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The stoppage of firing and military action between India and Pakistan has been worked out directly between the two countries. The Pak DGMO initiated the call on Saturday, May 10 at 3.30 pm after which discussions took place and understanding reached. There is no decision to hold talks on any other issue at any other place. Official sources said India agreed to the ceasefire given that the final strikes were Indian ones on Pak air bases. The Pak DGMO reportedly told India counterpart that Pakistan would not undertake any more strikes and specifically requested a ceasefire. The U.S. duress of withholding IMF loans was specific — the $1 bn provisional release linked to immediate acceptance and balance subject to compliance. The Indus Water Treaty suspension remains unaffected. No information will be shared with Pakistan and India will commence water projects on the 3 northern rivers. The U.S. has accepted India’s change of war doctrine. Any further terror attack will be accepted as an act of war. While U.S. President Donald Trump in a X post claimed the U.S. had mediated long nights of talks between Delhi and Islamabad for the ceasefire, EAM Dr S Jaishankar’s post on X made no reference to Washington’s role. The U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, while confirming the ceasefire between India and Pakistan, praised PM Modi, Sharif for “wisdom”. The “ceasefire” however disappointed hard-nosed security experts like Brahma Chellaney that PM Modi did not take Operation Sindoor to its logical conclusion ending war against India of Pak military generals through terrorist proxies. Commodore Raghu R Nair said, “While we will be adhering to the understanding reached today, we remain fully prepared and ever-vigilant and committed to defending the sovereignty and integrity of the motherland. Every misadventure by Pakistan has been met with strength and every future escalation will invite a decisive response.”
Pakistan’s continued escalation along the western front through drone incursions and munitions is a matter of grave concern. On May 10 at 5 am, multiple armed enemy drones were detected over Khasa Cantt, Amritsar. Our air defence units responded swiftly, intercepting and neutralising all hostile UAVs. This blatant attempt to violate India’s sovereignty and endanger civilian lives is unacceptable. At a joint MoD-MEA presser, Col Sofiya Qureshi asserted how Pakistan’s spread misinformation on social media, falsely claiming it had targeted the S-400 air defence systems at Adampur, Suratgarh, and Sirsa Air Force Stations, BrahMos base and others.” Following Pakistan’s deliberate targeting of Indian air bases, the Indian Armed Forces responded swiftly with a well-coordinated and strategic operation. In retaliation, Indian armed forces targeted key military infrastructure including technical installations, command and control centres, radar stations, and arms depots. Col Sofiya said precision air-launched strikes and fighter jets were deployed to hit military bases at Rafiqui, Murid, Chaklala, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur and Chunian. Additionally, a radar site in Pasrur and the aviation base in Sialkot were precisely struck. Throughout the operation, India ensured minimal collateral damage and civilian impact. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri pointed out that Pak claims about attacking and destroying various places, various military installations and facilities, have been fact checked and are completely false. “The claim about the Air Force Station in Sirsa being destroyed is completely false, as you have seen. The claim about the Air Force Station in Surat being destroyed is completely false again”. Details of terrorists killed in Operation Sindoor (May 7) that have come out reveal 3 Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives and 2 Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists who managed operations in J&K and Punjab were killed.
India hit out against Pakistan for making a preposterous and outrageous claim that it was the Indian Armed Forces that were targeting its own cities. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said this view was being articulated to give a communal overtone to the conflict. He said, “…Instead of owning up to its actions, Pakistan made the preposterous and outrageous claims that it was the Indian armed forces that is targeting its own cities like Amritsar and trying to blame it on Pakistan… They are well-versed in such actions as their history would show…” Pakistan spread disinformation that India targeted the Nankama Sahib Gurdwara through a drone attack, which is yet another blatant lie… Pakistan is trying desperately to impart a communal hue to the situation with an intention to create a communal discord…” He referred to the Pak firing on a gurudwara in Poonch on May 7. Colonel Sofiya Qureshi said, “Around 300 to 400 drones were used (by Pakistan) to attempt infiltration at 36 locations…Forensic investigation of the wreckage of the drones is being done. Initial reports suggest that they are Turkish Asisguard Songar drones…” Wing Commander Vyomika Singh made an important point how ..Pakistan did not close its civil airspace despite it launching a failed unprovoked drone and missile attack on May 7 at 8.30 pm. “Pakistan used a civil airliner as a shield, knowing fully well that its attack on India would elicit a swift air defence response. “The airspace on the Indian side is absolutely devoid of civil air traffic due to our declared closure. However, there are civil airlines flying the air route between Karachi and Lahore…IAF demonstrated considerable restraint in its response
Ongoing hostilities with Pakistan will witness new outcomes in stark contrast to the 1971 war in so much that landed property falling into Indian hands will not be handed back to our perpetually unfriendly neighbour. As NSA Ajit Doval recently articulated, India has moved from defensive offence to offensive defence in a calibrated manner. A South block source said, “If Pakistan does not apologize within a couple of days and end its Don Quixote’s (Asif Munir’s) lame war efforts, the price to pay will sever parts of the Pakistani landscape from its army’s effective control. India won’t return captured land this time round unlike in 1971. Congress’ tenure, including AK Antony’s, when admittedly, roads, infrastructure was avoided on common borders with China, never spruced up on the Indian side as strategy to prevent Chinese incursions. During Modi’s regime the shoe is on the other foot now with massive roads, infrastructure created to facilitate quick transport of army personnel, weapons to borders at the drop of a hat. An unexpectedly positive fallout of the current war with Pakistan showcased the true calibre/capability of international weaponry systems and shortcomings exhibited by some. India not only showcased its indigenous military might but also demonstrated the potency of Rafael fighters, Israeli and Russian collaborations. Pakistan in turn was provided with American F-16s (on dole) and Chinese weaponry (price payable when able), both falling far short of international armoury benchmarks. The whole world witnessed live demonstration of war capabilities of multiple nations with Indian collaborations with France, Russia and Israel set to turn us into a big exporter of defence goods in the post war era.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has congratulated the Modi government and the armed forces for launching the military action against Pakistan, boosting the nationalistic fervour pervading the nation. “We congratulate the Central government leadership and our armed forces for decisive action Operation Sindoor taken against Pak-sponsored terrorists and their supporting ecosystem following the cowardly attack on unarmed tourists at Pahalgam. This action to serve justice to aggrieved families and the entire country in the brutal massacre of Hindu tourists has enhanced self-respect and morale of the whole country,” the RSS said in its official statement. Expressing solidarity with the government is rare for the RSS, which says “We totally agree that military action being taken against terrorists, their infrastructure and support systems in Pakistan is necessary and inevitable for the security of the country. In this hour of national crisis, the entire country stands with the government and armed forces in spirit and action.” RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had visited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official residence just a few days prior to the launching of the concerted action by the three arms of the Indian military. Such a visit has taken place after many decades. Earlier Modi had visited the RSS headquarters in Nagpur to pay respects to its founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, the first time the PM had gone there since taking over in 2014. Both visits had evoked a strong political comment. The intent of the visits is becoming visible now.
Rain or shine, the media in Maharashtra does not tire of reporting about the possible ‘reunion’ of the two powerful families – Pawar and Thackeray. Though there is a surcharged atmosphere across the country from the moment Operation Sindoor has been launched, the pen pushers in the state continue to indulge in speculation, partly fuelled by faceless sources in both factions of Uddhav and Raj Thackeray. Similarly, ever since deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar walked out of the Nationalist Congress party (NCP) set up by his uncle Sharad Pawar, there is no dearth of the news stories, predicting either their distancing or coming closer. Even the most frivolous clue like “Pawar looked at his nephew and smiled” generates a plethora of ‘exclusive’ reports, patting the channels or newspapers on the back, each claiming to be the first with the story. Thus, breaking news is becoming a matter of ridicule since stories like ‘Fadnavis reaches Mantralaya’ also come under this category. The latest revival of such stories has happened since Uddhav has returned from his vacation in Europe while Raj came back to Mumbai just a few days ago. On the other hand, elder Pawar has said that any decision regarding coming together will be taken by Ajit and daughter Supriya Sule, MP. This is a plain truth but touted as a major political revelation. Leaders like Prakash Ambedkar and Sanjay Raut are readily available day in and day out to add to the grist.
