball for straight sixes, Samson was given the No 5 spot in the first two matches. He did not get to bat in the first match at the ‘Bullring! In Johannesburg, and scored only 12 off 23 balls in the second ODI that India lost. But on Thursday (Dec 21) skipper KL Rahul sent him at No 3 and this move appears to have played in the trick to make him responsible. Samson flexed his muscles from the fifth over of the match and after debutant Rajat Patidar was dismissed. He faced 114 balls, struck 6 x 4s and 3 x 6s to make 108 and left the scene of action only in the 46th over. Samson was not part of the World Cup squad with the selection committee going with Rahul and Ishan Kishan. Captain of the Jaipur franchise, Rajasthan Royals, Samson was high in Rohit Sharma’s estimation some six months before the ICC Men’s Twenty20 World Cup in Australia last year. But it was Dinesh Karthik who took his place and Samson missed the bus. Samson has proved that he is worthy of a place in the national team.
Is Maharashtra heading for simultaneous polls of its state assembly coinciding with general elections of Bharat? Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent statements emphasizing “One nation, one poll” compounded with a dismal political picture painted by internal surveys by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) indicate exactly such a prospect. A well-placed source says, “Results of recent assembly elections in MP, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh enthused BJP tremendously as state level anti-incumbency was effectively neutralized by Modi’s persona bringing rich political dividends even in MP where Congress was dead sure of a win. A similar political situation exists in Maharashtra, where the Shinde led Shiv Sena faction (40 MLAs plus 10 independents), even Ajit Pawar’s NCP grouping may not perform well in the next state assembly elections after the current government’s tenure ends in November 2024. The party was mulling over simultaneous polls for over a year now.” Even the BJP retaining its 2019 figure of 105 MLAs in Maharashtra, that came down from 122 MLAs in the 2014 state assemblies, was a deciding factor. The Prime Minister is also a votary of the two (national) party system of democracy as prevalent in the USA. The I.N.D.I.A coalition of opposition political formations under a single umbrella in 2023 is viewed by the BJP as a step in this direction. The party feels public disenchantment with their current three-party alliance government in Maharashtra can be simply countered by projecting Modi’s face for the twin polls being held simultaneously. Will I.N.D.I.A stay together?
The social media, during the past few months, have been on an overdrive about Aishwarya and Abhishek’s marriage, and that she has moved out. For public consumption Aishwarya stays in Amu, which is in close vicinity to Jalsa where Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan stay. About Ash-Abhishek marriage, reliable sources say, Bachchan Jr has too many commitments and is doing one too many back-to-back shoots outside Mumbai. His long absence and Ash only being seen with her daughter Aaradhya in social gatherings has perhaps given wings to the rumours that their marriage is on the rocks. Reliable sources say that even if there is stress in the relationship, it happens in all marriages, there will never be a separation in the Bachchan house; Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is and will always be a Bachchan bahu. Another trigger point for the rumour of Ash moving out is the story about Big B gifting his landmark bungalow Prateeksha in Juhu, a tourist spot, to daughter Shweta Nanda. Perhaps to stop this tongue wagging the entire Bachchan clan did a photo op at The Archies premier in which their grandson Agastya Nanda plays the protagonist Archie Andrews. But, in a way, this move gave grist for the rumour mills as Aishwarya’s sis-in-law Shweta Nanda was missing from the frame.
In a major blow to the organisers of the ‘Ek Lokho Konthe Gita Path’ (Gita Chant in Lakh Voices) event, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is reportedly not attending the Brigade Parade Ground event in Kolkata on December 24 because of a government programme. PM Modi was supposed to recite the Gita with Shankaracharya Sadanand Saraswati. Besides Modi not attending, the organiser has yet to get confirmation from the Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath. In a show of strength for the past three months, Bengal BJP went ahead with the plan keeping PM Modi at the forefront. It is learnt that not only the Sanatanis but also BJP workers and functionaries are hugely disappointed with this development. Meanwhile, Assembly Opposition Leader Suvendu Adhikari and BJP State President Sukanta Majumdar convened an emergency meeting after being informed by the PMO about the PM’s absence. Party sources said that frustration is evident among the workers as the city has witnessed extensive displays of banners and posters featuring the Prime Minister announcing his presence at the programme. It is also learnt that around 3,500 sants (sadhus) will be coming for the event and over 55,000 Bengali translations and 34,000 Hindi copies of the Bhagavad Gita have been sold in the last 10 days.
