Columnist-M.S.Shanker

Development of allergic Opposition

For decades, India’s Opposition has perfected one political skill—opposing almost every transformative reform, irrespective of its merit. Whether it was the Goods and Services Tax, the abolition of triple talaq, the abrogation of Article 370, Digital India, UPI, or infrastructure expansion, the reflex has remained the same: manufacture fear first, verify facts later. Their latest…

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Columnist-M.S.Shanker

Indus non-negotiable

For over six decades, Bharat honoured the Indus Water Treaty even when Pakistan repeatedly dishonoured every other principle of civilised coexistence. It respected an agreement signed in 1960 despite enduring wars in 1965, 1971 and 1999, despite decades of cross-border terrorism, despite the massacre of innocent civilians, and despite thousands of Bharateeyan soldiers sacrificing their…

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Columnist-M.S.Shanker

Strategic Convergence

In the twenty-first century, wars may still be fought with armies, but power is increasingly determined by supply chains, technology and energy security. Nations that control these strategic arteries will shape the global order. It is against this backdrop that the India-Japan summit assumes significance far beyond a routine diplomatic engagement. The growing strategic convergence…

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Columnist-M.S.Shanker

Unacceptable Proposal

The reported joint appeal by the National Conference and the People’s Democratic Party urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to revive dialogue with Pakistan is not merely ill-timed; it is profoundly disconnected from the national mood. At a time when Pakistan continues to shelter, sponsor and export terrorism into Bharat, any proposal for “normalisation” without demonstrable…

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Columnist-M.S.Shanker

Defeat breeds conspiracie

The Bharateeyan Opposition today appears trapped in a dangerous political cycle. Every electoral defeat is no longer treated as the verdict of the people but as evidence of an institutional conspiracy. Parliament, constitutional authorities, and even the Election Commission of Bharat (India) (ECB(I) are routinely accused of acting at the behest of the ruling dispensation….

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Columnist-M.S.Shanker

A Principled Stand

The decision of the Faizabad Bar Association and Ayodhya Bar Association of Uttar Pradesh, not to provide legal assistance to those accused of siphoning off donations and jewellery belonging to the Bhavya Shri Ram Mandir deserves appreciation. It sends a powerful message that officers of the court are conscious not only of their professional responsibilities…

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Columnist-M.S.Shanker

Same script

When Telangana was carved out of the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh in 2014, the slogan was simple yet powerful—self-rule. The promise was that the people of Telangana would finally become masters of their own destiny after decades of complaining about discrimination in jobs, irrigation, education, and governance. It was never supposed to be a movement against…

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Columnist-M.S.Shanker

Padma Shri for Courage

The decision to confer the Padma Shri on former Union Home Ministry official R.V.S. Mani is much more than recognition of a diligent civil servant. It is an acknowledgment of bureaucratic integrity under political pressure. More importantly, it exposes one of the most controversial political narratives manufactured during the Congress-led UPA era—the attempt to coin…

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Columnist-M.S.Shanker

Bharat’s G20 edge

At a time when many advanced and emerging economies are grappling with slowing growth, stagnant wages, and rising tax burdens on ordinary citizens, Bharat has quietly crafted a taxation framework that stands out among G20 nations. The numbers tell a compelling story. While most countries begin taxing citizens at or near their average income levels,…

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Columnist-M.S.Shanker

A Tight Slap

Truth has finally delivered a tight slap — not merely to Pakistan’s propaganda machinery, but also to sections of Bharat’s Opposition and even to US President Donald Trump, who chose to amplify falsehoods rather than facts. The Indian Air Force’s latest Request for Proposal (RFP) seeking bridge maintenance support for all 36 Rafale fighter aircraft…

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