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In his reply to the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address in the Lok Sabha, PM Narendra Modi was at his aggressive best as he savaged LoP Rahul Gandhi. From mocking the Congress leader and two members of his family for becoming MPs — mother Sonia and sister Priyanka — at the same time to turning “certain spaces into personal museums”. He was referring to the manner in which the Gandhi family maintains control over Indira Gandhi Memorial and had refused to share documents pertaining to the Rajiv Gandhi era with the Prime Ministers’ Museum. The PM said we have established the Prime Ministers’ Museum, where the legacy of every Prime Minister—from the first to my predecessors—has been honoured. “I urge their family members to visit it.” Taking a swipe at the three Gandhis who are all MPs, Modi said, “I pose an important question to the citizens through this House — have there even been three MPs simultaneously from the same family of SC community? I also ask, tell me if there ever were three MPs simultaneously from the same family belonging to the ST community…” There is a vast difference between their words and actions. However, the harshest jab was when Modi felt leaders have compulsions to raise questions on foreign policy to be taken seriously — he was referring to questions raised by both Rahul and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on tensions with China. He asked them to read Bruce Riedel’s book JFK’s Forgotten Crisis— as it details discussions between India’s Nehru and the U.S. President John F Kennedy, revealing how foreign policy was handled during challenging times and the games played in its name. Congress leaders are apparently not amused by this suggestion.
Congress bossman Rahul Gandhi told Parliament that External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar’s USA visit only sought an invite for PM Narendra Modi for the U.S. President Donald Trump’s oath ceremony. Jaishankar refuted RaGa’s averments, without revealing the true purpose after having accomplished never before witnessed outcomes. Highly placed sources reveal, “India’s MEA secured distinction of only nation’s representative holding bilateral discussions with the newly installed U.S. government both, before and after, official transition of power.” Dr Jaishankar didn’t elucidate beyond dismissing Gandhi’s tall tales to the Lok Sabha, but actually established grounds for PM Modi to ink U.S. deal for technology transfer regarding fifth/sixth generation fighter engines deliberately kept in abeyance over two years by erstwhile Biden administration. India will be on par though F35 fighter was doled out to Pakistan and, even poised to counter Chinese aviation capabilities with next generation fighters. Dr Jaishankar also held discussions with newly installed FBI director Kash Patel, National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard over sensitive issues regarding Indian nationals targeted by earlier dispensation. Another positive outcome: Funding cut off for Gurpatwant Singh Panun, separatist pro-Khalistani rebel, creating aviation scares in India through threats of blowing up Indian commercial airliners. More covert results were achieved to become apparent sooner than later even as Rahul Gandhi termed Dr Jaishankar’s international statesmanship as mere kow-towing to U.S. hegemony.
Ever since mid-January when Bihar CM Nitish Kumar was accompanied by his son Nishant Kumar at a political function in Bakhtiyarpur, there has been a buzz that the JD(U)leader’s son would be taking a political plunge. The event was to pay tributes to freedom fighters, including Nitish’s father Ram Lakhan Singh, who too had participated in the freedom movement. Soon after the function, 50-year old Nishant, the only child of Nitish and his late wife Manju Sinha, told the local gathering that his father had put Bihar on the fast track of development and appealed to them to make him CM again. Nishant’s appeal came in the midst of reports that he was keeping indifferent health and had reduced public interaction. An engineer by training, Nishant had so far kept away from public glare. Raised by his mother, he is known to have spent time away from his father and dabbled in spiritualism. He came to live with his father only after his mother passed away in 2007. Those who have known the JD (U) supremo personally as well as politically feel with an indifferent health Nitish may no longer be in a position to even oppose entry of his son into politics much as he has always opposed dynastic politics. A section of JD(U) dominated by Kurmis is reportedly rooting for Nishant’s entry to perpetuate Nitish Kumar’s legacy; this section doesn’t care if it fits with Nitish Kumar’s vision of politics. It is being argued that JD(U) can’t survive without Nitish’s legacy. As for those competing against the towering stature of Nitish Kumar in Bihar — both the BJP and RJD — are also keen that a bumbling newbie and dynast Nishant does take the plunge and salvage JD(U). Ahead of assembly polls, JD(U) is likely to witness a churn.
What goes out seems to return to the same place. Well, how else could one view the unfolding scenario. Reports suggest that Aditya Birla Group-owned UltraTech Cement is in advanced talks to acquire Heidelberg Cement India. Heidelberg Cement India is the subsidiary of HeidelbergCement Group, Germany. It entered India in 2006 with the acquisition of erstwhile Mysore Cement, Cochin Cement and a JV with Indorama Cement. The company has plants at Damoh (MP), Jhansi (UP), and Ammasandra (Karnataka). If this acquisition happens, UltraTech may get Zuari Cements as well, which is a part of the Heidelberg Group. In such an eventuality, the Sitapuram plant of Zuari will also come under UltraTech. The Sitapuram plant was once with The India Cements (ICL). The India Cements got the Sitapuram plant as a bonus when it acquired Raasi Cement many years ago. Subsequently, India Cements sold the Sitapuram plant to Zuari to raise funds. The Parli grinding unit of India Cements, it may be recalled, was acquired by UltraTech. Since UltraTech has taken over India Cements, the Parli grinding unit has technically returned to its original place (since India Cements has now become a subsidiary of UltraTech). Well, the world is small after all. And, the world is indeed round!
An estimated 30% of the IAS administered Indian bureaucracy actively considers the VRS option. According to well-placed sources, “Last three years registered a spurt in the number of pending applications to exercise the VRS option, most officers still having over five years of service left. The handsome pension amount appears lucrative to many, including those put on notice by the Union government (and respective state governments like Maharashtra) for low productivity, efficiency and delinquent public service.” Majority of the pending applications seek the cushy handshake option, while those who fell foul of GOI evaluation parameters were told to consider exit plans sooner than resignation options later. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 1.0 and 2.0 tenures (between 2014 and 2024) had witnessed not only weeding out of senior officials through shortening of tenures under government service but also witnessed the lateral entry of professionals and industry domain specialists into government service. Similarly, several officials continue to perform government service notwithstanding their respective retirement from service due to their diligent and outstanding performance till retirement to include Pravin Pardeshi (CEO of MITRA). Others like former Chief Secretary of Maharashtra Dr Nitin Kareer are also expected to be tapped for active post-retirement service to the nation, sources reveal. As pen-pushing, non-productive Babus opt for early retirement the Maharashtra IAS fraternity anticipates similar cleansing of Maharashtra’s state secretariat that may be on the cards once again.
After all the hype over the low-cost DeepSeek artificial intelligence from China that seemed to be threatening the earlier model, doubts have begun to surface, at least in India, about its ability to continue posing a challenge to ChatGPT in the long term. The new app, which became the most-downloaded free app on the iOS App Store in the U.S. a fortnight after its launch on 10 January 2025, resulted in a steep fall in the share price of the more established Nvidia. While various users and reviewers have hailed it as a harbinger of the “global AI space race”, experts here are raising the old question of the longevity and reliability of anything made in China, especially when it is priced at a fraction of others in the same space. Says one leading infotech player, expressing the opinion of many in the field: “Like any data from China, nobody knows the real cost — it may be a whole lot higher than those incurred by Open AI.” Drawing a parallel with renewable energy, this expert points to a record 11 Gw of wind turbines commissioned years ago with turbines in almost all remote areas but no connection to the grid. “Renowned global consultants based in China whom I have met, always take any data from the Chinese government or otherwise from China with a pound of salt,” he adds. “It is perhaps disruptive news to pull the U.S. down. Let’s wait and see.” The Chinese company, established in Hangzhou, Zhejiang in 2023, is owned and funded by Chinese hedge fund High-Flyer, which develops open-source large language models (LLMs).
In recent times, Bollywood has seen a noticeable shift, with many newcomers struggling to leave a lasting impression on audiences. This decline can be traced back to a variety of factors, including the selection of projects that fail to resonate with viewers. Gone are the days when iconic films like Betaab, which introduced Sunny Deol or Rocky which launched Sanjay Dutt, captivated audiences and launched the careers of these stars. So too Jackie Shroff with Hero. In contrast, today’s newcomers like Suraj Pancholi, Siddhant Kapoor and Sasha Agha find themselves lost in films that do not provide them with the platform to showcase their talents effectively. The recent film Azaad featuring Aaman Devgan and Rasha Thadani serves as a case in point. Aaman Devgn, nephew of Ajay Devgn has struggled to make a significant impact, while Raveena Tandon’s daughter Rasha Thadani managed to capture some attention with her performance. Many of the films do not offer the newcomers a fair opportunity to shine; often focusing more on star power than on storytelling. For instance, in Azaad, the narrative centres around the titular horse rather than the lead pair, which diminishes the impact of the human characters. This misalignment can lead to a lack of engagement from the audience, making it difficult for the actors to connect with viewers. Aaman’s performance, despite being camera-friendly, lacks the emotional depth and histrionics that are often necessary to truly engage the audience. In contrast, Rasha stands out with her strong screen presence and impressive dance moves, showcasing a talent that could potentially elevate her career. Ultimately, even when a film does not resonate with audiences, a standout performance can create opportunities for newcomers to prove themselves.
