MS Shanker Once, politicians feared journalists. Today, many honest journalists fear being mistaken for impostors carrying the same press card. Nothing illustrates the decline of a noble profession more painfully than this. That painful transformation did not happen overnight. It is the consequence of a profession gradually abandoning its highest ideals in pursuit of influence,…
Special Correspondent Decorated war veteran Brigadier (Retd.) G.B. Reddy has written to the newly appointed Army Chief, General Dhiraj Seth, urging the Army leadership to act decisively following serious corruption allegations levelled by advocate Sonal Singh against Major General Ajay Misra, the former General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Telangana and Andhra Sub Area (TASA)….
Special Correspondent Even as the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) may argue that there is no immediate urgency to constitute its Women’s Cricket Selection Committee because the domestic women’s season begins only around October, the delay has begun raising uncomfortable questions among women cricketers and former players alike. Their concern is not merely about timing but…
Special Correspondent The crisis engulfing the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) appears to be deepening even as the controversial TG-20 tournament continues amid allegations of procedural irregularities and alleged violations of HCA and BCCI regulations. The unfolding developments have once again highlighted what many stakeholders describe as a peculiar feature of HCA’s functioning. Over the years,…
MS Shanker Politics is often judged by promises made during election campaigns, but history remembers governments for the promises they actually fulfil. If one were to view recent developments in West Bengal through that prism, the decision to rename Kolkata’s Suhrawardy Avenue as Gopal Mukherjee Road can be seen as more than a routine administrative…
Politics is no longer public service. It is a profession. MS Shanker There was a time when entering politics was considered an act of public service. Today, it has become one of the most lucrative professions in Bharat. That single transformation perhaps explains why political parties are breaking up at an unprecedented pace across the…
Special Correspondent At a time when the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) is expending enormous energy, resources and publicity machinery to market TG20 as a revolutionary milestone for Telangana cricket, an uncomfortable and disturbing question refuses to go away. Why has women’s cricket once again been pushed into oblivion? Why is there a deafening silence when…
MS Shanker Politics can be unforgiving, especially for regional parties that once appeared invincible under charismatic leaders. Maharashtra today seems to be witnessing precisely such a churn. The developments unfolding within the factions led by Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar raise an important question: Is Maharashtra heading down a path similar to what befell regional…
Special Correspondent The launch of TG20 was projected as a new beginning for Hyderabad and Telangana cricket. It was marketed as a platform that would create opportunities for local players, strengthen the domestic structure and bring professionalism into the administration of the game. Yet, even before the tournament has properly taken off, uncomfortable questions are…
How TG20’s Glittering Inaugural Auction Spat in the Face of an Entire State Special Correspondent Someone had a beautiful dream. They dreamt that Tilak Varma — Telangana’s brightest cricketing star, the boy who escaped this very system and conquered every stage placed before him — stood up at the TG20 auction and said something extraordinary….