Colonel Sofiya Qureshi is proud of her association with four Indian states, which in turn are elated to be related with her. Born and brought up in Gujarat, she has a Karnataka link through her marriage with Col Tajuddin Bagewadi of Belgavi. While her father and grandfather have served in the Indian Army, Sofiya’s great grandmother was in the army of Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi. Thus, she is associated, though indirectly, with Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, too. Sofiya and Bagewadi wedded in 2015 after meeting during their army postings. Sofiya is a distinguished officer and discharged varied responsibilities in different assignments in India and abroad. In an interview given in 2017, Sofiya had stated that she was an army officer’s daughter and hence familiar with a serving officer’s life. Her mother wished that of the two sisters, one should join the army while her grandfather, too, would impress upon them that it was everybody’s sacred duty to be prepared to rise for the nation’s defense. Her father Taj Mohamed said, “We are proud of our daughter, who has done so much for India. Pakistan must be decimated.” A post graduate in biochemistry, Sofiya was commissioned in 1999. Coincidentally, Col Tajuddin has been posted at present at Jhansi, thus reviving the age-old connection with the warrior queen of India. There is one more Maharashtra connection, albeit quite remote. It was then defense minister Sharad Pawar who took the decision to induct women in active military service. Col Sofiya has added glory to the success of Operation Sindoor.
This year’s Annual Met Gala at the NY Metropolitan Museum of Arts had many celebs from Hollywood and Bollywood flaunting their plumes and blinding the drooling audience with their bling and sass. One Indian actor invited much attention with her drop-dead gorgeous looks and her prominent baby bump. Kiara Advani dazzled and dazed those present, celebrating motherhood in unapologetic terms. Married to Sid Malhotra in 2023, Kiara didn’t think that her pregnant look was an impediment for a ramp walk. On the contrary, she was much appreciated for her panache with which she wore designer Gaurav Gupta’s bold outfit, décolletage and all. But wait, there was a fly in the ointment …there always is especially in the world of show fashion and haute celebrity. Did Kiara’s costume remind the fashionistas about Aishwarya Rai’s last year Cannes costume? The haute monde seemed to think so …Kiara got some trolls too. But hey, who cares …celebs like Aishwarya go on and on, like Dhoni, Rohit Sharma and the aged super stars of filmdom. Aishwarya has walked the Cannes ramp in many bizarre outfits …got trolled too. The fact is India and Indian celebs draw crowds globally…the Met Gala had Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra and Alia Bhatt striding stylishly with chic and panache. Kiara has arrived and plans to shine till the next Diva walks on her stilettos.
With just a year left for the West Bengal Assembly elections, the Bengal BJP is under pressure to finalise its new state president. Internal dynamics, however, have delayed the decision, pushing the central leadership to shift its approach — from finding a consensus candidate to identifying one without strong opposition. The central leadership recently met senior Bengal BJP leaders to discuss party programmes and key organizational issues. According to party sources, central observers Mangal Pandey and Amit Malviya also held one-on-one talks with leaders like Sukanta Majumdar, Suvendu Adhikari, Shantanu Thakur, five general secretaries, two organisation secretaries, Debasree Chaudhuri, Nisith Pramanik, Soumitra Khan, Manoj Tigga and Shamik Bhattacharya regarding the state leadership. Currently, the Bengal BJP suffers from multiple power centres — Majumdar, Adhikari, former president Dilip Ghosh, and two senior organizational figures — making it hard to present a unified front. Despite occasional friction, Majumdar and Adhikari have maintained a functional partnership for over three years, ensuring some organizational stability — something the central leadership values and is hesitant to disrupt. While Majumdar’s term is still ongoing, his induction into the Union Cabinet complicates matters due to the BJP’s “one person, one post” policy. Adhikari, being the Leader of the Opposition and not from the RSS, also presents a conflict. Various names have been proposed, including one from the RSS Bengal unit. Some Delhi-based leaders have preferences, but no clear consensus has emerged. Meanwhile, political survey agencies are influencing decisions, with a Karnataka firm submitting a unified leadership blueprint directly to Modi’s core team.
In the wake of Operation Sindoor, Pakistan attempted to escalate tensions by launching missile strikes at Indian military installations across J&K, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat. Every single one of those missiles was intercepted or neutralized. None reached its intended target. India’s rapid, coordinated response showcased the strength of its air defence ecosystem built painstakingly over the past 11 years under PM Modi’s leadership. It also exposed the hollowness of the Pakistani Air defence system. The Integrated Counter-Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Grid, S-400 Triumf systems, Barak-8 missiles, Akash Surface-to-Air Missiles and DRDO’s anti drone technologies came together seamlessly to create an aerial shield that held firm. India didn’t stop at defending. It retaliated with speed and precision. Operation Sindoor saw the Indian Armed Forces strike deep into Pakistani territory, destroying a Chinese-supplied HQ-9 air defence unit in Lahore and damaging key radar infrastructure. This level of preparedness didn’t materialize overnight. It was a decade of strategic preparedness. Since 2014, the Modi government has systematically upgraded India’s air defence architecture. It was a day when everyone remembered late former defence minister Manohar Parrikar with gratitude for acquiring 5 S-400 air defence missile systems from Russia in spite of stiff opposition from the U.S.in October 2018. It was the S-400 that played a key role not only in defending but retaliating with speed and precision. Additionally, Israeli-origin Harop drones—now locally built—were deployed to target and destroy air defence assets in Karachi and Lahore. These platforms, combined with the strategic deployment of Rafale fighter jets equipped with SCALP and HAMMER missiles, demonstrated India’s capability to project power with surgical precision. With airspace secured, the government ensured that its approach to defence has not been about flashy one-offs and that it has been about building...
Mohinder ‘Jimmy’ Amarnath once called the national selectors a bunch of jokers. A 1983 World Cup hero, Amarnath made the acerbic jibe at the selectors after not being picked in the Indian team in 1989: by that time he had played 69 Tests, scored 4378 runs with 11 x 100s, and played 89 ODIs and scored 1924 runs. Some three decades later, young and built in ample measure, Sarfaraz Khan is not in a position to take pot shots at the selectors that Amarnath did. The Mumbai right hander has been prolific in the last three Ranji Trophy seasons. In all he has amassed 3380 runs in 36 first class matches before the ongoing Ranji match against Delhi. There has been a hue and cry over his non-inclusion in the Test team for the series against Australia, the outcome of which would be so crucial for India’s qualification for the ICC World Test Championship final. Skipper Rohit Sharma would like us all to believe that experience is the best option with himself, K L Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer in the established batting line up and the selection committee may believe that Ishan Kishan, KS Bharat, Suryakumar Yadav, Abhimanyu Easwaran (10000 plus runs across formats) and Rajat Patidar are already in the big picture along with Sarfaraz who will have to wait for the lucky day.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Thursday (Jan 19) speech in Mumbai was dominated by his direct appeal to the labourers, hawkers and stall-owners, asking them to join the campaign to accelerate Mumbai’s development by bringing in a ‘triple engine’ government. The object of the clarion call was to attract the so-far untapped electors in view of the ensuing Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) towards the BJP and its ally, the Shiv Sena faction led by chief minister Eknath Shinde. Significantly, the word ‘Vikas’ (development) figured 10 times in his 25-minute address at BKC grounds. Modi referred to the downtrodden sections time and again, making it clear that he was looking beyond the traditional vote bank of his party for the next civic election. Modi’s keenness to capture the BMC was evident since his party does not control any of the four metros in the country. The Prime Minister lauded Maharashtra and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and remembered Balasaheb Thackeray. However, NCP leader Sharad Pawar was conspicuous by absence in the speech, which was applauded continuously with ‘Modi Modi’ slogans and drum beats. Modi’s emotional invocation to the working class for support speaks volumes about Mumbai’s changing demography since voting in upper class pockets is usually less while it is higher in blue collar localities.
The bypoll for the Erode East Assembly seat in Tamil Nadu to be held on February 27, will be the first major test of the political waters since the Assembly elections of 2021 won by the DMK under MK Stalin. The DMK+ is in pole position to take the seat and may well give it back to the Congress since its MLA Thiruman Eeveraa, great grandson of EV Periyar, had died mid-term, but the Opposition is in great disarray. AIADMK is not even certain it can put up a candidate officially as the cases between the EPS and OPS factions are still in the courts, in Supreme Court as well as Madras HC and ECI, and the final word on them may not come before the time for nominations arrives. As a matter of abundant caution, AIADMK has approached GK Vasan of TMC towards fielding a candidate again in case EPS, who heads the legally recognised AIADMK thus far, cannot get his candidate authorised to stand as the signatures of both Coordinator and Joint Coordinator may be needed for this. Since a TMC candidate had stood there in 2021, it might seem logical for the AIADMK+ in the State to make over the candidature to that party. EPS may also wish to avoid a showdown with DMK so early when the AIADMK cases are still in court.