The England captain Jos Buttler did not mince words on the matter of fast bowler Harshit Rana replacing Shivam Dube as the like-for-like “concussion substitute” in the fourth Twenty20 international in Pune. The scoreboard will show left-hander Dube having scored 53 off 34 balls with 7x 4s and 2x6s – a fine performance that went a long way in India posting a stiff 181 in 20 overs after being rocked by Saqib Mahmood’s three-wicket burst in his first over. It was Dube’s first international match in eight months. Rana, who replaced Dube after India chose to use the “Concussion substitute” rule at the innings break, ended up with flattering figures of 3 for 33, sending down his full quota of four overs. Rana took the wickets of Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell and Jamie Overton – all capable of giving the ball a solid whack. A pertinent question that cropped up was whether “Rana was a like-for-like’’ replacement for Dube, particularly as a fast bowler. In his previous 33 matches, Dube had sent down 45.3 overs and taken 11 wickets with a 3 for 30 as his best against Bangladesh in Nagpur in 2019. He did not bowl in 11 matches and went wicket-less in 15. Buttler disagreed with “Rana coming in for Dube” and wondered if Dube’s bowling speed had shot up by 25 miles per hour or if Rana’s batting had improved. On the face of it, Rana was a far from like-for-like replacement for Dube. India’s bowling coach, Morne Morkel, explained that the team forwarded Rana’s name and the match referee, Javagal Srinath approved it. The unsavoury event will compel the ICC to mull over the “Concussion substitute” rule.
Armed with a landslide majority in Maharashtra, the BJP, it is learnt, is now strongly pushing its coalition partners up against the wall. Not only has it launched a strong attack against Ajit Pawar’ party deputy leader Dhananjay Munde but it is keeping Eknath Shinde on the edge too. While the knives have been sharpened against controversial minister Dhananjay Munde demanding his resignation for the alleged involvement of his aide in the murder of Beed sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh. Munde and his party have been resisting and fighting it against all odds. While Ajit Pawar may have strongly backed Munde for now, he realises that the BJP may not stop at him and could launch fresh salvo against his other deputies. Hence, Pawar has directed his men to maintain a clean slate and even demanded that freshers be vetted before giving entry in his party. His contemporary, Eknath Shinde too is not having it easy with BJP ministers like Ganesh Naik eyeing his Thane stronghold and launching a worker engagement campaign clearly with an eye on the forthcoming local body polls. While Shinde chose to brush aside concerns, his workers have threatened to do a quid pro quo by launching similar exercises in BJP’s constituencies. Shinde did not attend the cabinet meeting last week, while Munde is believed to have left mid-way. The BJP strategy seems to be to keep the coalition partners constantly on the edge.
The year 1952 saw the release of a cult movie and a classic coming together of two names that shaped Dravidian cinema indelibly. A talented writer from Thirukkuvalai …the indomitable M Karunanidhi (DMK founder) and a firebrand actor who set the template for Tamil cinema…Sivaji Ganesan. These two cinema debutants made Parasakthi, an evergreen movie still remembered by connoisseurs of this powerful medium. Suddenly, Parasakthi is in the news. Two Kollywood producers are claiming the title Parasakthi. Vijay Antony (actor-producer-director-music director) claims that his 25th movie under production, Sakti Thirumagan has been already registered as Parasakthi for its Telugu version in July 2024. His posters were splashed on X. Imagine the shock that Town Pictures and avant garde director Sudha Kongara got on hearing that their Sivakarthikeyan’s 25th film Parasakthi has an ostensible me too. This was no filmi coincidence. A high decibel legal battle is being averted by Akash Bhaskaran, emissary of Kongara who met Antony to resolve the issue. AVM Pictures also endorsed that the title was given to Kongara’s team and all concerned were just heaving a sigh of relief. Then for Kongara trouble came from an entirely unexpected quarter. The legal heirs of Perumal Mudaliar, National Pictures, original Parasakthi producers decided to digitalise the 1952 hit and re-release it. This claims that the Krishnan Panju directed original has allotted only distribution rights to AVN for a few areas, that no other house could use the title. Avowedly, the Sivaji craze and the Kalaignar charisma guarantee big crowds.
Goa Forward Party chief Vijay Sardesai was all gung ho about his one-on-one meeting with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. He had every reason to be. That is because his trip to Delhi not only established his equations with the Congress high command but also helped him take a swipe at the TMC which had poached his party functionary. In a slap to the TMC, Sardesai snitched an independent MLA Prasad Gaonkar from South Goa backing the TMC and brought him to Delhi. The TMC was naturally livid with Sardesai’s Delhi visit and his pact with the Congress. It took to social media to attack him. Of course, on his return to Panaji, Sardesai found his gains were short-lived. His third MLA Jayesh Salgaonkar had shifted to the BJP. It was felt Salgaonkar, who was a businessman and belonged to North Goa, may have been under pressure to switch to the BJP. At the national level, the BJP has been making new acquisitions. Manjinder Singh Sirsa, a close associate of the Badals, joined the party. Belonging to Haryana, Sirsa is a prominent Delhi gurudwara leader.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is in a hurry to finalise the district expansion plans, from the present 13 to 26. He has asked his key Secretaries and MPs to lobby with the Home Ministry to seek approval to go ahead with District Bifurcation plans immediately since there was an earlier directive that bifurcation can be done only after completion of Census 2021. Fortunately for Jagan, because of Covid-19, the census process has not yet started. He is keen to complete the district’s reorganization process before the census begins. And of course, nobody will complain as he enjoys a good rapport with BJP. What is the real objective for pushing and implementing district expansion? Is it to bring administration closer to people? Or is it to empower Zilla Parishad, Panchayati Samiti? The real reason is the need to meet electioneering promises and the potential to get additional funds from the Centre and create employment opportunities. Jagan and his bureaucracy are eyeing the benefits from district specific central government funding, particularly the backward districts which will become growth centres and the opportunity of participation in district specific schemes, creating better service delivery and solving administrative and governance issues. Also, a boom in land prices and new job opportunities are attractive factors, as AP has the second-highest density per district population after West Bengal.
Chennai’s popular boys, Woorkeri Raman and Laxman Sivaramakrishnan aka ‘Siva’ who have played cricket with distinction are set to regale a big cricket audience in the Tamil speaking/ listening world on Sports Channel SONY Ten 4 during the iconic Ashes Test series between Australia and England to get off the ground at the Woollloongabba, Brisbane from December 8. After the opening skirmish at the Gabba that will pitch Pat Cummins’ Aussies against Joe Root’s Englishmen, the series will travel to Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Perth. The Ashes has always generated interest among a wider spectrum of the cricket world, and India’s TV channels like Star Sports and SONY pictures are going out of the way to engage former cricketers to bring live action of the game apart from English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. Raman was a left-hand bat and slow left-arm spinner and Siva chose the notorious Bernard James Tindal Bosanquet art of leg-spin-googly. After bidding adieu from the game, Raman made his mark in coaching and print-media, and Siva became a spin coach, even as he articulated the nuances of the game in a number of cable television channels in domestic and international cricket. So happy listening to them on SONY Ten 4 from December 8.
Even though Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has decided not to visit regularly or call up 10 Janpath, she is keen to only meet NCP chief Sharad Pawar and seek his advice for the formation of a possible non-BJP front. She will meet Pawar on Wednesday (Dec 1) at the latter’s Silver Oak residence in Mumbai. Insiders from both parties said Pawar and Banerjee – with friends in various parties – can build up a front to take on BJP in the 2024 elections. However, Pawar has always been insisting that such a front won’t work without Congress. Pawar has already sent feelers to a few Congress leaders who have sent a positive signal but everything depends on the trio in the party – Sonia, Rahul, and Priyanka. Mamata is perturbed over Rahul not wishing her immediately after her record victory though Rahul later tweeted. They in turn are upset that TMC kept out of the opposition parties’ meet. It is learned that Pawar may organize a meeting between Mamata and Rahul at his 6 Janpath residence in New Delhi which is the new power centre for opposition unity. A senior Congress leader opines if Pawar is personally involved then Sonia may climb down. Interestingly, Maharashtra Chief Minister and Sena supremo Uddhav Thackeray has declined to meet Didi. Now people are reading between the lines.