Speculations are rife as to why Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik’s protege, ex-IAS officer VK Pandian, now 5T chairman, is not contesting the 2024 assembly election. Pandian, who holds the cabinet rank, is the second most influential person in Biju Janata Dal (BJD). Party sources say Pandian’s decision could not have been possible without Patnaik’s nod. This is not the right time for Pandian to contest election given the fact he is saddled with enormous party responsibilities. Pandian has to earn Naveen’s complete trust regarding his organizational capacity, people management skills, and resolving contradictions. Basically, Pandian has to ensure that BJD wins both Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in 2024 handsomely. It is learnt Pandian will play a greater role including timely temple renovation of Lord Jagannath temple, all round infrastructure development, school and college transformation, fight for special category status for Odisha, manage perceptions at the grass root levels, solve interstate conflicts. Pandian now speaks like a politician when he says that he has been blessed with two things: one to serve Lord Jagannath and another work under chief minister Patnaik.
This Mumbaikar with his boyish charm is enthralling the world with music prowess. Sarangi player Harsh Narayan, a third-generation musician, strongly represents the Ram Narayan Gharana performed in England recently. Unlike several other artists who visit the UK and are keen to perform one too many concerts, Harsh is choosy and does only a few concerts abroad. Grandson of the maestro Pt Ram Narayan, son of sarod maestro Pt Brij Narayan and nephew of now Tornto-based Vidushi Aruna Narayan Kalle, Harsh probably has instrumental music in his genes and sarangi flowing through his veins. Harsh, while regaling the audience ensures he promotes the wisdom, knowledge, skill, purity and sanctity of Sarangi and also tries his best to uphold the tradition and legacy of his grandfather. Towards his mission, he delivered lectures and performed at the University of Warwick and a concert in Manchester. He has grown experiencing and witnessing at very close quarters the love and respect the Europeans have had towards Pt Ram Narayan’s bowing technique while playing the instrument. Pt Ram Narayan was largely responsible for nailing Sarangi on the international map like Pt Ravi Shankar did to Sitar. Sarangi has won a rightful place as a solo-playing instrument — and not as an accompanying one by the Narayan family.
More than suspension of 141 Opposition MPs, what has taken centre stage is mimicry and humiliation of the Vice President of India and Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankar by suspended members. The issue escalated with PM Modi speaking over phone to Dhankar on December 18 to express “pain” over disrespect shown to his office by suspended Lok Sabha MP Kalyan Banerjee who mimicked his style of presiding over the House. Dhankar shared in a post that the PM shared his own experience of being at the receiving end but “the fact that it could happen to a Constitutional office like the Vice President of India …was unfortunate.” The Opposition has also been humiliating the Chair by boycotting meetings called by him. This led him to play Jat card in the House as he made it clear to Congress leader P Chidambaram that Kalyan’s mimicry act videographed by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, had “ravaged” his office and was a personal insult to him. He said, “…I had suffered… Mr Chidambaram, your party put a video on Instagram, which was withdrawn later on. That was a shame to me. You used the official Twitter (now X) handle of the spokesperson to demean me, insult my background as a farmer, my position as a Jat, insult my position as a chairman…these are too serious issues.” President Droupadi Murmu said she was dismayed by the incident. Meanwhile Mamata Banerjee tried to pin the blame on Rahul Gandhi saying “you would not even come to know about this had Rahulji not taken the video.”
The Indian National Congress has started spirited preparations for its 28 December rally in Nagpur where a million party workers and supporters are planned to remain present. Top Congress leaders like Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge as well as various office-bearers will attend the first show of strength after the recent assembly election drubbing the party has suffered. The suspension of most of its MPs from the two houses of Parliament has provided a moral boost for the party to stand up and fight back, several leaders say. To coincide with the party’s Foundation Day, the rally’s venue will be finalised within the next two days. Tentatively, two locations are finding favours. The sprawling grounds at Dabha a few weeks ago housed an AgroVision exhibition and could accommodate a huge turnout. Former minister Satish Chaturvedi’s Lokmanya Tilak Jan Kalyan Sanstha, too, has a large open ground at its Priyadarshini campus. This is in close vicinity of the airport and suitable from various angles. Party leaders have inspected these and some other possible locations. Congress general secretary KC Venugopal is monitoring the preparations. Once a stronghold of the Congress party, Nagpur slipped from its hands in 2014 to elect popular BJP leader Nitin Gadkari to the Lok Sabha. The party is determined to wrest the seat from the BJP at the RSS headquarters this time. The rally will be one step in this direction, the workers will be told and spurred to work.