While Mumbai and Maharashtra are celebrating Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s arrival in the city on Thursday (Jan 19), the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has exposed more dissensions. A new tinge to its bickering has been provided by opposition leader Ajit Pawar’s son Parth, who called on senior minister Shambhuraj Desai, a close confidant of chief minister Eknath Shinde. Even before the dust created by rebellion of Congress MLC Sudhir Tambe and his son Satyajeet filing nomination for the legislative council seat in Nashik as an independent, the by-election for a Pune assembly seat is likely to deepen the discord. As MVA has had no candidate in Nashik, It has decided to support Shubhangi Patil, a new Sena (U) entrant. The Congress has suspended the Tambe father-son duo. In Pune, each MVA partner has claimed its right to contest the Kasaba Peth assembly by-election, caused by the demise of BJP MLA Mukta Tilak. Earlier a Congress stronghold, the BJP has been winning the seat since 1995. Still, the Congress has remained at the second position. However, given the changing scenario, NCP and Sena local leaders have started staking their party’s right to the seat in public statements. To add to the muddle, Parth Pawar’s call on Desai has given the BJP a new tool to hit out at the NCP, in particular the Pawar clan.
The CPI(M) Government in Kerala has decided to reward a lateral entrant like former Union Minister KV Thomas who joined its ranks with a plum Delhi posting. Yes, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan has decided to appoint Thomas as special representative of the state in New Delhi with a cabinet rank. Thomas was a former Union Minister of State (Independent charge) for Food & Civil Supplies in the Manmohan Singh government. A six term Lok Sabha MP and an MLA for two terms, Thomas was expelled from the Congress in May 2022 hours after he shared the stage with the Kerala Chief Minister in a by-poll meeting of the Left party-led front in Kochi. Once close to former Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Thomas was first issued a show-cause notice for breaking party discipline as he attended a seminar organised by the CPM in Kannur, where he reportedly praised CM Pinarayi Vijayan. He was earlier denied permission to attend the meeting. In his reply to the panel, Thomas claimed that he had been the victim of ‘groupism’ of the Kerala unit, and he had been “discriminated against” by party leaders. The Congress had reportedly turned down his bid for candidature in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, 2021 Assembly and Rajya Sabha elections. Since then, he has been cooperating with CPM. Of course in between he did try to explore his options with the BJP.
This year’s Pongal celebrations in Tamil Nadu touched a high point for the government-run TASMAC liquor sales. Sales zoomed to Rs 850 crore in the run-up to Pongal (Jan 15) week and by Kanu Pongal day (Jan 17) it was expected to touch the Rs 1000-crore mark. The bump in sales could be attributed to a cash gift of Rs 2000 given to all ration card holders. Pongal is freebie time and all political parties in Tamil Nadu have been capitalizing on it to the hilt. Both DMK and AIADMK have made freebie gifting, a fine art form. Cycles, fans, mangalsutras, Pongal hampers are bankrolled by the state exchequer. But, Tamil voters are canny, impartial…they vote one party to power, alternately. But wait, there is a savvy, fully end-to-end integrated business model to this freebie. The story goes, when chief minister M K Stalin was asked about cash freebies even as TN is burdened with huge debt, one DMK warhorse quipped, “Don’t worry, by this evening the Rs 2000 freebies will come to TASMAC from our Kudimagans“. Kudimagan has a double meaning – it could mean a citizen or a drunk. PMK Chief Dr S Ramadoss lamented about the high sale of liquor during the Pongal festival. His moral stance, liquor leads to ruination…of health, wealth and family. The very same PMK has climbed on to the alliance bandwagon, alternately to suit their political needs.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s emissaries, Didir Doot bear the brunt of misgovernance and corruption during Anchake Anchale module under the party’s massive outreach programme — Didir Suraksha Kawach ahead of Panchayat polls. Under this Anchake Anchale programme 350 state and district-level TMC leaders will be visiting the villages with 15 flagship schemes of the government. The programme which kicked off on January 11 with party MPs and MLAs, state cabinet ministers and prominent leaders spending a day at a gram panchayat were marked by protests from the locals. Party’s state general-secretary Kunal Ghosh faced severe protests in East Midnapore, a stronghold of Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari. Besides Ghosh, state cabinet minister Jyotipriya Mallick, MPs Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Saugata Roy and Satabdi Roy, senior leader and MLA Tapas Roy, youth wing leaders Debangshu Bhattacharya, Sayantika Banerjee also faced protests. Both Tapas Roy and Saugata Roy received complaints against TMC panchayat pradhans of corruption on the other hand Bhattacharya and Banerjee were stopped from entering a village as no action was taken after villagers had complained of bad roads, lack of supply of drinking water, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna and others. Interestingly, one of the MLAs Biswajit Das was confronted by the agitators for switching camps to BJP during the 2021 election and returning to TMC. Is this move by Didi an attempt to purge the party, amid reports, corruption and scams ahead of 2024 general elections?
In a significant move, Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi clarified that it was “erroneous and far-fetched” to infer that he had suggested changing the name of the state with his recent comments on “Tamizhagam”. In a statement, Ravi sought to end “Tamil Nadu versus Tamizhagam” debate saying that “an interpretation or inference that it was a suggestion to change the name of Tamil Nadu is erroneous and far-fetched”. He said he referred to the word “Tamizhagam” while speaking on the “historical cultural connect between the Tamil people and Kashi”. In those days, there was no Tamil Nadu, he said. “Hence, in the historical cultural context, I referred to the word Tamizhagam as a more appropriate expression,” he said. “Without understanding the basis of my speech, arguments that the Governor is against the word Tamil Nadu have become a topic of discussion. Hence, I am giving this clarification to put an end to it,” he added. It is important to note that the Governor’s clarification came a day after two-day BJP national executive in Delhi and also days after Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai had dubbed the remark as “unnecessary”. He had clarified that controversy over the name change was the “one without any productive outcome”. Clearly, the BJP leadership wants the focus of its work in Tamil Nadu to be on its party unit and state leadership, not on Raj Bhavan.
In a major setback to the Congress, Punjab Congress leader and former finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal quit the party and joined the BJP in the presence of Union Minister Piyush Goyal at BJP headquarters in Delhi. He blamed the top brass for factionalism within the party. In a letter addressed to Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, Manpreet said he was “disillusioned” by the Congress. Manpreet is the first cousin of Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal. With his entry into the BJP, hope of Akali Dal re-entering into a tie-up with the BJP further diminishes. A five-time MLA, Manpreet Badal was the finance minister of the state twice — the nephew of former chief minister and Akali stalwart Parkash Singh Badal, Manpreet served as the finance minister of Punjab both in the Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP government from 2007-11 and in the Captain Amarinder Singh-led Congress government from 2017-22. Manpreet’s continued absence from Bharat Jodo Yatra in Punjab left many party leaders surprised as the Doon School educated Badal was considered very close to Rahul. Congress sources however conceded that Manpreet was forced to dump the party because he did not have cordial relations with PCC chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring. In fact party sources say more leaders could head out because of Warring’s style of functioning.
Preparations on unprecedented scale are underway for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Mumbai visit on Thursday (Jan 19) during which he will flag off multiple projects worth around Rs 39,000 crore. Huge police deployment and major traffic restrictions will mark the seven-hour visit that is aimed at boosting the BJP’s electoral prospects in Maharashtra. Infrastructure will be the focus of the PM’s visit as his schedule is replete with various projects that will be helpful in making average Mumbaikar’s life better. Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis inspected the various arrangements accompanied by top police and civic officials to ensure that no glitch remains at the last moment. As this will be Modi’s first Mumbai visit after the installation of the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government, the BJP will exploit its mileage to the fullest extent with an eye on the BMC elections, due any time now. Strengthening the Metro network in Mumbai will be the highlight of Modi’s visit while various civic projects will also be launched by him. Modi, inter alia, will dedicate to the nation the Mumbai Metro Rail Lines 2A and 7. The commissioning of the two lines will connect Mumbai’s northernmost tip at Dahisar East with D.N. Nagar in Andheri (West) and Gundavali in Andheri East reducing the vehicular traffic load in the Western suburbs. Coincidentally, the foundation stone of the two lines was laid by Modi in 2015.
CPI(M) sees itself as the sole political unit that can combat RSS and BJP ideologically. As the Bengal CPI(M)observes 57th anniversary of its mouthpiece Ganashakti, it has initiated its maiden ‘digitally’ subscription programme for its supporters and sympathisers to donate to the party. Veteran Left leader and Politburo member Prakash Karat on this occasion said that the Left must put forth democratic, secular and Left ideology and vision among people so as to change the political scenario of the country. He further observed that RSS has the unique feature of functioning within the society through its various outfits, socially, culturally, and educationally and Left parties must counter this through their ideology and vision to uphold a democratic and secular environment. Taking a dig at the BJP, the former CPI(M) general secretary said that the minorities in India are being marginalised in the name of nationalism and the country is being run by an extreme right (wing) government. It may be noted that the Left is in power in only Kerala at present, having lost Tripura to the BJP in 2018 and West Bengal to the Trinamool Congress in 2011. The CPI(M) Bengal has released a short video where veteran party leader and Left Front chairman Biman Bose explains the need for going digital.
