Distinct View

HANGING BY A THREAD

A N INTRIGUING part of democracy has played out in M a h a r a s h t r a Assembly elections where strange political alliances fought with each other with their own equations but with a dark cloak of insecurity surrounding their future. Never had the elections in the State been so unpredictable that even seasoned pollsters are afraid of making a prediction. A hung Assembly looks a possible outcome after November 23 and with it the existence of some outfits and alliances, too, looks hanging by a thread. ..

WE, HIM, AND US

J J UST like the Big Fat Weddings in India generate global interest for its lavishness and massive spread, the Presidential elections in the United States are also seen as some sort of festival, with no direct connection. Political pundits choose to describe the Indian people’s interest in the US elections as a case of “begani shaadi me Abdullah deewana” and yet the result is latched upon by all and sundry as a possible gamechanger in the Indo-American relations. The landslide victory by Donald Trump ..

Take ‘Ctrl’ Of Young Lives

Sewell Setzer, a 14-year-old ninth standard student from Orlando, had developed an obsession for a chatbot. He had named the Artificial Intelligence-generated chatbot after a character from the ‘Game of Thrones’. For hours together, Sewell would keep chatting with the AI assistant. At the back of his mind he also knew that there was no human on the other side of the screen and the response he was getting was just AI-generated language. But he had formed an emotional attachment with the bot, texting ..

Simply Digital!

“What makes the digital revolution in India so interesting is that it’s been used by the government to actually provide benefits to all members of society. It hasn’t just created benefits for the lucky few. And this, I think, is very different from most other countries around the world,” said Nobel Laureate Professor Paul Michael Romer praising the country’s digital revolution. THIS encomium, coming from a luminary with straightforward and no-nonsense attitude, underscores a proud moment for India ..

Selective Outrage

IN THE last two years, in his Vijayadashami speech, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Dr Mohan Bhagwat has raised red-flag for ‘wokeism’ pervading into the country with its only aim of a systematic attack on cultural traditions. The insistence on ‘wokeism’ this year is another reminder to the country to raise guard against an obnoxious culture that is slowly but definitely being injected in the society whose large part is feeding off social media and its half-truths. The phrase ‘woke’ had its ..

Nailing Jihadi Terror - II

SEETHING in extreme anger after the debilitating 26/11 terror attacks on Mumbai, a few top Congress leaders from Maharashtra had contacted Israeli spy agency Mossad for a covert operation to eliminate the terror masterminds in Pakistan. The operation was well on course of execution before the central leadership stalled it. Why? Restraint was the buzzword for the UPA Government despite the humiliation heaped by a motley group of extremists who held the nation to ransom for three days. The Government ..

Nailing Jihadi Terror - I

THE precision strike by Israel to take out Hezbollah militia leader Hassan Nasrallah in Lebanon marks a significant milestone in the global fight against Islamic terrorism. Hitting right at the top of Hezbollah’s leadership has definitely weakened a rabid organisation which is, surprisingly, seen only as a hater of Israel but actually is a perpetrator of organised crimes across multiple continents. Implications of Israel’s elimination of Nasrallah would be far reaching, for the entire ecosystem of ..

One election, many notions

THE concept of ‘one nation, one election’, holding simultaneous voting for Lok Sabha and State Assemblies, has found a renewed vigour of debate and discussions after the adoption of the recommendations of the Kovind Committee by the Union Cabinet. A new pitch has been raised for the idea of ‘one nation, one election’ with support, praise and also opposition gathering in all parts of the country. The issue, though, cannot be confined only to narrow contours of a political divide. It is a massive transformat..

Polls, Gambits & Gambles

THIS is the season of political gambits and gambles in India. Delhi has witnessed a loaded move by the Aam Aadmi Party, Jammu & Kashmir has opened a door for political parties to test their strength, Haryana is caught in the typical phase of political rebellions, and Maharashtra is treading an iffy zone with parties still gauging the public mood. Since the Lok Sabha poll results in June, election dynamics in the country have assumed an altogether intriguing layer, baring all the confusions and contradictio..

CALLING IC-814

ANATIONAL debate is raging in the middle of the controversy and commentaries surrounding the web series ‘IC814: The Kandahar Hijack’, opening up a disturbing chapter in India’s security mechanisms. The web series has come with its faults and some illogical “artistic liberties” but at the same time it has redirected focus on the Indian response to the hijack drama played out in 1999. The hijacking of IC 814 flight from Kathmandu to Kandahar and the way the sordid saga was handled by the security and ..

Before It’s Too Late

A TIGHT corner is a sure inventor of whataboutery. It is the final indicator of reversal in fortunes which usually ends up in braggartism and is invariably followed by hubris. Whatever is happening in West Bengal in wake of the barbaric killing of a young, innocent medical practitioner at the RG Kar Hospital reflects the last stage of arrogance that the ruling dispensation is brazenly employing to muzzle a just fight. After attempts of dirty cover-up, threats are being doled out from the office of ..