How many recollect Hema Malini was rejected by Kollywood at the very beginning of her career. After Raj Kapoor’s Discovery of the Dream Girl, Bollywood top heroes Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Shashi Kapoor and others vied to be paired with her. Garam Dharam went on to claim permanent ownership rights. But somewhere this Iyengar beauty who spoke Shudh Tam Bram Tamizh (as Shudh as the Shudh Kent Paani she promotes), must have craved for that mass adulation from her own tribe. The dream is now taking shape in the hands of genius director Bala, he of Tamil hits Nanda and Pitha Magan, too many classy hits with Suriya, in which they are collaborating. Jai Bhim, the gripping chronicle of caste exploitation that has kicked awake the collective conscience of our Teflon nation, Suriya is now a pan Indian name. Bala’s cinematic magic instinct is to work on a casting coup …Surya and Hema as the elderly couple in an under-production movie. Dream Girls are distinct divas too…Bala surely worked on the script to make her role strong and stunning, though Suriya followers were a bit sceptical by this odd pairing. But wait…73-year-old classic, temple sculpture beauties don’t have to be in cold storage mode… given the custom-made script, casting and an icon who breaks barriers in film direction, this movie is bound to be riveting.
Welspun One Logistics Parks, a pan-India integrated fund, development and asset management platform, a part of the $3.5 billion Welspun Group, has signed an MoU with Guidance, the Government of Tamil Nadu’s nodal agency, for investment promotion and single window facilitation. This is towards setting up warehousing facilities across Tamil Nadu. The projects will be executed by Welspun One Logistics Parks and will bring direct investments of around Rs 2,500 crore to the State. Under this MoU, a total of six projects have been proposed in the prime warehousing micro-markets like Hosur, Sriperumbudur and Tiruvallur; totalling a development potential of around 8 million sqft, to be built across a span of five years. Considering the tangible social and economic benefits that the investments entail, the state government has assured support in streamlining the approval processes and single-window clearances for Welspun-initiated projects to facilitate the overall ease of doing business. The Welspun group company, in turn, is determined to provide high-impact sustainable warehousing solutions by incorporating green infrastructure and an industry-led technology approach.
With Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Opposition just does not know when it is going to lose the narrative. While the Opposition was planning to box in Modi, the PM caught the Opposition by surprise. First, he announced a roll-back of the three “contentious” farm laws on November 19. And 10 days later, on the first day of Winter Session of Parliament, 12 MPs in the Rajya Sabha from Opposition benches were suspended. Congress leaders privately admit that they were completely caught unaware that the Rajya Sabha Chair would penalise members for their unruly behaviour on the last day of Monsoon Session. “By reducing our bench strength, Modi has effectively shifted our goal post, Instead of discussing farmer issues, we are now discussing our issues,” rues Nasir Hussain, a suspended Congress MP from Karnataka. Rajya Sabha Chairman Naidu made it clear that there was no question of ignoring what happened on the last day of the Monsoon Session and the House was a continuous one. As for suspension of MPs, he said it could not be ignored that they were from the list of 33 people who had been named for their misconduct on August 11. Members were given an opportunity to explain their conduct and apologise. Instead of apology the Opposition has opted for confrontation with the Chair. No one wins here, only the Chair in Rajya Sabha does.
Lionel Messi won a record seventh Ballon d’Or to add to further his reputation as one of the world’s greatest footballers ever and young German Robert Lewandowski was runner-up. The highly regarded Oscar of football was a prize Messi thoroughly deserved this year after having led Argentina to the Copa America title. Having believed the 2019 prize could be his last, Messi said he was, however, not surprised after Argentina’s victory over Brazil in the final. Messi’s contemporary, long term rival and five-time winner, Cristiano Ronaldo was also the centre of attention. He made public his feud with Pascal Ferre, the editor-in-chief of France Football whose organisation oversees the star-studded ceremony. Ferre had told the New York Times in an interview that Ronaldo’s only remaining ambition was to win more Ballon D’Ors than Messi. Ronaldo contested the claim that he had told Ferre so. He reiterated that his only goals are to do with his country and club and to be a good example for all those who are or want to be professional footballers. Ronaldo signed off saying he likes to win for himself and his teams and not win against anyone. He also resented Ferre’s suggestion that Ronaldo did not attend the event because of quarantine rules. He conveyed sportingly his best wishes to the winner.
It is not exactly the House of Windsor with Prince Charles waiting in the wings for a long time to sit on that throne. Worldwide wagers don’t bet on his getting it soon. But hope floats. Compared to this, Udhayanidhi Stalin, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin’s son, heir imminent, Secretary of the DMK Youth Wing, cinema star, and MLA is on velvet… royal maroon, with gold trimmings. And why not? How many political dynastic heirs have the good fortune to inherit a whole ideological political party evolved over 70 years, a huge party apparatus, fan following, and be known as one of the wealthiest political scions? On November 27, he turned 44 and his party functionaries went overboard wishing him, sycophantic greetings dripping with Tamil eloquence. Amidst all this cacophony, silently, mother Durga Stalin has been relentlessly demanding Udhayanidhi’s elevation to the cabinet and an open claim to take over from Stalin, who has evaded a snap decision. There are a few other family claimants to TN leadership; Stalin’s elder brother MK Alagiri, whose talent for stirring up trouble is well known, his half-sister K Kanimozhi, an MP with acknowledged ambitions and acumen; late Karunanidhis, other not so well-known sons and their progeny. What if a palace coup were to upset the status quo, after DMK has managed to wrest TN after 10 long years?
Ravichandran Ashwin was in the news right through the course of the last English summer; for the notorious reason of not getting a chance to send down a single ball in the five-Test series against Joe Root’s home team. Blame it on the local conditions, weather and the pitch, Captain Virat Kohli and the think tank did not feel it necessary to think beyond left-arm spinner all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja for the only slow spin bowler’s position for four Tests. Ashwin did not figure in the supposedly spin-friendly Oval Test that India won to take 2-1 lead. Ditto with left-arm spinner Axar Patel, who and Ashwin together delivered a two-in-one Test in five days against England at the Motera in February last. Ashwin took 32 and Axar, 27. But they were deemed to be useless in England. Ashwin and Axar were again in the centre stage and even Jadeja, on a pitch at the Green Park, Kanpur that was used well by the New Zealand fast bowlers Tim Southee and Kyle Jamieson. Ashwin and Axar took six each in the Test and Jadeja, five for spin tally of 17 wickets. Ashwin (419) also went past Harbhajan Singh’s aggregate of 417 Test scalps. Ashwin now needs eight more wickets to touch the 300-wicket mark at home. Leg spinner Anil Kumble has a high of 350 Test wickets at home.
It must be hurting him, but a hyperactive Virat Kohli is unlikely to lose sleep over not having converted much of his seven half centuries in the last 24 months into magical three figure knocks. Often, he has talked about contributing to the team through partnerships. Kohli’s last century (136) was against Bangladesh at the Eden Gardens in November 2019; the preceding one was a massive unbeaten 254 against South Africa at Gahunje, Pune in October 2019. These two big knocks took his 2019 average to 68 from eight Tests and 11 innings. But Kohli’s average dropped to a career low of 19.33 from three Tests and six innings in 2020, and it is 29.80 so far from nine Tests and 15 innings in 2021. These are the lowest numbers in 10 calendar years. He has averaged 40 plus three times, 50 plus twice, 60 plus once and 75 plus twice. He averaged 22.44 in his first year of Test cricket in 2011. The pundits had predicted that Kohli would break Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 100 international (51 in Tests and 49 in ODIs). Until now, Kohli has 27 Test and 43 ODI centuries, which makes his task cut out to surpass Tendulkar’s hundred centuries. His fans would be hoping he gets his 71st century — for himself and India – at the Wankhede on December 3.