At a recent healthcare company’s Press Conference, John Abraham seemed irritable when scribes asked him questions about ‘Pathaan’ again and again. His answer: “next question”, “next question”. Finally, he got up and left rather angrily. Why is the 50-year old actor- producer-scriptwriter behaving in this fashion? Some say he didn’t want to speak about a film at a health event. Perfect. But, not once did he talk in favour of Shah Rukh Khan who was being hemmed in from all sides over Pathaan. To this, those who know John said he wants the film to do the talking; that’s what he said after he was trolled and called arrogant. Has his relationship with SRK soured? Nobody knows. Industry insiders say he has had a fallout with Salman during a world tour and both have not come together. John who has been in Bollywood for nearly two decades has not made many friends in the industry. Many say, he also take things personally; he closes communication channels with the directors if the film flops. Inspite of acting in over 20 films his strike rate in box office is poor. People remember him for Jism, Dhoom, Shootout At Wadala. Of late everybody is jumping on the OTT bandwagon but not John. Reason: He does not want to be available at Rs 299. That’s being gutsy.
There were no surprises when Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced that J P Nadda’s tenure as BJP national president was extended. “The tenure of JP Nadda as national president of the BJP has been extended till June 2024. Under JP Nadda’s leadership, we had the highest strike rate in Bihar. The NDA won a majority in Maharashtra, won in Uttar Pradesh, and our numbers increased in West Bengal. We also registered a landslide victory in Gujarat,” said Shah. He also hoped “under the leadership of Modi ji and with Nadda ji, we will win more seats than 2019 in the 2024 polls.” The BJP national executive meet, which extended Nadda’s presidency, will draw a roadmap for the upcoming crucial state polls that will set the tone for 2024 when PM Narendra Modi seeks a third straight term. Nadda started as the BJP working president in 2019 when then party chief Amit Shah became a Union minister. He took up the full-time party presidency on January 20, 2020 and will complete his one term in office next week. His extension as the national president was inevitable as he has a very good working relationship with both Modi and Shah. In an election year, there was no way Modi-Shah could have opted for a new leader when Nadda had ensured carrying PM’s message up to the booth-level.
In the run up to 2024 Lok Sabha polls it is not just Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) who has been proactive in acquiring a national media profile ahead by engaging a media adviser and establishing an office for his Bharatiya Rashtriya Samiti in Delhi to refurbish his image. Taking cue from KCR, is Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. He may not have got any relief from the court for spending government money on political advertisements in 2015 and has been issued a notice for recovery of Rs 163.62 crore by his own government department. Yet, there is no stopping the AAP supremo from burnishing his profile. On the occasion of Lohri, Makar Sankranti & Pongal, Kejriwal chose to reach out to Delhi-based media from the South, mainly from Tamil Nadu. The media was invited over for a get-together at the Delhi Vidhan Sabha complex. Invites sent out in the name of Speaker Ram Niwas Goel. Reaching out to Tamil media makes sense because of their pockets of influence and votes in the capital.
Women’s cricket in India is going places. Not long ago an IPLTwenty20 tournament to shore up India’s distaff cricketers was not on the anvil. But the likes of Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur, Jemima Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Richa Ghosh, Deepti Sharma, Harleen Deol and many more — who were relentless in their pursuit creating an attractive brand for the Twenty20 format – have successfully pressed for a glamourous event that has the possibility of becoming a roaring success. Very recently Jhulan Goswami — while responding to a specific question at the Dileep Sardesai Memorial — reiterated a view held by women cricketers that an IPL for them would be a game changer. Jhulan touched upon the point of the women cricketers benefitting from more money. It has taken time, but the BCCI Secretary Jay Shah, has worked overtime to make his pet project a reality. After women’s cricket came under the BCCI administration some 17 years ago, the BCCI extended the monthly gratis to them, introduced the annual contract, lifetime achievement award, equal fee for Test, ODI and Twenty20 matches, allowances and more. As a first step towards making the WIPL a commercial viability the BCCI has sold the media rights for a cumulative sum of Rs 951 crore to Viacom18 for the first five years (2023-2027). So hopefully no more exhibition matches from this summer; but all intense, competitive and deadly!
Odisha-based Sri Sri University is the first University in India to sign MoU as a Knowledge Partner with W20, under the aegis of G20 Presidency of India. Prof Rajita Kulkarni, President at Sri Sri University says “We look forward to working with the W20 team this year across important priority areas like women entrepreneurship, climate change, education and skill development.” W20 is the official G20 engagement group focused on gender equality. Its primary objective is to ensure that gender considerations are mainstreamed into G20 discussions and translated into the G20 Leaders’ Declaration as policies and commitments that foster gender equality and women’s economic empowerment. Envisioned by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar ji, Sri Sri University which became operational in 2012 blends the best of the East and the West, enabling the holistic development of its students. In a span of 10 years the university is offering different courses in areas of management, architecture, humanities, agriculture, health and wellness, science, literature, osteopathy and performing & fine arts. In 2021 Sri Sri University was ranked 1st in State & Zone, and 8th in India (quantum jump from 26th Rank in 2020) under the category of Best Private Universities and 27th in the category of Top 50 University of Eminence (Deemed & Pvt) by Indian Institutional Ranking Framework.
Ok, India and particularly Tollywood is still drenched in the acclaim for winning the prestigious Golden Globe for the iconic song Naatu Naatu from S S Rajamouli’s magnum RRR with music by M M Keeravani. Soon the Choreographer Prem Rakshit who put in grinding hard work to make this hit sizzle on screen is also going places. He is over the top when talking about the congratulatory phone call from none other than Dance Wizard Prabhudeva. “All that blood sweat and tears while getting the hook step just right, seemed worth it. We were in Ukraine’s Kiev in August of 2021, roasted by heat…a few of my team suffered with burst veins, but practiced relentlessly for two months,” says Rakshit. He recollects the joy of choreographing the award winning song. Who inspired him? With a chuckle of mirth and joi de vivre, he says “My inspiration came from Tom & Jerry, and Charlie Chaplin”. Now it becomes clear that the frenzied dance steps and the foot tapping beats could only be inspired by the likes of Tom wantonly chasing Little Jerry, and that master super mimic, Chaplin. S.S Rajamouli, his heroes Jr NTR and Ram Charan have collaborated for an unforgettable film, RRR which raked Rs 1500 crore globally, along with great entertainment.
Word has gone back to the BJP top brass that the ideological confrontations the Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi is getting into are not helping the party’s cause in the State. This is a time when there has been a bit of an upsurge in the party being led by former police officer K Annamalai to take on the Dravidian ruling party. The bit of salience achieved may be at risk if the Governor stays on the warpath on issues like religion and culture, which are very differently viewed in Tamil Nadu, a State known for religious diversity not causing any communal disturbances. The Governor seems to be intent on continuously raking up Sanatana dharma while putting down Tamil culture. It went to such an extent that he even tried to change the title of Tamil Nadu, which has constitutional ratification. This riled the chief minister who was keeping his cool on the issue while advising his party men not to make it personal though he may not have discouraged allies like VCK and even the PMK from taking on the Governor in a more direct manner. Stalin even called him with the disdainful Tamil pronoun of “Oruthan” in describing how “one person” was going around saying not to call the land Tamil Nadu. It would be the national party’s interest not to let this Governor needle the rulers and people of the State any further.
The extended western suburbs of Mumbai – the city’s most populous stretch — gets fully covered by the Metro network from January 20 onwards. Providing seamless connectivity on an entirely elevated network of 35 km of lines with 30 platforms at the cost of Rs 13,000 crore, has been presented as a solution against the congested Western Express Highway and its parallel running New Link Road. Completing the project was challenging, says SVR Srinivas, metropolitan commissioner of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), the city’s planning body, as it meant carrying out major part of the works at night due to heavy traffic congestion. There were challenges in air as well — the Andheri (W) station had to be raised to 22 metres above ground to cross over the existing Metro line 1 lines beneath. This line is estimated to see a footfall of 3-4 lakhs passengers daily soon. This is the second network that is fully operational; the first Ghatkopar-Versova line is already providing much needed relief with its East-West connectivity. While the metro network huffed and chuffed in its initial stages thanks to opposition from residents and environmentalists, it has picked up much speed since then to move towards its target of achieving 337 km with 200 stations by 2030 to service 7 lakhs passengers per day.
The verbal combat between TV star Urfi Javed and BJP leader Chitra Wagh has taken a serious turn since a lawyer has written to the police that Urfi can be subjected to mob lynching. In a communication to the police by advocate Nitin Satpute, BJP’s Chitra Wagh has been instigating people over the attire of Urfi and Chitra’s followers are tarnishing her image. Moreover, Chitra has threatened to thrash Urfi publicly, the lawyer has said. Chitra and Urfi have been engaged in verbal duels day in and day out. Urfi has taunted Chitra repeatedly and occasionally dared her to take action. An oblique statement by Amruta, wife of deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, is perceived as supporting Urfi. Still, the war of words between the two continues. Quoting Chitra’s previous statements, Satpute says in his complaint, “Chatra announced that she would present Urfi with a sari but warned that if Urfi’s behaviour did not change, she would smash the actress. Such provocative language can cause violent attacks against Urfi. Therefore, the authorities should initiate action against Chitra.” Wagh retorted, “I don’t care who has written to the police. I will not allow such a naked dance in Maharashtra.” Although Chitra has been extremely vocal about the issues concerning women, her stance against Urfi is not to the liking of the party bosses, who have distanced themselves from the controversy so far.
