How a Jharkhand minister’s casual communalism mirrors a deeper and dangerous mindset When Jharkhand minister Hafizul Ansari declared with unsettling ease that for Muslims, ‘Shariat comes first, Constitution later’, he wasn’t merely expressing a personal belief. He was, in essence, renouncing the very oath he took when he assumed public office. A minister in a…
As Mamataland simmers again under the heat of street protests, stone-pelting, and spontaneous burning of state property, the question arises, almost with a sense of weary inevitability: Has the time come to impose President’s Rule? This week’s eruption in Murshidabad over the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, which left at least three dead and many more…
Vandemataram Ravindra seeks weightage for government school students in national entrance exams It’s a race, says Vandemataram Ravindra, and the odds are skewed. When a weak child competes with a healthy one, is the outcome ever in doubt? Such is the plight of students in government-run schools and colleges – often rural, poorly funded, and…
‘The Indian Constitution is thousands of years old,’ proclaimed Rahul Gandhi the other day, with the confidence of a man who once declared that potatoes can be turned into gold via a magic machine in Gujarat. One can only assume he was channelling the same visionary streak – part ancient wisdom, part WhatsApp forward. In…
One defends the Gandhis with near-religious zeal. The other champion, Modi, with smiling conviction. The Poonawalla brothers – once inseparable – now stand on opposite ends of India’s ideological spectrum and are rarely on speaking terms. Their paths have dramatically diverged, leading to a public and personal estrangement that mirrors the deep ideological divides within…
The Supreme Court’s order to halt tree felling in the Kancha-Gachibowli lands in Hyderabad could not have come at a more critical moment. The Telangana government has sanctioned a spree of deforestation in an area rich with flora and fauna – most notably the peacock, our National Bird. In a region that once thrived with…
Actor, filmmaker, and moral voice of Hindi film, Manoj ‘Bharat’ Kumar gave India not just cinema – but conviction. When he walked onto the screen, Manoj Kumar didn’t seem to play a role. He became the conscience of a scene – unshowy, earnest, and charged with purpose. And now, the lights have dimmed on a…
Hyderabad’s so-called guardians of the environment seem to have developed an odd obsession. If it’s a lake, they’ll fight tooth and nail to save it. But if it’s a historic rock formation, a green lung space, or an open stretch of land vital for the city’s air quality, then it’s fair game for ‘development’. The…
Ugadi, marking the New Year for Telugu and Kannada communities, is a time of joy, reflection, and culinary traditions. Central to these celebrations is the preparation of ‘Ugadi pachadi,’ a unique dish that embodies the myriad flavours of life. However, in recent years, a key ingredient – neem flowers – has become increasingly scarce during…
There was a time when acts of kindness and goodwill were celebrated. Today, even a simple prayer for a friend has become cause for outrage. Malayalam superstar Mohanlal’s special prayer at Sabarimala for his ailing best friend, Mammootty, should have been seen as a touching gesture of camaraderie. Instead, it has triggered a wave of…