Reports about proceedings at the I.N.D.I.A meeting where Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and RJD leader Lalu Prasad made no concession to translate their Hindi speeches into English for Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin and DMK leader TR Baalu may not bode well for the Opposition alliance. Imagine TN, the second top performing state in terms of GDP after Maharashtra should be told by a state that is among the bottom 5 that the state should learn Hindi as it is a “national” language, certainly doesn’t augur well for Nitish’s transition to national politics. Let us contrast this with the way PM Modi has evolved over the years from being a three-term CM of Gujarat. As PM in the last 9 years Modi has been trying to reach out to people from across the country and now he is making an effort to reach out to them in their own language via AI-based translation Bhashini. Yes, Bhashini was a new experiment he carried out with his speech at Kashi Tamil Sangamam last week. The simultaneous AI-based Tamil translation was done through Bhashini. As for the I.N.D.I.A Delhi meet outcome, it has left three leaders disappointed — Nitish, Lalu and Sonia Gandhi. While Nitish was hoping to be declared convenor and Lalu was hoping Nitish would demit the CM post to elevate his son Tejashwi, Sonia was completely outwitted by Mamata’s move to project Mallikarjun Kharge as PM face. Full marks to Didi for unscrambling the line-up of leaders within I.N.D.I.A. As of now, she holds the aces. A kinder view of Nitish is that he was trying to teach DMK a lesson for opposing sanatan dharma.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s decision to embark on the Bharat Jodo Yatra 2.0 sometime in January in the run up to Lok Sabha polls, caught party leaders by surprise. By deciding to embark on a journey from the North East — sometime in January — Rahul had clearly decided to keep away from the nitty-gritty of planning and campaigning for the 2024 elections, party sources said. Either he wants to use the yatra as a face-saver for the 2024 outcome that is expected to go in favour of the BJP. Or he is merely shirking his responsibilities towards the party as its star campaigner. Party leaders are also surprised by the manner in which he has decided to latch on to slogans against “unemployment” and “inflation”– slogans raised by those who breached Parliament security. Why is a senior Congress leader like Rahul Gandhi giving legitimacy to slogans given by two “out of work” young men who trapeze from visitor’s gallery into the Lok Sabha chamber in utter breach of security? Is it because they were echoing Rahul’s charges against the Modi government at a time when it was not finding traction among voters in the North. To make matters worse Rahul even treated security breach in Parliament as a non-issue and wanted the entire focus to be on unemployment instead. In a post, Rahul asked “Where are the jobs? The youths are desperate. We have to focus on this issue and give jobs to the youth.” Party leaders were disappointed that Rahul was in no mood to confront the government on security failure.
These are good times for India’s women cricketers. Not just because of the packed international schedule against their counterparts from England and Australia, but also because of the monetary rewards that come with it. A large group of players who will play across formats (one Test each against England and Australia, three one-day internationals against Australia and six Twenty20 internationals together against England and Australia) will earn Rs 66 lakh! Thanks to Jay Shah, the BCCI Secretary who is in the vanguard of giving a fillip to women’s cricket, a pay parity for representing India across all formats was announced two months ago. The women players will receive Rs 15 lakh for a Test match, Rs 6 lakh for an ODI and Rs 3 lakh for a Twenty20 international. Two back-to-back Tests will amount to Rs 30 lakh, the three ODIs Rs 18 lakh and six Twenty20 internationals Rs 18 lakh. The women also get the same daily allowance as men. A few years ago the BCCI introduced the annual retainership cover and recently improved the monthly gratis for past cricketers who had played ODIs. The founding of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) last year turned out to be a big breakthrough that will fast-track the welfare of the distaff — game-wise, money-wise. In all a fantastic space to be in for the present generation and for the youngsters to take up the game as a recreation and thereafter as a career. But there is a lot more to be done at the grassroots and perhaps a revision of the annual retainers too!
