M.S Shanker

Founder-Editor and the driving force behind Orangenews9.com, MS Shanker is a veteran media professional with over four decades of experience dedicated to fearless journalism and the nation’s cause. He has worked with leading media houses including Deccan Chronicle, Mid-Day, Outlook, Dainik Bhaskar, NDTV, and BBC, among others.

Columnist M S Shanker, Orange News 9

A Padma for Speaking Inconvenient Truths

The Opposition’s furious reaction to the Modi government honoring R.V.S. Mani, a former senior officer in the Ministry of Home Affairs (with G.M. Pillai then serving as Home Secretary and P. Chidambaram as Home Minister), with a Padma award reveals less about the man himself and more about the fragility of a political narrative that…

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Columnist M S Shanker, Orange News 9

BJP’s Four-State Gambit

As India heads into a decisive round of Assembly elections across four politically distinct states—besides the Union Territory of Puducherry—the larger question goes beyond who will win and who will lose. The real story may be whether the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is once again reshaping the contours of Indian politics, not merely by capturing…

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Columnist M S Shanker, Orange News 9

Sunita Williams and the Quiet Power of India in America’s Ascent

When NASA astronaut Sunita “Suni” Williams stepped away from active service in December 2025, she didn’t just close a 27-year chapter of personal excellence. She symbolically reminded the world of something deeper and often overlooked: the extraordinary, symbiotic relationship between Indian talent and American ambition—on Earth and far beyond it. Williams, the proud daughter of…

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Columnist M S Shanker, Orange News 9

Governor or Political Actor? The Constitution Under Siege

The recurring spectacle of state Governors refusing to read out government-prepared speeches has become one of India’s most visible constitutional flashpoints. From Tamil Nadu to Karnataka, Raj Bhavans are no longer just ceremonial residences — they are turning into political stages. The latest controversy in Karnataka, where the Governor reportedly walked out over references to…

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Columnist M S Shanker, Orange News 9

You Are Right, Dr. Baru: The Fourth Estate Needs a Mirror, Not a Megaphone

I walked into the hall “accidentally,” they say. But sometimes accidents are divine interventions. The topic on the banner — “Anubhavalu and Gnapakalu” (A Journalist’s Experiences and Remembrances) — was too tempting to ignore. Organized by the Veteran Journalists Association, the very idea itself felt like a quiet act of rebellion in an age when…

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Columnist M S Shanker, Orange News 9

Comparisons Quite Often Prove Ridiculous

Of late, Indian politics seems to have discovered a curious new science: the art of the impossible comparison. Leaders, cutting across party lines and ideological spectrums, appear convinced that the surest way to sway the public imagination is not through careful planning, grounded policy, or measurable outcomes—but by invoking grand metaphors, global benchmarks, and cultural…

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Columnist M S Shanker, Orange News 9

Mumbai’s Civic Verdict and Telangana’s Political Mirror

Municipal elections are often dismissed as hyper-local contests about roads, drains, and garbage collection. But in India’s deeply nationalized political climate, civic polls have increasingly become ideological referendums. That is why the recent civic verdict in Maharashtra, particularly in Mumbai’s political ecosystem, is being watched closely in Telangana. Not for its immediate administrative impact, but…

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