Why is everybody eyeing the cement industry? N Srinivasan, the vice-chairman and managing director of The India Cements has an interesting take on this. The industry has something “macho” about it. That is an irresistible attraction, he says. To be sure, the cement scene in Tamil Nadu at least heads for some exciting turns. It is a market where the price is holding up – and often heads north – despite excess capacity. Surely, this can’t go unnoticed by enterprising minds. Dalmia and Ultratech have already gotten into action mode. Dalmia is planning grinding units in Coimbatore, Chingleput, and Virudhunagar districts. Well, it already has cement plants at Dalmiapuram in Trichy and Ariyalur. Ultratech, on the other hand, has a grinding unit at Arakkonam and a cement plant in Reddipalayam (acquired from Dharani several summers ago. It is now planning expansion by putting up grinding units at Karur, Tuticorin, and Ranipet. These two have indeed chosen strategic locations for their proposed grinding facilities. Their move is bound to intensify action on the ground. Product innovation and savvy marketing could hold the key for the players in this part of the world to secure their position and expand in a market that is set for intense competition. Surely, CSK and Dhoni could come in handy for India Cements in the unfolding cement turf!
For Andhra Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, the Telugu state is still at a crossroads. The three capital initiatives — Amaravati-Vishakhapatnam-Kurnool — which is the cornerstone of his political policy has hit roadblocks as hundreds of farmers in Amaravati moved the High Court contesting Jagan’s South African style initiative. He was forced to backtrack. This means Amaravati will be the working capital until the AP government postulates its new comprehensive Bill. For Jagan Mohan Reddy, his massive electoral victory in 2019 has not translated into improved governance, shoring up revenues, attracting big-ticket manufacturing investment, and creating more jobs in the state. Instead, his priority and focus have been to reverse the policies of the previous TDP government-led Chandra Babu Naidu. Reddy, says insiders, are spending more time crushing erstwhile political opponents, targeting non-complying bureaucrats and constitutional functionaries, and continuing populist dole out measures without sufficient financial backup. In the first half of 2021-22, Andhra Pradesh’s revenue deficit soared by 663% while the fiscal deficit was up by 108%. Half of the government earnings has been directed towards freebies schemes, subsidies, bills, salaries, pensions, etc. The writing is on the wall: Andhra Pradesh desperately needs to shore up revenue and attract big-ticket investments to put its economy back on track. Can it?
After Rae Bareli Congress MLA Aditi Singh defected and joined the BJP last week, many wonder if her husband Angad Singh, who is a Congress MLA in Punjab (NawanShahr Assembly Seat) would be spared by the party leadership. It is quite possible that Congress may not renominate Angad as a party candidate. But then, Aditi and Angad may not be the only couple who would be at the receiving end of the party high command’s ire. Last week the Gandhis went all out to embarrass Perneet Kaur, Patiala Lok Sabha MP, and the wife of Capt Amarinder Singh. A show-cause notice was issued to her for publicly stating that she stands with her husband. The notice was issued by Punjab in-charge Harish Choudhary. Normally, notices to MPs are sent out by the AICC. Punjab Congress leaders are amused that the Gandhis should be more worried about Capt Amarinder Singh forming a party than take action against former minister and Ludhiana MP Manish Tewari who went all out to damage the UPA government with his book or Salman Khurshid who posed a lot of problems for the party with his book. In his book, Tewari laid bare how the UPA government had not acted strongly enough post 26/11.
When the late J Jayalalithaa and her mother, actor Sandhya bought this 24,000 sq ft sprawling property in tony Poes Garden in 1967 for Rs 1.32 lakh to build their luxurious home 81, Veda Nilayam, little did they imagine what controversies and intrigues it would churn up. This CM’s residence quickly became the epicentre of TN‘s destiny and the course of its history after her election as the leader of AIADMK and the CM. Her blood relatives, niece Deepa and nephew Deepak, children of JJ’s brother late Jayakumar were overwhelmed by the cunning attempts to usurp all that JJ owned, including her power and mass popularity by imposter claimants who had wormed their way into her bungalow and hijacked her life. Why didn’t Amma leave a will? Edappadi Palanisamy, successor to Jayalalithaa stunned everybody by issuing a government gazette order proclaiming the bungalow as a museum memorial that the public could visit and view. But her niece and nephews had immense faith in the law of the land. In a dramatic move, the Madras High Court has struck down the validity of the government acquisition turning it into a memorial. Jaya’s house would go to her bloodline heirs. Just goes to show many a shady plan of mice and men being torpedoed by law.
The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has completed two years in office, yet the three alliance partners Shiv Sena, NCP, and Congress have to keep reiterating that their government is strong and stable, and BJP won’t be able to carry out Operation Lotus to come back to power. It may be recalled that BJP made several attempts to dethrone the current MVA government but failed miserably. The latest update on this one is Union Minister Narayan Rane’s statement that the MVA government “will fall” by March 2022. Meanwhile, sources say that Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, currently recovering from spine operations, has not been able to yoke his MVA cabinet colleagues and leaders who are busy talking to the media to push their agenda. Some bureaucrats and leaders are complaining that Thackeray’s style of functioning is leading to delay in decision making. What is missing is a direct connection that is allowing BJP to attack the government for lack of coordination and delays in the implementation of decisions that have already been cleared by the cabinet. They are also complaining about his overreliance on a few bureaucrats. But, when it comes to his own party Shiv Sena, Thackeray has a firm grip and those talking in the media or leaking stories have been sidelined. But, in the end, everybody is asking how will Sena fare under Thackeray at the BMC polls and state elections? Only time will tell.
The NCP Chief Spokesman and Minority Affairs Minister Nawab Malik continues his tirade against Narcotics Control Bureau vis a vis Sameer Wankhede, widely hailed as an upright officer. Interestingly, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, who has been an architect of the MVA government, has openly hailed Malik for his revelations and announced that NCP and MVA government, in general, are prepared to take on BJP and the central probe agencies despite their attempts to corner the MVA leaders. But the real problem facing the MVA government is on the economic front. The coronavirus pandemic has severely impacted the government’s functioning and finances. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will have to swing into action by taking his ministers on board for the revival of the economy and placing a slew of development and welfare projects on a fast track. Ahead of elections to civic and local bodies especially BMC, Thackeray will have to sort out the politically crucial issue of alliance or go solo to take on BJP. The victory in BMC will consolidate Thackeray’s position in MVA and also send a signal to BJP that he is a fighter and there are no chances of a reunion with them.
The recent communal flare up witnessed in Amravati, Malegaon and Aurangabad in Maharashtra over data cooked up online of desecration of a religious place of prayer, should not have occurred, says Maharashtra’s former additional Chief Secretary (Home) Chitkala Zutshi. A senior retired bureaucrat says when actionable intelligence was available it was fairly simple to pre-empt the violence witnessed on November 12-13 this year. Ideally, the State’s cyber intelligence hi-tech department should have sounded the red alert after virulent posts were shared just days before the violence occurred. So, was this a deliberate instance of sitting pretty on hard intelligence? “Nothing new,” says a home department official. Way back in 2004 the Maharashtra’s CM received an intelligence report on the proposed agitation against the Nanar power project in Navi Mumbai. He was advised to speak to the opposition leader so as to tame it down. Did he speak? Nobody knows. But poor Navi Mumbaikars suffered collateral losses after rioters indulged in arson gutting several cars. Ditto the Bhima Koregaon violence erupted on the 200th anniversary year during Devendra Fadnavis’ tenure. Currently under the watch of Maha Vikas Aghadi government it has happened once again. Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis, has demanded “imposition of a ban on Raza Academy” for its role in recent violence; the institute was earlier accused of leading Mumbai’s Azad Maidan riots on August 11, 2012.
In Maharashtra’s political arena it is raining Rs 100-crore defamation suits. State Transport Minister Anil Parab sought Rs 100-crore damages from BJP leader Kirit Somaiya over allegedly defamatory tweets. This was followed by former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ wife Amruta seeking damages from Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Minister Nawab Malik for tweeting pictures of her with an alleged drug peddler. More followed. Controversial Narcotics Control Bureau officer Sameer Wankhede’s father filed a Rs 1.25-crore defamation suit against Malik to stop daily tweets and disclosures against his son and family. Even former Chief Minister and current Revenue Minister Ashok Chavan against whom Somaiya went gun blazing told shortpost.in, “Wild allegations were levelled without consideration for facts. I will consider all legal options at an appropriate time.” This brings to fore why people file defamation suits? Is it to put pressure on the rival camps or the media? Do they yield results? Senior counsel Prakash Devdas says, “Most high profile defamation suits see no logical outcome.” Advocate Apoorv Srivastava says, “Defamation is a retrograde law. Journalists, academics, legislators, and bloggers realize lawsuits are used by corporations, businesses, and public officials to silence, intimidate and control the truth.” Truth is, while criminal defamation suits are fast-tracked, civil cases drag on for nearly 25 years. In most suits, both parties lose interest after the controversy dissipates and amicably settle out of court.