US-based billionaire Darshan Singh Dhaliwal, who was conferred with the ‘Pravasi Bharatiya Samman’ clarified that Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not apologise to him after some media reports claimed that Modi had “apologised” over his deportation from India in 2021 for allegedly supporting the farmers’ protest against the now-repealed three agriculture laws. “Elders never apologise. PM Modi is a man of big stature, and I respect him a lot. He said it’s my big heart that despite once being sent back, I came to India,” Dhaliwal was quoted as saying. He added, “It’s an honour for me to get felicitated with ‘Pravasi Bharatiya Award’…50 years ago people in foreign countries didn’t know about us but now India has become one of the world’s biggest power.” Dhaliwal was deported in October 2021, for allegedly arranging a langar for protesting farmers at Delhi’s borders. His brother is Akali Dal leader Surjit Singh Rakhra. After receiving the honour, Dhaliwal was quoted by the media saying, “PM Modi is really going out of his way to work with the Sikh community, both inside and outside India.” Earlier, Dhaliwal had claimed that Modi told him at a meeting in April 2022 in the presence of Union Minister Hardeep Puri, “Hum se galti ho gayi thi jo humne aap ko wapis bheja, aap ka baddapan hai ki hamare kehne par aap phir aye. He added, “PM Modi met me in front of 150 people at his residence.” The meeting that Dhaliwal was referring to was called ‘Sadbhavana: A Gesture of Goodwill’.
Creating infrastructure in non-BJP ruled states for the Centre is increasingly becoming a hazard as it was discovered on January 12. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was supposed to launch the eighth Vande Bharat train of India from Secunderabad to Visakhapatnam on January 19 but his brief visit had to be temporarily postponed. It has however been made known that the PM will launch the Vande Bharat train virtually on January 15 on the occasion of Makar Sankranti. The news of PM putting off his visit came amid reports that Vande Bharat train was damaged after stones were pelted at its coach in Andhra Pradesh’s Visakhapatnam on January 11. In a repeat of what happened in West Bengal, the incident occurred when the train was going to the maintenance centre at Marripalem. Two glass panes of one of the coaches were damaged in the incident. Besides the train’s launch, the Prime Minister was also scheduled to address a public meeting at the Parade Grounds of Secunderabad. He was also expected to launch various developmental projects. Union Minister of State G Kishan Reddy said the PM would be launching the train at around 10 am on January 15.The train will cover the entire distance in eight hours. The intermediate stops envisaged for the journey include Warangal, Vijayawada, Khammam and Rajahmundry.
The Congress party in Maharashtra is preparing to face a major jolt following the sensational disclosure that former chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh’s two MLA sons, Amit and Dheeraj, are likely to join the BJP. Deshmukh family’s generational foe and former minister, BJP MLA Sambhaji Nilangekar has leaked the possibility out at Latur, their home district. He warned that he would not allow their entry into the party. While Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole has dismissed the likelihood as a rumour, former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan refused to comment on it. State BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule cryptically said, “Wait for the time and the place. The Congress is going to receive a solid blow.” Vilasrao was the face of the Congress party in Marathwada ever since his emergence in state politics in 1980. His rise was very fast with the blessings of another giant S B Chavan, former CM and Union home minister. Vilasrao had challenged the monopoly of veteran Shivajirao Nilangekar in Latur district. Sambhaji is his grandson, who has been engaged in establishing his hold in the district. Shivajirao and Chavan were bitter opponents of each other. For some time, Chavan’s son Ashok, former CM, is facing suspicion in the Congress owing to his absence at some crucial party meetings. At such a juncture, the news about Deshmukh siblings has rattled the Congress.
The Central Board Of Film Certification (CBFC) is said to be an autonomous body. But it isn’t. It has always been influenced by the ruling dispensation. Recall Gulzaar’s movie Aandhi which was banned in 1975 as it was based on the life of Indira Gandhi. Censor board now CBFC always had members who were political appointees. One remembers Mahesh Bhatt saying that the board objected to the word “randi” (prostitute) in his movie Arth, decades later it was beeped in Raaz but during Murder 2 the word stayed in the film. Looks like the board is slowly turning into a toothless body. There have been umpteen times when objections have been taken after the film was cleared by the CBFC. Prakash Jha faced it. At the time of Aarakshan his office was vandalised. He went to the court and got an order in the industry’s favour. In this social media age the board seems to be getting influenced/pressured by the trolls and Pathaan is a case in point. So much so chairman of CBFC Prasoon Joshi, a government appointee, had to issue a statement defining the role of the board. Despite the beeps, replacement and cuts the trailer of Pathaan rocks. Now, it is learnt that the government will come out with new guidelines that will give the CBFC chief power to withdraw a film even after certification. Very tricky days ahead for Bollywood?
Business tycoon Gautam Adani’s call on Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Tuesday (Jan 10) and a meeting between Raj and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis hours later the same night has sent multiple signals as the Adani group is entering various commercial activities around the state. Adani reached ‘Shivteerth’ at Shivaji Park and was closeted with Thackeray for half an hour. For some time, Raj’s wife Sharmila and son Amit were present. Afterwards in the evening, Raj reached ‘Sagar,’ the official residence of Fadnavis. However, both have kept mum about the meetings. Adani has recently won a bid to redevelop Dharavi, the largest slum in perhaps the world. The multi-billion rupee project was held up since the erstwhile Thackeray government had revised the bid terms. The presence of the group in the state has been heatedly discussed since Adani Electricity has sought to enter the power supply sector around Mumbai’s periphery. The matter is under consideration of the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC). Adani’s political liaisoning in Maharashtra has increased over the past few months. Earlier, he had called on Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar at Baramati. Adani was driven around by Pawar’s grandson, party MLA Rohit Pawar, who is emerging as a formidable player in the state polity. Adani had called on former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, too, recently.
Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin wants to fulfil the DMK’s election manifesto promises and prepare the ground for 2024 Lok Sabha elections. More significantly, he needs to project his intention to create and save jobs. The shutdown of Ford Maraimalai Nagar plant remains a vexing issue. It had accumulated losses of over $2 bn. Recently, Tata Group’s Chairman N Chandrasekaran along with Tata Motors Executive Director Girish Wagh visited Stalin’s camp office. Also part of the meeting were Tamil Nadu chief secretary, ministers Thangam Thennarasu and Udhayanidhi Stalin. It was a courtesy call but it is clear that the Tamil Nadu government has been feverishly looking for a new owner to take over Ford Chennai plant. It may be recalled that Tatas have already bought over Ford’s Sanand plant in Gujarat. So buying Ford’s Maraimalai Nagar plant seems a logical conclusion. Both these plants can crank up Tata’s EV capacity. Currently, with significant bookings for Nexon EV, and Tiago. Tatas are able to meet only 50 % of the demand. The Ford Chennai plant has a number of hidden assets — its erstwhile vendor team supplied 40% of their captive production, the trained workforce can be retrained and logistics support of the Port is one of the biggest advantages. Tatas have taken a lead in EV, and if this acquisition happens then Chennai could emerge as an EV hub.
This Pongal should be very rewarding and exciting for the fans of Ilaya Dalapathi Vijay and Thala Ajit Kumar. The huge legions of crazed fans will finally get to see their heroes in action. Vijay’s Varisu and Ajit’s Thunivu hit big screens on January 11. Even though Brand Rajini and Brand Kamal are still eulogised as Superstar and Ulaganayagan for decades now, Vijay and Ajit too command the same kind of adulation and following. But the only difference is these two superstars’ fans have turned confrontationist. Reportedly, the price of a ticket, in black, for the opening shows were around Rs 1000-1300. This could climb to Rs 4,000 when fan craze becomes intense. New releases for Pongal are particularly star struck and of course, fans clash too over which hero commands more from at the Box Office. Udhayanidhi Stalin’s Red Giant has distribution rights for both the movies, so it is: “Heads I Win, Tails I Win“. Vijay, it is learnt, has tried every trick in the trade to promote his film — launch of Varisu music in the Nehru Stadium, getting pre-release snippets in every media handle. Boney Kapoor, the producer of Thunivu has much more at stake in terms of finance. Kapoor has spread himself thin after Ajit’s last outing disappointed.