This does not operate in an esoteric field. It is engaged in the dairy business. Today, it is a formidable player in Tamil Nadu, in particular, and the South, in general. Yet, this one has a unique record. It remained unaffected by demonetisation or the Covid-19. Much before digitisation became the new normal in the post-Covid world, Chennai-based Hatsun Agro Products Ltd had gone for a cashless transaction model. So much so, the aforesaid extraordinary events did not have any drastic negative impact on its business. Headed by RG Chandramogan, Hatsun was, perhaps, one of the very few companies which largely remained unaffected by demonetisation! Today, this entrepreneur-driven listed company has evolved into a significant name to reckon with in the dairy industry. This over Rs 8000-crore company has several popular brands such as Arun Ice-creams, Arokya Milk, Hatsun Curd, Hatsun Paneer, Hatsun Ghee, Hatsun Dairy Whitener and Ibaco. Its products are exported to 42 countries primarily to America, the Middle East and South Asia. Under a new initiative, Hatsun is eyeing large apartments to facilitate residents buy these brands through vending machines installed in their premises using smart cards supplied by Hatsun. Chandramogan is always on the look-out for markets waiting to be discovered, it appears.
The DMK and its high decibel love for Tamil seems to have bypassed the loyalty of heir-in-waiting Udhayanidhi Stalin. Hardly had the dust and diatribe settled on Udhayanidhi’s interpretation of Sanatana Dharma, he has taken on himself yet another controversial indiscreet challenge. The Tamil Nadu government has sought Rs 5,060 crore relief from the Centre to rehabilitate people affected by Cyclone Michaung. The Centre, after the visit of its two senior ministers, sanctioned Rs 450 crore in two tranches. Irked by this amount, Stalin Jr said, “We did not ask for anybody’s father’s property…just our tax money.” Put off by the tone and tenor of such intemperate words, the Governor of Telangana & Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry, Tamilisai Soundararajan, took on Stalin Jr and said “Is this Kalaignar’s grandson for real? The Kalaignar we all knew and respected would never use such words. Even ticking off someone would be in chaste Tamil with all the niceties intact.” Adding further she said that any DMK member can ask, is this monolith your grandfather/father’s property that you just walk in and claim as yours? The Governor further warned the young colt, your diatribe on Sanatana Dharma has raised the hackles of many in the I.N.D.I.A front. Udhayanidhi who feels that he is entitled to the last word said “Ok, I shall rephrase my comment. Is this the venerable Governor’s father’s estate?
Star children and their “entitled“ film status debate has been done to death but still rages on even after the disaster that The Archies and the omnibus “heirlooms” turned out to be. Abhishek Bachchan is a special star heir, and entered the film firmament with a heft very few have — Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan for parents. It couldn’t get better than this. But in 23 years, 50 films under his belt the 47-year old star has had more flops than box office rockets except the Dhoom franchises, Bunty aur Babli, Bol Bachchan and Housefull. The recent critically acclaimed sports drama Ghoomer directed by R Balki did not do well. The latest buzz is that Abhishek is in talks with South production powerhouse AGS Movies to be signed up for Thani Oruvan2 — the 2015 hit which is still remembered not so much for hero Jayam Ravi but more for the mark left by Arvind Swami, the suave and intense villain. Arvind Swami is dead at close of the film. So when AGS announced Thani Oruvan 2, people wondered who would fill the villain’s menace, suave and intense. Nayanthara remains unchanged for the new story directed by Mohan Raja (Ravi’s brother). Can Abhishek take on the role played by Arvind Swami? Even born heirs get challenged to fill the shoes of the mighty. The dare only gets more daring.