Ulaga Nayakan (global hero) recently celebrated his 67th birthday. This year, Kamal Haasan on the cusp, strode two worlds — cinema and politics. His cinematic popularity has not waned. Kamal’s meteoric rise to the pinnacle of Tamil cinema is entirely on his awe inspiring talent. Unfortunately, he too was smitten by the political bug but only to find his party Makkal Needhi Maiam totally rejected. But Kamal being Kamaal has spread his talented tentacles in several directions. Samuel Becket’s Waiting for Godot could be Kamal’s too. His Bigg Boss reality show is on its Fifth Season, saucy and spicy. The much talked about come back film, Vikram has set his fans agog. It was Indian 2 — muhurat in 2017 — that had set off an avalanche of expectations. But this movie in the making faced one too many calamities. Three members of the crew died at the shooting as a set caved in, production powerhouse and major financier Lyca and mega budget Director Shankar went on a collision course, the lockdown put paid to any further shooting, comedian Vivek died of Covid complications, and the final straw was heroine Kajal Aggarwal backing out citing pregnancy. And now Kamal is hospitalized for testing Covid positive. Is this a jinx or hex? Just wait…this iconic powerhouse is merely pausing, to return as the unchallenged Master of all skills.
The yellow jersey, nay CSK (Chennai Super Kings), has deeply embedded itself in the heart and mind of fans across the canvass. Ipso facto, that has also become an easy target. A trip down memory lane would reveal how the CSK matches were shifted out of Chennai over the Cauvery river water dispute with neighbouring Karnataka. That a sporting event was forced out of Chennai told a tale of its own for the world investing community. Such episodes during the previous regime had had its fall-out on the investor sentiment. So much so, Tamil Nadu lost the AK47 project of the Russian company to Uttar Pradesh. Much water has flowed since then. Nothing much, however, appears to have been learnt. It is now the turn of the main Opposition in Tamil Nadu – the AIADMK – to use CSK to take a dig at the Stalin government. Using the proverbial “fiddling while Rome was burning” analogy, a top AIADMK functionary questioned Stalin’s participation in the India Cements’ function to celebrate IPL cup victory of CSK in the just-concluded edition. When the rains have engulfed the state, how could Stalin participate in a celebratory event? Life is not about this or that. It is all about this and that. Is it cricket to indulge in such diatribe?
Ever since his appointment as general secretary in June this year, Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee has been wielding enormous clout in the party. No, it has nothing to do with him enabling his aunt Mamata Banerjee to return to power for the third time in West Bengal. Of course he is credited with hiring election strategist Prashant Kishor who enabled the TMC to overcome jinx of incumbency. But at the heart of hero-worshipping the 34-year-old Diamond Harbour MP is a deeper tale of heart-burn. Abhishek has become so powerful in the TMC, that now no one feels the need to queue up before the aunt. They feel now it is better that issues of organisation and state issues are left with bhaipo (nephew in Bengali). And the bua or pishi (aunt in Bengali) is left to handle higher, national-level goals. Yet what has upset the TMC rank and file is the manner in which Abhishek has given away Rajya Sabha seats from Bengal to outsiders — like Sushmita Dev and former Goa CM Luizhno Faleiro. While many don’t grudge Sushmita who hails from Assam as she speaks Bengali, Faliero being rewarded with RS berth, has not gone down too well. Faleiro was entrusted with responsibility of spreading the TMC in Goa and doesn’t seem to have delivered much on ground.
Latest news wafting from east India is that the Chief Ministers of Odisha Naveen Patnaik and Andhra Pradesh (AP) YS Jagan Mohan Reddy met to settle the inter-state boundary dispute that has been simmering for over six decades now. The bone of contention seems to be the Kotia Panchayat. AP is already in physical possession of Odisha territory in Kotia Panchayat by holding rural elections. In the case of Odisha, it is trying to find solutions by acceding 106 acres of its land to make AP Srikakulam District Dam projects viable. It is learnt that the Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan is mediating between the two Chief Ministers to work out an amicable settlement. In a way, Patnaik eyeing the next election, has perhaps understood that time has come not only to redress his own failure in not being able to resolve the border dispute related to Kotia tribal pockets in Koraput district but also follow Supreme Court’s directive that the border dispute should be solved through mutual discussions between two states. For Jagan Reddy the initiative to meet Patnaik in Bhubaneswar was only to ensure completion of Neradi barrage project. However, the Odisha’s opposition leaders feel it is a lost case as far as Kotia is concerned as AP after conducting elections has renamed three villages, elevated them to panchayat level and merged it with Salur block in Vizianagaram.
While on Goa and the TMC, it is important to note that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is so obsessed in having Goa Forward Party (GFP) leader Vijay Sardesai by her side that she first insisted that he merge his party with hers, when he refused and preferred to go along with the Congress, she struck on him by snitching a senior GFP functionary Kiran Khandolkar belonging to North Goa. As if that was not enough, she deployed poll strategist Prashant Kishor to do an alliance talk with Sardesai. PK is a glib talker and keeps visiting Goa to keep up Mamata’s deadlines. Not that Khandholkar’s exit would affect GFP’s electoral fortunes — apparently, he is much of a grassroots leader, it certainly may possibly hit Sardesai’s bargaining with the Congress. GFP is looking to contest between six to eight seats in alliance with the Congress. Looks like Mamata is determined to wipe out the Congress as the main player among secular parties in Goa. Aiding her in this task of unmaking the Congress in the state are two former Congress CMs — one of course is Luiznho Faleiro. The other is still in Congress and is its South Goa MP — Francisco Sardinha.
Tamil Nadu would like to believe it is the home of white ball cricket. Ever since MS Dhoni took up residence here in 2008 with the advent of IPL, the State has picked up the glamour formats as its favourites, with T20 taking the pride of place. But when chasing 152 to keep the title, the defending champions had fallen behind in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy final. That was when they found a hero in Sharukh Khan, not of silver screen fame but of the ‘last ball six’ club. Needing five, the 26-year old batter moved his front foot out and made room to clear square leg and Tamil Nadu became the first team to win the T20 trophy thrice. Another chapter in the reputed Karnataka-Tamil Nadu rivalry had ended on a dramatic note in New Delhi but it appeared Karnataka had the upper hand when 16 were required off the last over bowled by seamer Prateek. It was up to another “finisher” in Dhoni fashion to settle the issue and bring another trophy home to TNCA which had just finished celebrating Chennai Super Kings’ victory in IPL 2021 with a grand public show at its Chepauk Stadium and the CM MK Stalin in attendance as well as Kapil Dev, Krish Srikkanth and Ravi Shastri from the World Cup winning team of 1983.
In a big, bold gesture, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stooped to reach out to Sikh farmers in Punjab by announcing repeal of contentious three farm laws on the occasion of Gurpurab. In a national address, he apologised to farmers who have been protesting for close to a year against the farm laws and declared that all three laws will be repealed in the upcoming winter session of Parliament beginning November 29. Punjab’s former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh welcomed it. In fact, he had insisted on resolution of farm laws as pre-condition for his alliance with BJP. The former Punjab CM is launching Punjab Lok Congress. There are about 20% Hindu votes in urban Punjab areas, usually aligned with the BJP; an alliance with the BJP is viewed as useful to clinch elections. Rakesh Singh Tikait seemed defiant and said he will call off the agitation only after the Bill is repealed in the Parliament. But, those in support of the Bill were shocked by the expediency displayed by the Government. Was it merely to secure an election victory in Uttar Pradesh? Or make some gains in Punjab? Or is it the prospect of unrest being fueled from across the border in Punjab? People in the know say issues of security seem to have weighed on the minds of PM Modi. From cracking down on PIOs who were funding the agitation, to blocking visas of some Canadian employees to increasing the BSF patrol of up to 50 km in border states, the Government wants to ensure that there is no misadventure in a border state. Shetkhari Sanghatna chief Anil Ghanwat, who was part of the Supreme Court appointed panel to find a solution, feels the move to withdraw laws is the most retrograde step: “After this no Government in India will have courage to initiate agriculture reforms for next 30 years.”
It is on the occasion of Gurpurab – the birth anniversary of Sri Guru Nanak Dev – that Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to break the impasse by repealing three farm laws. Modi’s surprising climbdown on farm reforms acknowledges that the farm protests were not only hurting BJP’s prospects in poll-bound states but were also causing unintentional, deep divide in the society. During his earlier outreach to Sikhs (February 2021), Modi offered the nation’s gratitude: “What have they not done for this country? Whatever respect we give them will always be less.” At Rajya Sabha came his call to stand with the Sikhs: “We must not forget what happened with Punjab. It suffered the most during the Partition 1947. It cried the most during the 1984 riots.” The new farm laws – despite being transformative – had stirred passions with the most vocal resistance coming from Punjab and adjoining geographies that gave Green Revolution. The PM’s fresh outreach must be welcomed: The Sikh families not only contribute disproportionately to the farming sector but also send the bravest of warriors to the defence forces. It may be recalled that it was the failure of the then government to manage the Punjab agrarian alienation which eventually led to a violent separatist movement, followed by a series of tragic consequences: Operation Bluestar, assassination of PM Indira Gandhi, and anti-Sikh riots in 1984.