Indian Legend Sunil Gavaskar’s column in Mid-Day on Fitness and passing Yo-Yo & Dexa tests being paramount for being selected for India reminds me of a story recounted by him when he played for Rest Of World vs MCC at Lord’s in 1987, the match which had 22 of the world’s finest, locking horns to mark MCC Bicentenary. The maestro had arrived in advance and had reported for practice at the hallowed ground with a few teammates. The manager of ROW Clive Lloyd saw his compatriot (from ROW vs Australia, 1972) sitting comfortably behind the nets while the other players were doing laps of the ground. Walking up to Gavaskar, who was peacefully reading a book, Lloyd asked him if he had done his ‘laps’ and if he’d like to join his mates for a few more. “I’m with them….mentally,” replied the little master with a smile. Two days later, after fielding for 133.1 overs, Gavaskar notched up 188 runs against an attack comprising Malcolm Marshall, Richard Hadlee, Clive Rice, John Emburey & Ravi Shastri. The monumental hundred, in his last first-class match, had his name inscribed on the Lord’s honours board – the only achievement that was missing in his illustrious career!
The Congress government in Himachal got a full-fledged Cabinet after a month this week and seven ministers were inducted. In spite of the delay there are many heartburns and interestingly protest statements like a tonsured head have made headlines. These protests are also a warning for party managers. Yes, supporters of two AICC secretaries, including Kangra MLA Sudhir Sharma and Ghurmawin MLA Rajesh Dharmani, have openly expressed their resentment after their names were dropped from the list of Cabinet ministers. “I have shaved off my head in protest against the step-motherly treatment of Rajesh Dharmani. I also appeal to others to protest peacefully. Let us see what Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhuji will do now,” says Ghumarwin Congress leader Subhash Sharma. Names of Sharma and Dharmani figured in the list sent for party high command approval by the CM but their names didn’t make it to the final list. “I am a third time MLA and my constituency falls in Bilaspur, the same area where BJP chief J P Nadda comes from,” says Dharmani. Looks like the party high command may have decided against taking in one more person from Hamirpur — considering both CM and Dy CM belong to the same Lok Sabha constituency. As for Sudhir Sharma, a four-term MLA from Dharamshala and a former minister in Virbhadra government,seems to have lost out because of faction politics.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled Mumbai tour on January 19 will prove to be a game changer, party rank and file feel since he is expected to make some major announcement during his first visit to the metropolis after the split in the Shiv Sena and the formation of the Shinde-Fadnavis government. According to the PM’s tentative schedule, he will dedicate two Metro routes – 2 A and 7 – to the nation. The state BJP is keen to organise a public meeting to be addressed by Modi but no final decision has been made so far. Another possible event during the visit will be the inauguration of a cancer hospital in Thane, the backyard of chief minister Eknath Shinde. Modi will either go there or open the hospital online; but the modalities are still being worked out. The Mumbai and state BJP units are in an upbeat mood since they are determined to win the first public test through the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election, likely to happen any time soon. The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi constituents are still looking in different directions but efforts are on to face the hustings together. Eknath Shinde and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis are scheduled to visit Davos on January 15-19 to attend the World Economic Forum. However, if the PM confirms his plans to be in Mumbai, they will rework the schedule, according to party leaders.
War may have been declared on the Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi, but the Chief Minister MK Stalin is not saying it. He had a word of caution for his MLAs the day after the theatrical events of the first Assembly session of the year in which the Governor skipped portions of his address prepared by the government and added a few things of his own. Stalin warned his MLAs about there being a conduct code for them and that they are also bound by the whip in the Assembly. “Don’t make it personal,” he cautioned. It will be DMK’s allies who will be taking on a brunt of the campaign against the Governor who has not endeared himself to Tamil Nadu by suggesting that the State be named “Tamizhagam”, maybe because the “Nadu” (country or place) in Tamil Nadu may be suggestive of a land seeking autonomy or independence. The issue itself could be quite silly as the DMK had shed its call for breaking away from the Union of India almost 60 years ago, in the wake of the China war of 1962. There were demos by students as well as DMK’s political allies and posters reading “Get Out Ravi”. Stalin would like to keep it to protest in formal channels rather than take it to the public as the appointment of a Governor is at the President’s pleasure.
Remember Shantanu Sugwekar, the most talented batsman from Maharashtra in the 1980s and 1990s? Known for solidity and style, Sugwekar was one of those unlucky from Maharashtra who could not convince the national selectors that they were good enough to play Test match cricket for India. Milind Gunjal, Surendhra Bhave and a handful more like Shrikant Kalyani, Shrikant Jadhav and Santosh Jedhe gave their heart and soul for Maharashtra but none of them could tick the box that would have enabled them to play for India. They were fine individuals too, but somehow the voters of the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) do not seem to appreciate their contribution to the State’s cricket. At the MCA election, Sugwekar who has played 74 Ranji Trophy for Maharashtra, 10 Duleep Trophy matches and one Irani Cup match for Rest of India and scored in all 6563 runs with 19 centuries and 26 half centuries and played 46 limited over matches and for India under-19 — received just two votes; his own and from another. The 56-year-old was a candidate for the post of a councilor; he did not fit into the internecine politics played by the MCA members. One can only pity, the likes of Sugwekar who are keen to get into administration but end up as also-rans. We care a fig for what you have done, is the message voters seem to be telling him.
On the heels of the Indian Information & Broadcasting Ministry setting up a Task Force for the promotion of animation, visual effects, gaming and comics (AVGC), the Singapore-based Gamepay has made plans for a launch in this country by the end of 2023. “We see a big opportunity in India so that gamers can be rewarded and incentivised for the time they play games,” says Gamepay’s founder-director Daniel Santos. “We also see gaming as one of the fastest-growing sectors and we want to make an impact to Indian GDP by playing an active role in its growth.” Rolling out the project involves establishing a chain of investors and game partners, whom he has invited through a series of social-media posts: “Anyone interested in gaming and tech, pls message me,” says the entrepreneur, originally a Brazilian who had earlier floated another game, Chickey Chik, on his platform. Gamepay, described as “the ultimate gaming destination to incentivise gamers”, is an avenue for gamers to vibe and create a community across various game genres, as well as a platform for listing and promoting games. With more than three billion people worldwide spending time playing online games and Web 3 gaming activity accounting for almost 1.3 million unique active wallets (UAWs), Santos is in a win-win situation, which he is offering to share with his Indian partners, making money from subscriptions, advertisements, and transaction and service fees.
Seemingly overwhelmed by rigours of Bharat Jodo Yatra Congress leader Rahul Gandhi indulged in a bit of self-praise and succumbed to describing India as “land of tapasvis” and not ‘poojaris’ and how the Congress believes in ‘tapasya’, while the BJP was an organization of ‘pooja and pujaris’. Short of describing himself as a tapasvi, he went on to say how “BJP-RSS forced people to worship them” adding” India is a country of ‘tapasvis’ (ascetics) and not ‘pujaris’ (priests).” Rahul’s statement naturally irked several priests. Ujjwal Pandit of Yuva Teerth Purohit Mahasabha alleged that Rahul had insulted India’s ancient cultural traditions in which priests have played a central role. It was clear that the Congress leader wore ‘janeu’ (holy thread) and tilak on his head for show, he alleged in a statement. Swami Dipankar noted that the Gandhi scion had described his yatra as his “mohabbat ki dukan” (place for love), but was now talking about “hate”. Should priests be then thrown into the sea, he asked. At some places, including Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh, priests carried out protests and burnt Rahul’s effigies. In the temple town of Deoghar in Jharkhand, priests demanded an apology from the Congress leader for insulting their tradition. RSS ideologue Ratan Sharda found it odd that Rahul Gandhi found his yatris to be tapasvis. He said foremost tapasvis that the nation has known are Swami Vivekananda and Mahatma Gandhi.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar’s two grandsons fought out an election to the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA), despite his efforts to bring them on the same page. The keen contest resulted in the victory of party MLA Rohit Pawar as MCA president. The loser, Abhishek Boke, is a grandson of Pawar’s sister while Rohit is a grandson of his elder brother, the late Appasaheb Pawar. MCA has been under Sharad Pawar’s control for decades. However, he took little interest in the MCA affairs though it has been operating from his home base, Pune. Initially it was handled by the late Dnyaneshwar Agashe and subsequently by Ajay Shirke. However, Pawar kept away from the MCA. Ever since the MCA election was announced, the atmosphere has been politically surcharged. Opposition leader Ajit Pawar was approached in a bid to arrive at a settlement so that the election could become unopposed. Ajit convened a meeting of about 40 voters but the efforts came to a naught as Boke declined to withdraw even after receiving suggestions to do so. Finally, polling was held on Sunday (Jan 8) and results announced late in the night. Several other members of the MCA body owe allegiance to the NCP as well.
