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

Litmus Test: The Thackerays’ Political Relevance in Maharashtra

The Thackeray surname, once synonymous with power in Maharashtra politics, is today facing its severest political test. What is increasingly being described as an “existential crisis” for the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) is no exaggeration—it is a reflection of shrinking electoral space, eroding cadre loyalty, and diminishing public…

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Columnist M S Shanker, Orange News 9

Are Hindus Awakening in India?

The question of whether Hindus are “awakening from their slumber” has become a recurring theme in public discourse—often raised with emotion, sometimes with apprehension, and frequently with political overtones. Yet, beyond slogans and counter-slogans, this question deserves a calmer, more thoughtful examination rooted in history, demographics, and contemporary global developments. Hinduism—Sanatan Dharma—is not merely a…

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Columnist M S Shanker, Orange News 9

When New York Mayor Forgets the Meaning of Sovereignty

New York’s new Mayor, Zohran Mamdani, has projected himself as the face of a “new era” in American urban politics—audacious, ideological, and unrestrained. But audacity without responsibility quickly mutates into arrogance. That line appears to have been crossed when Mamdani openly declared solidarity with Umar Khalid, an accused conspirator in India’s anti-CAA violence cases, while…

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Columnist M S Shanker, Orange News 9

Time to Draw the Line: Why Bangladeshi Players Should Be Barred from IPL 2026

There comes a moment when neutrality stops being a virtue and begins to resemble complicity. Indian cricket—and by extension the Indian Premier League—has reached that moment with Bangladesh. The growing demand by Hindu religious leaders and civil society groups to bar Bangladeshi cricketers from IPL 2026 is not an eruption of irrational anger, as some…

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Columnist M S Shanker, Orange News 9

Dev Bhoomi’s Moral Collapse

The death of Anjel Chakma, a young student from Tripura studying in Dehradun, is not merely a criminal incident—it is a moral indictment of a society that continues to deny, normalise, and excuse its deep-seated prejudices against people from India’s North-East. Chakma succumbed to his injuries after being brutally assaulted by local goons, reportedly under…

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Columnist M S Shanker, Orange News 9

Bangladesh at a Crossroads: The Return of Tarique Rahman and the Future of Democracy

The sudden and dramatic return of Tarique Rahman, acting chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and scion of one of Bangladesh’s two dominant political dynasties, marks a pivotal moment in the nation’s political evolution. After nearly 17 years in exile, Rahman arrived in Dhaka to a massive, emotional welcome — an event that could…

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Columnist M S Shanker, Orange News 9

Thackeray Reunion: Resurrection or Political Farce?

The sudden warmth between Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray has triggered predictable excitement in sections of Maharashtra’s political commentariat. Old photographs are being dusted off, emotional appeals to “Marathi asmita” are resurfacing, and whispers of a united Thackeray front challenging the BJP—especially in Mumbai—are growing louder. But beneath the optics lies an uncomfortable question: is…

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