It is on the occasion of Gurpurab – the birth anniversary of Sri Guru Nanak Dev – that Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to break the impasse by repealing three farm laws. Modi’s surprising climbdown on farm reforms acknowledges that the farm protests were not only hurting BJP’s prospects in poll-bound states but were also causing unintentional, deep divide in the society. During his earlier outreach to Sikhs (February 2021), Modi offered the nation’s gratitude: “What have they not done for this country? Whatever respect we give them will always be less.” At Rajya Sabha came his call to stand with the Sikhs: “We must not forget what happened with Punjab. It suffered the most during the Partition 1947. It cried the most during the 1984 riots.” The new farm laws – despite being transformative – had stirred passions with the most vocal resistance coming from Punjab and adjoining geographies that gave Green Revolution. The PM’s fresh outreach must be welcomed: The Sikh families not only contribute disproportionately to the farming sector but also send the bravest of warriors to the defence forces. It may be recalled that it was the failure of the then government to manage the Punjab agrarian alienation which eventually led to a violent separatist movement, followed by a series of tragic consequences: Operation Bluestar, assassination of PM Indira Gandhi, and anti-Sikh riots in 1984.
Ravichandran Ashwin has a lot to say within his circle. He can be vociferous at team meetings because he loves to discuss things and dissect ideas. But he is best when he lets the cricket ball do the talking. Which is what he did in the first T20i when he starred with the white ball in a match-changing over taking out New Zealander’s Mark Chapman and getting the dangerous Glenn Philips to scotch the visitors’ hopes of a 170-plus total that could have challenged Team India. What Ashwin’s deeds with the ball have done since he was reluctantly brought into the side as an afterthought in the T20 World Cup after India had been virtually eliminated was to expose the prejudiced view of Virat Kohli towards off spin in general and against its leading proponent Ashwin in particular. Having decided that wrist spin was the answer to counter the big hitters in T20 cricket, the Kohli-Shastri duo had dumped Ashwin four years ago from white ball cricket and then simply refused to admit they could have been wrong even after the novelty of wrist spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav had worn off. It is a tribute to Ashwin that he never gave up on honing his white ball skills. It is his good fortune that Team India is making a fresh start with a new captain and coach.
Vaccine hesitancy mindset seems to be the biggest challenge for both the Central and State governments. And, this hesitancy is more pronounced in Muslim-dominated areas, says Maharashtra’s Public Health Minister Rajesh Tope. With a view to address this issue, the Maharashtra government sought Salman Khan’s help to convince people to take jab. On his part, Salman very quickly put out a short video and appealed to people to take vaccines. Salman’s mass appeal should certainly help. On Twitter alone he has 43.2 million followers. It is quite well known that both he and his father, the well-known script writer Salim Khan are close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi from his days as the Chief Minister of Gujarat. During the Uttarayan Festival both Salman and Modi were seen flying kites. Yet, Salman surprised everybody visiting Shah Rukh Khan’s house when his son Aryan was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau in connection with the drugs-on-cruise case. Many stars did not show their solidarity openly for the fear of incurring wrath of the Central government but not Salman. Surprisingly, nobody trolled him for that. He is the only Khan who is known to be non-political and that has worked to his advantage. Yes, he has strong views but he does not hesitate to pick up the phone and talk to any politicians if he can help somebody.
Covid has changed the world upside down for many. The distance between the home and the office has, in many cases, simply shrunk drastically. One part of the house has become a regular office. And, this has thrown new business opportunities. The housing sector at least is witnessing a demand re-jig. Safety and WFH (work-from-home) compulsions are forcing home-buyers to opt for bigger flats. Sensing this, French glass maker Saint-Gobain has trained its focus on providing downstream solutions in India. Towards this it has chalked out an ambitious capex plan of Rs 2,500 crore. It has already set up a separate business unit for home solutions to satiate the emerging needs of home buyers. And, it is promising to offer customized solutions for every individual client. This calls for a sense of agility and spirit of entrepreneurship. To be sure, a highly technology-oriented and end-to-end digitized independent entity is now anchoring Saint Gobain’s foray into this downstream exercise. A game-changing initiative, this move reflects a new strategy in thinking for this predominantly material manufacturer. The end-user-focussed unit has already hired over 300 people with diverse skill sets to grab a reasonable share in the $25 billion home solution pie. End-user, nay home-buyer, terrain isn’t going to be an easy nut to crack. But Saint-Gobain has chosen to do so. India is shining for this French group, it appears.
Even as the Supreme Court warned the AAP Government in Delhi that it could order an audit of its advertisement spending if it did not submit an action plan soon enough to combat toxic air in the national capital, the warning got the BJP to dig out an RTI reply given by the Arvind Kejriwal Government. Citing an RTI reply and statement in the Delhi Assembly given by the Kejriwal Government, the BJP showed how the AAP leadership was more busy promoting itself than in tackling pollution. “As per information provided by the Government, we see the AAP Government bought a biodegradable solution from Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa for Rs 40,000. The solution was to be used on paralis or rice stubble. The programme covered 310 farmers in the National Capital Region. So far so good,” points out BJP spokesperson Dr Sambit Patra. However, what takes the cake is the money splurged by the Kejriwal Government to disseminate information about its efforts to check stubble burning via ads all over India. “The AAP Government spent close to Rs 16 crore on ads about itself. It tried to educate even people in Kerala about what it is doing in Delhi. This also we came to know via RTI,” said Dr Patra.
Actor Kangana Ranaut’s remarks that India’s Independence from the British was bheekh and that “real freedom was won in May 2014” has hardly amused the BJP. Though she may have made politically incorrect noises about India winning freedom only after Narendra Modi came to power, the party is simply going nowhere near this pretty young woman from Himachal Pradesh. Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil was the first to openly denounce the decorated actor’s views. With the Modi government all geared up to celebrate the 75th year of India’s Independence, one can hardly expect the party to endorse her views. “Kanagana is not a member of the BJP, why should we even be talking about her,” says a party spokesperson. This even as the Congress took to the streets, launching public protest against her. There is no doubt that the 34-year-old actor is a self-made person who has carved a niche for herself in the big, bad Mumbai film world. It speaks volumes about her grit and determination. As for her assessment about the freedom movement, guess it was not meant to be taken seriously.
Kangana Ranawat has earned the sobriquet stormy petrel of Indian Cinema. Time and again she has shown a near megalomaniac side, with strong delusions of her own grandeur. She is in the news for all the wrong reasons. Like the time when the combined vitriol of the Shiv Sena, Maharashtra Congress and the BMC led to demolishing illegally a part of her plush Mumbai office…Kangana called it “rape”! Kangana moved from B Team apparatchik to A team BJP mouthpiece, and then came the foot-in-the mouth moment. She declared loftily, deadpan and sensationally to a news channel, “What India got in 1947 was not Independence, it was Bheek from the Brits. We became truly Azaad only in 2014”. Many clutched their bellies LOL, but most came down strongly on this silliness. Varun Gandhi, the also ran of the clan, “It is an outrage and national betrayal.” But what historian Ramchandra Guha wrote is the most telling indictment of all such affront profanations…Winston Churchill, the Greatest Briton hated the Greatest Indian….Mahatma Gandhi! The cigar chomping bulldog pathologically loathed this loin cloth fakir marching up the steps of the Imperial Viceregal Palace, demanding Freedom for India. And he got it for us, without firing a single shot from his gun. Kangana Ranawat, don’t ever desecrate or denigrate the Father of Our Nation. He is above all party aspirations.
The faithful in Mumbai always look forward to an international cricket match at the Wankhede Stadium. Some IPL matches of Season 14 were held at the ‘D’ Road venue at Churchgate closed-doors last April before a few cases of the Coronavirus-19 bug struck a few players necessitating the unfinished part of the tournament to be held in the United Arab Emirates. With the pandemic easing out a bit, the BCCI which is set to make substantial money — around Rs 500 crore from the five-match home series against New Zealand, awarded the second Test to the Mumbai Cricket Association from December 3 to 7. The MCA President Dr Vijay Patil has asked the Government of Maharashtra to allow for full capacity attendance for the match. The MCA is yet to receive a response from the Uddhav Thackeray led Government, but it is readying itself for 50% or 70% capacity. The MCA can seat around 32,000 from which 8,000 odd are given to the 330 odd clubs and 4,800 to the Garware Club House at reduced rates. But while the white ball internationals and IPL matches receive a full house response, Test matches played over five days don’t appeal to even the public with immense interest in cricket. The MCA which will get a decent sum from in-stadia advertising is expecting a good turnout, with Virat Kohli returning to the ranks, but without homegrown boy Rohit Sharma.