The Lamborghini group is looking at opportunities to invest in Kerala in the areas of luxury flats, apartment complexes and boutique hotels. Tonino Lamborghini, son of the legendary Italian businessman, Ferruccio Lamborghini, is currently in Kerala enjoying the backwaters, cuisines and ayurvedic spas. He also found time to meet the Kerala Industries Minister P Rajeev to identify areas of investment and tax holidays. The group is also interested in partnering with local businesses and also exploring manufacturing opportunities for some of its products. Despite hiving off its famous luxury car business to the Volkswagen group, the Lamborghini family still retains the brand name. The Lamborghini brand has under its belt a line of luxury products like watches, mobile phones, sunglasses, perfumes, bags, clothings and boutique hotels. The group is also looking at partnering with Indian companies to help their brands enter the worldwide market. Tonino also expressed a desire to set up an electric car manufacturing unit. To start off, he felt golf carts would be an ideal area to enter. Tonino is visiting Kerala with his partner, Angela Kriegar and Usman Rehman, MD of Times World group and brand ambassador of the Lamborghini brand in Dubai.
Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown have hit the fortunes of several lines of businesses. But some businesses have got a leg-up too. A case in point is OTT. In India, during lockdown we have been entertained by superlative themes and extraordinary Indian creativity via various web series like Delhi Crime, Mirzapur, Panchayat to name a few. Netflix and Amazon, the pioneers who brought entertainment to homes, have garnered a binge audience for their serials and films. Now, Amazon Prime Video is all set to bring the 8-episode ‘Farzi’ from February 10 onwards. It is directed by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK of ‘The Family Man’ fame which brought international acclaim to Manoj Bajpayee and Samantha Prabhu. The creators of Farzi, D 2 K Films are ready with a sizzling star cast of Vijay Sethupathi from Kollywood and Shahid Kapoor from Bollywood, Raashi Khanna, Kay Kay Menon, Regina Cassandra, Zakir Hussain, Bhuvan Arora, Amol Palekar, and Kubbra Sait. Raj and DK have set their story in the middle class milieu /ethos of middling everything, soaked in comedy. The talented twins claim that Farzi will truly reflect the sweat and slick creativity of this team and make it binge worthy.
Tamil Nadu‘s Tenkasi district is seeing huge demand for donkey’s milk by rural folks. Donkey’s milk? That smirk and guffaw with epithets of ‘gadha’, will soon be replaced by incredulousness. While city folks are protesting at Rs 2 increase per litre of Mother Dairy or Aavin Milk, the villagers are ready to fork out Rs 100 per 50 ml or Rs 2,000 per litre of fresh donkey milk to build immunity especially in infants and ward off other ailments. Who knows the next unicorn or IPO may well be from this remote area in Tenkasi if some enterprising donkey aggregator decides to set up a world class plant to process and peddle this much sought after milk and get GI Tag too. The global market value for donkey’s milk stood at $ 23.2 mn in 2021, expected to grow at a CAGR of 9%by 2028. This faith in the efficacy of fresh donkey milk may gain currency like curcumin turmeric latte, tulsi tea, neem oil and coconut products. Donkey owners in Tenaksi have their own logistics and promos for fresh donkey milk, with megaphone announcements. An enterprising breeder, brings his herd to the spot, on fixed days in a truck and rurals line up with conch shells or even silver cups. Looks like it’s big money at the bottom of the pyramid.
The Maharashtra government has been presented with a bizarre demand by its employees’ organisation, which says that the identity of the officials caught red-handed while accepting bribes should be kept confidential until the case against them has been finally decided by the court of law. In a petition submitted by the organisation to chief minister Eknath Shinde, the reasoning behind the demand has been explained unreservedly. It says that government officials are under the scanner of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and caught often. After the action, their pictures and other information is provided by the ACB to the media. However, this needs to stop as the official is defamed even before judicial conviction, the organisation has complained. The petition has pointed out that in many cases, such officials are exonerated by courts. This has happened time and again. However, in the intervening period, the official and his or her family are subjected to infamy and social consequences. “Therefore, it is our demand that till the moment the official concerned is convicted by court, his or her picture or identity should not be disclosed,” the petition has stated. The most corrupt arm of the government is the revenue department Maharashtra; the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is the most corrupt civic body while Pune is the most corrupt district in the state, according to various findings.
Shiv Sena (Shinde) group’s MLA Yogesh Kadam’s survival in a major road accident has flabbergasted political circles in Maharashtra as he is the third MLA to suffer such a highway mishap in a matter of a month. The first to be injured in such a smash-up was BJP MLA Jaykumar Gore. He was followed by controversial NCP MLA Dhananjay Munde. Both were immediately hospitalised and are recovering. Kadam is not hurt though his car driver and a police constable deployed for his protection have sustained minor bruises. All three MLAs were coming towards Mumbai. Kadam’s father, Ramdas, is a veteran Sena leader who has joined the camp of chief minister Eknath Shinde. A former minister, Ramadas has been a bitter critic of Uddhav Thackeray. His son Yogesh was elected to the assembly from Dapoli, an important tourist destination in the Konkan region, in 2019 on a Sena (Uddhav) ticket. Later, he deserted the organisation and started facing local opposition from the rival camp. Yogesh Kadam’s car was banged by a dumper on the Mumbai-Goa highway even though it was between two police vehicles escorting the MLA. The rear portion of the car has been badly damaged. Yogesh Kadam has raised grave suspicions about the incident, given the police cover under which he was travelling. He has decided to demand a thorough enquiry into the disaster.
It is not often that Stalin gets worked up so much about religion that he must lash out at those eternally projecting his party as anti-religion. Provoked by a series of comments including the latest round of loaded political words from the feisty Governor RN Ravi, chief Minister M K Stalin came out in voluble defence of how his party is not anti-Hindu as the opposition makes it out to be. He emphasised at yet another function hosted by the HR&CE, this one to announce Rs 2 lakh support to each of 2,500 small temples in rural areas, that his government was committed to protecting the temples as they exemplified the State’s art and culture and stood as witness to traditional expertise and talent in sculpture making and art. He said he had attended as many as 25 events connected to temples in a year and presided over grants that benefited nearly four lakh people. Regardless of his personal faith in God or lack of it, Stalin has always maintained that his party is for all religions and that the only reform they aim at is social equality by which temples must be made to accept that priests can be from any community. This was also part of the Dravidian Model, he pointed out in the course of a stout defence of Dravidian beliefs.
Virudhunagar Lok Sabha MP and AICC secretary Manickam Tagore suffered a personal setback in the beginning of the year as he was relieved of Telangana charge. This was following revolt by Telangana Congress leaders who had protested against his style of functioning and backing PCC chief A Revanth Reddy to the hilt. Though Telangana leaders basically were targeting Reddy for his pro TRS approach and soft-pedalling issues against Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, they wanted Tagore out of the AICC for encouraging the rot. “Before Revanth Reddy we used to only lose elections, but after he took over we began forfeiting deposits,” said a leader. Pointing to the rot he cited how former Chennur MLA Nallala Odelu and his wife Nallala Bhagyalakshmi, who is the Mancherial ZP chairperson, had rejoined the TRS in October citing factionalism within the Congress. Both had quit the TRS and joined the Congress in May last year in the presence of Priyanka Gandhi. In the face of Telangana backlash, Congress high command shifted Tagore to Goa. The Goa assignment is an unenviable one as it comes at a time when the party has just three elected MLAs left. Of these, one may join BJP. Tagore replaced Dinesh Gundu Rao as Goa in charge amidst reports that the party chose to replace Rao following ongoing fight between Karnataka and Goa over diversion of Mhadei river water.
The Indian cricket fan is so unique to the world of cricket; in the sense that he/she buys a ticket only with a fond hope of seeing the national team win even if the chips are down. About 25000 turned up at the Wankhede Stadium on January 3 and a narrow home team win — by 2 runs — resulted in a bigger turn out for the second match at the MCA International Stadium, near Pune. Hardly anyone among the 30,000 plus was ready to leave after Sri Lanka had dismissed the top 5 Indian batters for a frugal collection of 57 runs. The reason for not giving up hope; Suryakumar Yadav (SKY) was still in the middle. Such has been the kind of impact SKY has made on the Indian fan in a very short span of time, thanks to the slam bang variety of the sport. And SKY has his own inimitable style to executive strokes that can be found in coaching manuals and also find ways using his hands and wrists to send the ball racing to the fence and also soaring over the line. Though left hander Axar Patel swung that bat for optimum results to make the Sri Lankans anxious, Yadav roared into action to bring India close to the target. The Indian cricket fan was thrilled by the Yadav- Patel onslaught, but a tad disappointed by the 16-run defeat.