For several days, the issue of the age of political leadership rocked Trinamool Congress. The party which is reportedly divided between Mamata front and Abhishek front found a smart way to move an end to this discussion. During the foundation day celebration of the Indian National Trinamool Trade Union Congress senior Trinamool leader and MP, Sudip Banerjee said that the senior leadership feels that the party must address workers as “Under the leadership of Mamata and commandership of Abhishek.” Echoing similar lines, veteran TMC leader and minister Sovandeb Chattopadhyay has observed that he would rather like to portray Mamata as the driving force behind the party and Abhishek as the emerging leader of the party. Incidentally, Didi recently during a party programme made it clear that the ‘new’ has to pay respect to the ‘old’ and the ‘old’ has to bring the ‘new’ closer. Significantly, post this unexpected debate, Abhishek for the first time stated that party workers need to derive inspiration from veterans and yet it’s important to consider work efficiency and productivity after a certain age hence there should be a retirement age in politics. Incidentally, 10 out 23 of its Lok Sabha MPs are aged over 65 years, with many party seniors feeling the heat of their age as contestants in next year’s Lok Sabha polls swirl through the party ranks.
The Maratha reservation agitation issue has helped chief minister Eknath Shinde get one-up over his deputy and predecessor Devendra Fadnavis. Shinde’s political acumen has helped him win favour with Maratha leader Manoj Jarage Patil, who publicly proclaims that Shinde could be the only person who can make reservations for Marathas possible. Patil though reserves his ire against Fadnavis for creating unrest by ‘poisoning’ the minds of Maratha leaders and has even advised the BJP to expel him from the party and the state. Jarange is upset at Fadnavis for propping up Chhagan Bhujbal for challenging and consolidating the Other Backward Class (OBC) community against him. Jarange and Bhujbal have been involved in a bitter war of words that has stretched to personal lows. The Bharatiya Janata Party’s shift in stance that the Maratha community cannot be granted blanket reservation, has also upset Jarange, who claims that it was an assurance given to get him to withdraw from his 17-day hunger fast on the issue. Police cases against Jarange’s supporters for stone throwing against policemen, has further fuelled anger against Fadnavis, since he holds the home portfolio. While tendering his resignation, state backward class commission member BL Killarikar had claimed that Shinde was ready to conduct a large-scale survey of communities, but was opposed by Fadnavis. The Opposition believes that both the Maratha and OBC agitations are state-sponsored to divert attention from genuine issues affecting the state.
Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray’s protest march against the government’s decision to entrust the redevelopment of Dharavi, the largest slum of Asia, to the controversial Adani Group has been highlighted more for the fireworks between the protagonists and detractors of Adani than forcing the authorities from taking any concrete action. The redevelopment of the project worth thousands of crores of rupees had been pending for decades. During Uddhav’s chief ministership, too, the plan to redevelop Dharavi was hanging fire. While Uddhav made several demands while leading the protest in Mumbai on Saturday (Dec 16), his opponents trapped him by demanding to know what steps he had taken during his tenure for Dharavi. Some went to the extent of alleging that the tacit intent of the march was quite different and was linked with Uddhav’s new residence, Matoshree-II, at nearby Kala Nagar in Bandra East. The present plan which Adani will implement envisages giving units of 500 sq ft each to the eligible slum dwellers. Earlier, units of 400 sq ft were offered. Uddhav has demanded units of 750 sq ft. The oft-repeated charge that the Union government was bent upon separating Mumbai from Maharashtra was once again heard and the BJP’s expected response that no such conspiracy is hatching has followed. The fate of the beneficiaries will depend upon the turns the state politics takes as changing sides is becoming a commonplace activity in Maharashtra.
Karti Chidambaram has a healthy contempt for the powers that be and the central investigating agencies. He has probably set a record for being the most searched Indian with the ED constantly after him. In the latest episode, Karti countered them by asking for time since they were only on a fishing expedition and that he had to get his documents ready to satisfy them. He has greater ambitions within the Congress and would rather see them fulfilled. For starters, he would like to head the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee which has a veteran politician holding the post of President now but there is reason to believe he is out of touch with the changing scenario in which traditional media houses are being overtaken by the social media channels as purveyors of news. If the TNCC, once famous for felicity in flipping between the DMK and AIADMK despite the Centre having toppled both the governments of M Karunanidhi and MG Ramachandran and bringing in President’s Rule. Currently with the DMK in the ruling alliance with a prominent position and commanding eight MPs in the Lok Sabha, the Congress is hoping to lean on the Dravidian party for more seats in the 2024 polls. Expect a promotion any time soon for Karti Chidambaram to head TNCC and drive the bargaining for seats.