South Indian star couple Suriya and Jyotika have bagged unheard of recognition and accolades for their home production, Jai Bhim. It is rumoured that they had to pledge jewellery for completing this film, which has overtaken classics like The Shawshank Redemption and The Godfather in IMDb ratings since its release on November 2. It has no kickass glamour, song and dance titillation, near naked costumes and all the B town masala elements to salivate over. Just a stark, gut wrenching and conscience hitting real life incident of 1993 about the socially marginalised, oppressed and downtrodden Irular caste of TN. The protagonist, retired Justice Chandru played by Suriya is not only surprised at all the encomiums flooding his mailbox but also shocked by political reactions. The most telling objection and angry angst came from PMK party head and former Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramdoss. Some remote areas where Jai Bhim was screened erupted in violence. PMK leader A Palanisamy offered a bounty of Rs 1 lakh for kicking Suriya! And there was a death threat too. A calendar depicting a PMK symbol was hastily deleted from the film. Iconic film director Bharathi Raja, President of South India Film Chamber and scores of directors have taken strong objection to Anbumani saying, “At this rate, it looks like we creative guys have to go to every two-bit political outfit to get our scripts okayed.”
Though it was not spelt out in as many words, a major cause for concern for Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his interactions with his Council of Ministers through the chintan shivir last week was that his ministers must focus on the job at hand rather than on speaking to the media. Modi, who inducted several new faces during Cabinet reshuffle in July, is apparently quite a worried man. Not for his own sake but what may actually befall some of his ministerial colleagues. He is worried that some of them may be tricked into speaking with the media. He could not but help reminding the new ministers that what befell former BJP president late Bangaru Laxman in 2001 should not happen to them. He reminded them that how a trap was set for the first ever Dalit president of the BJP by a Congress-backed magazine in a sting operation. Modi’s real worry may not be surreal since now the Congress is more frustrated after setbacks in Rafale and Pegasus and may be inclined to go all out to ensnare NDA ministers. Though such incidents may not personally affect Modi, his ministers were warned that individually their careers could get ruined.
All action in the cricket field moves from the Persian Gulf to Rajasthan’s pink city of Jaipur. The New Zealand team that was drubbed by Aaron Finch’s Australia in the ICC Men’s World Twenty20 final at the Dubai International Stadium on November 14 take India which was eliminated from the knock-out after being brought down to earth by Pakistan and New Zealand. It will be a different ball game at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium (SMS) — overlooked by Rajput palaces — which will host its first Twenty20 international. The Rajasthan Cricket Association, once the turf of former IPL Chairman Lalit Modi, appears to have come out of court matters and sorted out administrative issues and the BCCI has announced a Rs 100 crore as financial assistance. It was in 2013 that the last BCCI ODI match was played at the SMS; and a Test match in 1987 (attended by Pakistan President Zia-Ul-Haq): when India played Pakistan Sunil Gavaskar was dismissed in the first ball by Imran Khan, the current Pakistan Prime Minister. With winter setting in, the locals are looking forward to a match with Rohit Sharma as captain and Rahul Dravid as the Head Coach.
BP, a global integrated energy company, and Infosys, a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting, have agreed to develop and pilot an energy as a service (EaaS) solution, which will aim to help businesses improve the energy efficiency of infrastructure, and help meet their decarbonisation goals. Infosys and BP intend to co-develop a digital platform that can collect data from multiple energy assets and use artificial intelligence to optimise the energy supply and demand for power, heat, cooling and EV charging. The companies will pilot the digital platform at the Infosys Pune Development Centre – in an environment that replicates a small city, where energy is generated, stored, and consumed at multiple points. Once the pilot is successful, they aim to roll this model out across other Infosys campuses in India, and with some clients, to help manage energy and help reduce emissions. In addition, the companies have agreed to collaborate on integrating solar energy production into the campus’ energy system. Energy that is generated through this integration, will be monitored and optimised by the digital platform and can be stored or redirected to the building power supply, heating and cooling systems, and also to an EV charging infrastructure.
Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi’s signature in Hindi in official communications is one thing that has stumped the state government. Allergic to anything in Devanagiri, the DMK leaders have been wondering if the Governor has deliberately chosen the script to irritate the DMK leaders. Hailing from Bihar, Ravi made it clear that he has always been signing in Hindi. Just as the Tamil leaders make it a point to sign in their mother tongue. Of course, apart from signature issues, the Governor had sought details of welfare schemes from the state government. During the floods too, he was quite hands-on, speaking with the NDRF DG. As for Chief Minister MK Stalin, he has been quite unhappy with floods which brought Chennai to a grinding halt. Hoping to take a break from work and travel abroad for a health check-up, he was upset with Chennai rains for a different reason. In a review meeting with MPs and civic officials, he apparently regretted that the scenes in the southern city seemed so much like a replay of what happened in 2015 when AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa was in office. He is worried about the impact it would have on upcoming urban body civic polls. He has also pulled up the civic staff for lack of preparation for the storm.
Virat Kohli leaves behind a stirring record as captain in international T20 matches but without a single IPL win with Royal Challengers, Bangalore. His record in bilateral series is quite phenomenal and he won away T20i series in New Zealand (5-0), Australia (2-1), England (2-1) and South Africa (2-1), besides countless series at home and in Sri Lanka. The blot on his record book is to do with there being no ICC event victories under him. This may denote not only Team India’s failures in these high-profile events but also Kohli’s inability to inspire his team in high-pressure situations when the bowling intensity of opposing teams is far higher. Kohli’s prejudices as captain in selection situations abroad when his sway in picking the playing XI is highest tended to tell but more relevant was his tactical failures in tricky match situations in which MS Dhoni excelled with his instinctive decisions. For instance, in his first big final in the Champions Trophy of 2017 his bowlers lost control to Pakistan batsmen in the early overs and fell to heavy defeat. The story was to repeat in the chase in the 50-overs World Cup of 2019 and the World Test Championship final in both of which India lost to New Zealand. Best to say, critics won’t be sorry to see him relinquish the white ball captaincy.
For long, India grudged and griped about political dynasties and how big boss politician heirs moved seamlessly into powerful gaddis. The Gandhi clan, the DMK dynasty, Telangana’s TRS and Son, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy of Andhra Pradesh, the Scindias ,Pilots, Abdullas, and the UP Yadav clan. The list goes on like Hanumanji’s tail. Bollywood is not far behind with several star progeny aiming for stardom, name, fame and mega bucks. So it is a natural progression! If you are one such, the happy news …three star kids have been launched, all in the same film to be directed by Zoya Akhtar. A casting coup that can make the BO (Box Office not body odour) jingle with music as stompy as Bhappi Lahiris Disco Dancer. So folks, wait and watch out for Suhana Khan, King Khan’s Bitiya, Khushi Kapoor, late Sridevi’s younger daughter, and yes, the best catch for last mention, Agastya Nanda, Big B’s grandson and Shweta Bachan’s son. We hope he comes fitted with that signature baritone, and the same disarming charm, apart from the bells and whistles that are embedded in the Bollywood DNA. Can Kollywood, Tollywood and Mollywood lag behind with Udhayanidhi Stalin, Dulquer Salman (Mammootty’s son), Naga Chaitanya (Nagarjuna’s son) and the likes?
Mumbai’s top five realty players may come together to redevelop 6.2 million sqft in to house 5,300 tenants at Motilal Nagar in Goregaon West, according to a leading real estate website, Squarefeatindia. This is one of the biggest redevelopment projects of the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA), a nodal agency that focuses on affordable housing in the state. According to the website on November 15, a pre-bid meeting was held between the five realty players and MHADA team at its headquarters in Bandra. All the five players have evinced interest to develop this huge parcel of land. All the five real estate companies which participated are major players in the country and have capabilities to execute large scale projects. One player is involved in redeveloping BDD Chawls in Worli, the other is a front runner for the Dharavi redevelopment project while the third player has been doing MHADA’s affordable housing projects for years now. The deadline to complete the project is 84 months after the players win the bid. The technical bid will open on December 14.