On January 5, DMK MP Kanimozhi turned 55 and the road to her Chennai residence was jam packed with birthday greeters and revelers indicating she is a force to reckon with in Tamil Nadu politics. The whole neighbourhood was festooned with DMK flags. Late Kalaignar’s favourite child Kanimozhi is chief minister M K Stalin’s half-sister. What is even more evident as she led a big crowd to her father’s resting place on the Marina beach was that she no longer appeared to be that tentative, hesitant and defensive politician who was incarcerated in the 2 G scam. Kani has parachuted out of that crisis, to become a significant power centre. Potential for an alternative to the first family’s dynastic culture, Kani was made deputy treasurer of DMK, a sop to keep her content against the rising son, claim party wags. Stalin’s son Udhayanidhi’s confrontational attitude towards his aunt has changed too, maybe in the interests of warding off rebellion. The DMK behemoth built by cadres and functionaries is definitely chafing at the dynastic moves. A recently charge-sheeted Youtuber and journalist voiced scathing opinions when comparing Udhayanidhi and Kani in terms of capability, political savvy and experience, groomed as she is by none other than Kalaignar. Suddenly, whispers are getting loud and overt. What if BJP uses her as a Trojan and a deserving family claimant to TN throne?
She is one of the sought-after heroines. Thirty-seven year old Deepika Padukone who entered Bollywood in 2007 and made quite a mark, seems to be courting controversies these days. The right wing has called for a boycott of her soon-to-be-released Pathaan starring superstar Shah Rukh Khan. Earlier it was Padmavat. And in both the cases she has remained unfazed. During Padmavat release when a section of the saffron brigade threatened to cut her nose, she wasn’t really scared. In fact, at the height of student’s agitation, Deepika landed up at JNU to show her solidarity with the student’s union. In fact, her visit had nothing to do with the release of her film Chhapaak based on acid attack survivor. The film bombed because of a boycott by right wing or bad execution of script nobody knows. The actress hasn’t really had a good run at the box office in the recent past. Chhapaak, Gehraiyan, 83, Cirkus all failed to draw audiences. One of the top paid actresses, Deepika also seems to be fighting gender bias. Reportedly, for Baiju Bawra she asked Sanjay Leela Bansali for more fee than Ranveer Singh. He quietly signed up Alia Bhat. According to Duff & Phelps 2022 report, Deepika’s brand value stood at $ 51.6 mn. As of now, Deepika has five films in the pipeline which includes Pathaan, Fighter with Hrithik Roshan and Rohit Shetty’s Singham 3.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar has linked the flight of industry from Maharashtra with the increasing number of young men remaining unmarried in the state. Addressing a NCP function in Pune, Pawar said industrial units from the state were shifted outside while new industries wishing to start in the state were refused facilities and concessions. Consequently, unemployment was on the increase in Maharashtra, leading to many young men remaining single since they could not get married. Pawar’s observation has come against the backdrop of public protests by young men in a couple of districts of Maharashtra on account of their unemployment and the resultant lack of prospective brides coming their way. In Solapur district, youngsters had, Pawar said, the double-engine government at the Centre and in Maharashtra had been pursuing the same policy of leaving the populace to fend for itself despite rising prices. Tall claims and exaggerated promises were made by the ruling party before coming to power. However, as it is not possible to implement them, caste and religion are used for creating enmity in society, he alleged. Taking a dig at Pawar’s observation, BJP MLA Atul Bhatkhalkar said, “Sir, what you say is correct. Many unemployed men like Rahul (Gandhi) and Aaditya (Thackeray) can be cited as the best example to support your analysis.
Vande Bharat Express is nothing but an old train refurbished with a new engine declared West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee amid reports of Vande Bharat train being attacked by stones on the newly inaugurated Howrah-New Jalpaiguri route. While the first incident happened near Malda, the second also occurred in the state. However, dismissing the claims about the attack, Banerjee said the incidents occurred in Bihar and not West Bengal and said actions will be taken against those spreading rumours. PM Narendra Modi flagged off Vande Bharat Express on December 30. The BJP did not take kindly to Mamata’s running down the concept of Vande Bharat itself. Party co-in charge for Bengal Amit Malviya felt from Mamata’s comments it was “abundantly clear that Vande Bharat was targeted on Mamata Banerjee’s instruction. She is both, incompetent and jealous of the Modi Government working for the state”. He went on to point out that Didi had refused to go on dais at the time of launch not because of Jai Shree Ram slogans. “The problem was never slogans of Jai Shree Ram but BJP taking a lead to improve lives of people. What a disgrace she is!” The blue-and-white train, meant to be the gateway to the northeast, covers a distance of 564 km between Howrah and New Jalpaiguri in 7.45 hours thus reducing travel time by three hours.
Keeping a hawk’s eye on upcoming panchayat polls, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee has launched her maiden extensive digital campaign – ‘Didir Suraksha Kavach’ through Didir Doot’ (party cadres). The public outreach comes at a time when Didi’s party and government are battling scams including the recent protests at the panchayat level over irregularities in the allocation of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, teachers’ recruitment. During the launch of the programme Didi said that this will be a medium where 3.5 lakh party leaders would reach every block and cover 2 crore families in 60 days, with workers staying in villages to understand the problems faced by locals. They will be also promoting 15 welfare schemes, covering various sectors such as food, housing, health, education, social security, income and employment through the newly developed app under the same name. Most importantly, post Lok Sabha Polls 2019 debacle where Didi lost several of LS seats to BJP, the saffron party launched an initiative called ‘Didi ke Balo’ which primarily opened the pandora’s box of the issues such as “cut money” and “syndicate raj”. According to party insiders, over 3343 gram panchayats are there in Bengal, but this new launch is not only eyeing the rural polls but also at the Lok Sabha Polls 2024. However, political analysts said that Didi has sent a strong message to party functionaries and leaders accused of corruption.
There is a lot of surround sound over the release of Shah Rukh Khan starring Pathaan with right wingers protesting over Deepika Padukone’s saffron coloured skimpy dress. Yet, the trade is very optimistic and feels irrespective of the controversy and boycott Pathaan will be a huge hit at the box office. In fact, King Khan and Salman Khan together have four films releasing in 2023 and looking at the fan followings, and the crowd outside their homes, it clearly indicates their popularity has not waned on the contrary it is on the rise. SRK has Atlee directed Dunki while Sallu Bhai has Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan and Tiger 3. These movies will log at least 15% revenue growth via theatres because people will flock to movie halls to watch larger than life movies like Avatar and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and this will be Advantage SRK as he is known to make larger than life movies. OTT will co-exist with content driven space. It will be more on experimental content and stories from small towns — they will thrive on pulp fictions like Good Luck Jerry and Darlings. It won’t be a challenge as the cinema will cater to MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) and action-packed world. Trade feel, Rohit Shetty’s Cirkus failed because it was due to poor content but the Khans will resurrect Bollywood in a big way.
The Congress may not have lifted its little finger for Ram Temple in Ayodhya but it has lost no time in flaunting a letter of blessing it has received from Ayodhya temple chief priest. A day before Rahul Gandhi’s Yatra entered UP, Ram Temple chief priest Acharya Satyendra Das stirred the political pot by wishing the Congress leader success in the yatra, good health and long life. Das had handed over a letter to the local Congress leader of Ayodhya Gaurav Tiwari. Tiwari said he had taken the letters of invitation for the yatra to many temples and saints in Ayodhya, who gave their blessings in return. A similar letter was also sent to Acharya Satyendra Das who said he wanted to write a letter in reply. “He had also written that the blessings of Lord Ram would always be upon Rahulji”. As the Congress’ foot march entered UP, the letter’s contents were proudly shared by Congress twitter handles. But then the letter from the Ayodhya priest has warmed up a section in the Congress which always wanted the leadership to deliberate issues of interest to Hindus– something that was denied to them even at Udaipur chintan shivir. “It is significant that the Ayodhya temple priest has blessed the yatra and Rahulji…sants and sadhus should feel free, and not be tied to any political party,” said Acharya Pramod Krishnam, a close aide of Priyanka Gandhi.
Opposition leader Ajit Pawar’s claim that a BJP ‘mastermind’ was behind the statewide agitation against him is the hot political topic now. His comment that “Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj was Swarajya Rakshak and not Dharmaveer” is the focus of a BJP statewide agitation for the past three days. Pawar alleged at a media conference that the agitation was engineered by the BJP. “When I was speaking in the house, their mastermind was not present. Still, the protests against me are according to a plan.” Pawar claimed that various BJP leaders had been calling him up to tell that they were instructed to protest against him and send the clips to the party office. “Burn the picture of Ajit Pawar, hit it with shoes” they were instructed, he said. Certain names are being mentioned to pinpoint the so-called mastermind. Pawar’s assertion that he has been elected to the opposition leader’s post by NCP MLAs is also being debated since no major decision in that party is taken without the consent of NCP chief Sharad Pawar. Pawar has been facing criticism that his stand vis a vis the Shinde-Fadnavis government is ‘mild.’ His detractors point out that he did not condemn the government when state NCP president Jayant Patil was suspended from the lower house. Pawar had invited snide remarks for not signing a no-confidence motion against assembly speaker Rahul Narvekar.
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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.