Columnist-M.S.Shanker

Yatha Raja, Tatha Praja

There is a thin line between protest and provocation, between compassion and calculated theatrics. The latest controversy involving Renuka Chowdhury once again raises a troubling question: has a section of the Congress leadership begun to treat parliamentary procedure as optional? The Rajya Sabha MP has been served a notice for alleged breach of privilege after…

Read More
Columnist-M.S.Shanker

Rahul in Trouble

There was a time when disruption in Parliament was an exception — a last resort deployed in moments of grave national crisis. Today, it risks becoming a political strategy. And the BJP-led NDA appears to have decided that enough is enough. For the past week, the Budget Session of Parliament — particularly the Lok Sabha…

Read More
Columnist-M.S.Shanker

Time to Listen, Not Fear

For decades, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has been portrayed—often caricatured—as the dark force behind India’s so-called “majoritarian project.” Its Sarsanghchalak, Mohan Bhagwat, is routinely projected by sections of the Opposition ecosystem as the real villain of India’s political churn. And yet, on Sunday in Mumbai, something quietly disruptive happened: people actually listened. Not through hostile…

Read More