Historically, the governor’s role is considered a plum gratification for faithful services rendered to the party. Not many envied this gubernatorial position of ribbon-cutting, administering oath of offices and attending various ceremonies. But, things are fast changing with the BJP now drawing up an all new paradigm shift to the role of the Governor. A Dravidian wag now refers to them as “snooper cells” – a line favoured by non-NDA parties in some other states too. Is the new Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi sketching out a whole different strategy for TN? The 51st Governors’ meet just held at Chez Rashtrapathi, with the Veep, PM, and HM – all there to drive home the new role of Governors – raised eyebrows and hackles. Ramnath Kovind exhorted Governors to make fewer home town trips, try to learn from the good governance practices of other governors. Vice President Venkaiah Naidu appeared to be in campaign mode. He said, bring awareness to the people of every state about the Centre’s development and welfare programmes, and supervise the implementation. The PM went one step further, bring your feedback from states to Mann Ki Baath. TN governor Ravi with his impeccable intelligence background, has already set the cat among the pigeons. Considering the BJP’ long term plan to become the main opposition to the DMK, ruffled Dravidian egos are on edge.
The bio-bubble life for cricketers caused by the Covid-19 pandemic for more than a year and the workload management policy has compelled the BCCI senior national selection committee to rest players for the three-match Twenty20 series against New Zealand in Jaipur on Nov 17, Ranchi on Nov 19 and Kolkata on Nov 21. Virat Kohli who stepped down from Twenty20 internationals, will not figure in the Twenty20 series and also in the first Test to be played at Kanpur, but he will be available for the second Test in Mumbai. The players rested for the Twenty20 series are Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammad Shami and Shardul Thakur. Rohit Sharma has pulled out of the Test series, and so the spectators in Kanpur and Mumbai will not get a chance to see him in action. Early this year Chennai and Ahmedabad played host to England in two Tests each and the local associations opened the gates on a restricted basis. Collection at the gates would suffer if the top stars pull out, but with an all-format series scheduled in South Africa from mid-December, the BCCI and the national selectors believed that the “Rest” option has to be applied to the senior players. The print media which was given access against England will not be given access to the press box at Jaipur, Ranchi and Kolkata.
It almost seems an intense fight for Muslim votes has broken out among secular parties in Uttar Pradesh. First, the Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav praised MA Jinnah. Then there was Salman Khurshid trashing Hindutva, equating it with ISIS and Boko Haram in his book Sunrise Over Ayodhya. His party colleague Rashid Alvi from UP joined him with a word of caution about Ram Bhakts. Giving a boost to Khurshid and Alvi, Rahul Gandhi also sought to drive a wedge between Hinduism and Hindutva– describing it as a hateful ideology of RSS/BJP. The only sane voice was from CWC member Ghulam Nabi Azad. In this backdrop it is interesting to know that the Oxford educated former Union Minister Salman Khurshid was actually hoping to score a legal point through his book. He says he had been studying through the 1,500-page order of 2019 Supreme Court order. He admits no one had hoped there would be a resolution to the vexed issue of Ram Janmabhoomi temple but somehow the Apex Court had found one. But no one would have expected a book from the Congress stable – that was bound to be a political disaster. Earlier, Congress president Sonia Gandhi was upset with Khurshid for his book – The Other Side of the Mountain wherein he had suggested that Pranab Mukherjee should have been made the PM.
For Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik criticisms cutting across parties is getting uglier. Part of the reason for escalating opposition is Patnaik’s continued silence over sex scandal allegation levelled against Minister of State for Home Dibya Shankar Mishra. According to local reports, a school teacher, Mamita Meher of Mahaling Sunshine English medium school in Kalahandi district, was allegedly abducted and murdered by Gobinda Sahu. BJP National spokesperson Aparajita Sarangi alleges the involvement of Mishra in the incident. The minister, she says, was frequently visiting the school and staying in the school at night. According to her, there was a sex scandal going on inside the school campus. Stories linking ministers to sex scandal is not new. People of Odisha remember how Patnaik’s swift sacking of several ministers like Maheswar Mohanty, Debasis Nayak, Manmohon Samal, late Pradeep Maharathy for their involvement in sexual harassment cases won him admiration. But, Patnaik’s cryptic one-line statement in the latest case stating that “Law will take its own course” with regard to Mishra has shocked people. Sources say that all evidence linked to minister Dibya Shankar may have been destroyed by the alleged murderer Gobinda Sahu. So at the moment, the question of damage control to sack the minister does not arise despite pressures mounting from the Congress and BJP.
The selfless ways of thousands of workers who rose to deal with the emergency created by a couple of days of extraordinary rainfall in Chennai came in for high praise. This was a redeeming feature of life as the Tamil Nadu capital was inundated incommoding the lives of lakhs of people. The one who stood out as thousands of relief workers toiled to take on the conditions rendered extremely difficult by the rain and water-logging was Police Inspector Rajeshwari. She saved a man in a cemetery who was injured by a falling tree by carrying him on her shoulder and running to the road to try and hire an auto rickshaw to ferry him to a government hospital. She became an internet sensation as her response to a situation beyond the call of duty was recorded on a mobile and made it nationally. Known to be committed to social service while working in the police force, she had been awarded medals for her dedication. There were also many a nameless worker who waded into the water to rescue people, handle electricity problems and outages, man row boats and dinghies to offer help to the stranded and strove to bring back a semblance of normalcy so people could manage to live through a city in the grip of a crisis caused by a natural disaster.
The poster of Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s new film Tiku Weds Sheru reiterates that this ordinary-looking man is an extraordinary actor. He is one of the few actors who has acted with Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan and enjoys good equations with them. But he did not see eye to eye with the late Irrfan Khan with whom he acted in The Lunch Box. This 47-year old alumunus of National School Of Drama made his debut in 1999 with a small role in the Aamir Khan starrer Sarfarosh. Since then he has acted in scores of films like The Lunchbox, Manto and Raman Raghav. Perhaps, he is the only actor in the world to have eight films officially selected and screened at the Cannes Film Festival. Of course, no one can forget his pioneering role in the OTT platform with Sacred Games. Be it in Kick or Munna Michael he has done justice to the roles offered to him. Industry For now, he has quite a few films on hand — Heropanti 2 with Tiger Shroff starrer; Sejal Shah’s film and there is a buzz that he may be part of Hrithik Roshan starrer Krrish 4. Well, his journey in the reel world has been quite satisfying but one cannot say that about the real world. His marriage with Aaliya was on the verge of divorce but they have now reconciled.
In very much with the saying, “Politics is the art of possible,” the non BJP parties like the Congress, NCP, Trinamool Congress and Shiv Sena have opened a backchannel to explore the possibility of an alliance to defeat BJP in the upcoming elections to the 40-member Goa assembly to be held in February 2022. Although all these four parties have announced to go solo in a bid to cash in on anti-incumbency against the BJP- led government, leaders from these parties themselves admit that a united opposition can pose a serious challenge to BJP, which is struggling to bring together various factions, to retain power. Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, senior Congress leader and former Goa CM Digambar Kamat, Goa state NCP chief Jose Philip D’Souza and Trinamool Congress MP Sushmita Dev are likely to be fronting their party’s initiative to explore alliance possibilities. They have a common goal to keep BJP at bay. Reliable sources in the know point out that second rung leaders are keen to forge an alliance as then their chances of winning is very high. But, seniors and veterans from these parties are hesitant as they fear they may lose their prospects to become the CM. Clearly, you can’t have the cake and eat it too!
Akhilesh Yadav, Samajwadi Party chief and the principal challenger to UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath, is supposed to be rolling up his sleeves for this crucial battle early next year. In a sign that his heart is not really into the battle, the Opposition leader launched his campaign not by making poll promises; instead he chose to launch a perfume — Samajwadi Sugand or the fragrance of socialism. The perfume comes in a red-and-green glass bottle (the party colours) and is made of 22 natural ingredients from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, signifying the diversity of India. SP leaders say the launch of perfume should not be seen as a non-serious gesture. It was launched in Kannauj which is the Lok Sabha constituency of his wife Dimple. The place is known for perfume making and was produced by a Samajwadi worker. Besides perfume, Akhilesh also tried to tap Muslim voters by heaping praise on Mohammed Ali Jinnah (credited with dividing India to create Pakistan for Muslims). He hailed Jinnah as a freedom fighter on par with Gandhi, Nehru and Patel. If Akhilesh hopes voters would be thrilled with Samajwadi ittars and happily vote for the Cycle in solidarity with “brotherhood”, he would be mistaken. Party workers already feel the Samajwadi leadership has been too tight-fisted as it doesn’t see a prospect of a comeback.
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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.