The Union government’s sudden move to permit the use of sugarcane juice and B-heavy molasses for ethanol production with a ceiling of 17 lakh tonnes for the current marketing year has hardly surprised sugar barons in Maharashtra and Karnataka since these two major states are the ruling BJP’s strongholds. Together, they produce around 60% of India’s total sugar output. Though Karnataka has voted against the BJP in recent assembly elections, the party is preparing to storm the state for the upcoming Lok Sabha election. The same logic applies to Maharashtra. Veteran leader Sharad Pawar’s power base is dependent upon the massive sugar lobby, which now is fractured. Its one section has followed his nephew Ajit Pawar, who has now joined the Shinde-Fadnavis government and started praising PM Narendra Modi as well home minister Amit Shah. Immediately after the Centre’s decision about the ethanol production restriction was announced, there was a wave of anger in Maharashtra. The Opposition cornered the state government and Ajit Pawar had to assure the legislature that he would visit Delhi to plead with the Centre to reconsider the decision. Now that it has happened, the Opposition ranks have been re-planning their strategy. The victorious three-party government, on the other hand, will exploit the political benefit of the revised decision. The Centre’s reassurance that there will be adequate sugar availability in the country in the months to come will assuage the sentiments of the middle class, too, it is felt.
Suryakumar Yadav is turning out to be unstoppable in the Twenty20 brand of cricket at the elite level. On Thursday (Dec 14) at the ‘The Wanderers’ in Johannesburg, also known as the ‘Bull Ring’, the flamboyant Mumbaikar and India middle order, and captain, smashed a 56-ball 100 with 7 x 4s and 8 x6s to give thousands of tricolour waving supporters a cheerful time. Yadav scored almost 50% of India’s score of 201 which the Proteas found an uphill task and lost by 105 runs. It was Yadav’s fourth century in a format of the game only two other distinguished batters — India’s Rohit Sharma and Australia’s Glenn Maxwell — have notched as many as four each. A remarkable feat in a format that gives an opportunity of 120 balls to a team to put a total on the board wherein 160 is a norm, but Yadav’s style of conversion rate of his copybook and innovative strokes into maximums (6s) propelled the score over 200 in the third and final match of the short series. The first match was washed out, South Africa won the second match on a revised score, but Yadav’s drive paved the way for a clear-cut Indian win. Yadav scored 117 against England at Trent Bridge and India lost the match, but his subsequent centuries of 111 not out against New Zealand at Mt Maunganui, 112 not out against Sri Lanka at Rajkot and 100 against South Africa at Johannesburg have come for a winning cause.
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Editor’s Note: Short Post Noticed By People Who Matter
Four years have zipped by and we are crossing another milestone on 31st January 2025 – it’s our 4th Anniversary. It feels good.
Looking back at the 1460 days, I must say Short Post has made its mark with people who matter via 4000 stories published in the areas of politics, business, entertainment and sports. All made possible by the unflinching commitment and dedication of our senior editors, most of whom have been part of this journey from Day One.
Small pack, big impact is in essence the story of Short Post which was launched at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021. It shows our conviction. In all humility, I can say, we have created a new niche in the news segment space like Hindustan Unilever which created a new segment, when it launched CloseUp Gel.
Yes, we have created a brand (in a limited sense), created demand (readers) and created supply (senior journalists). But we are facing teething problems like all start-ups. What makes us happy and confident is the recognition of our efforts. For instance, we have an arrangement with the OPEN Magazine, part of the $4.5 billion Kolkata-based Sanjiv Goenka-RPG Group. This arrangement sees around 10 Short Post stories posted on OPEN Magazine website every week. This arrangement is testimony that our content has been well received! Also, I may add that the Maharashtra government has recognised Short Post and has allowed our senior editor to cover the Assembly sessions. Ditto: Odisha.
Our goal is to ensure that Short Post becomes a habit. I would like people to keep checking their smartphones to know the latest Authentic Gossip. As regards AI and the fear of it disrupting all businesses including media. On that, personally, I have no such fear as I am confident AI cannot smell news particularly Authentic Gossip. That’s the place we are well entrenched.