Archana Masih contributes in-depth features that help readers understand the context behind and beyond breaking news. She writes about military heroes, human interest stories, politics, India's history and travel. She likes yoga, period dramas, enjoys discovering interesting people from history and is working towards visiting all states/UTs of India. You can e-mail the author at archana_masih@rediffmail.com
'They thought he can separate the Muslim votes and win, but the Kerala mind is completely different.' 'It is a secular mind because Hindus, Christians and Muslims live together.' 'We don't like somebody coming from outside, contesting in our state, winning and going and avoiding us.'
'One big leader said you might get 3 lakh votes and still lose.' 'I said if I do I will make sure you are sleepless because it will be me and three lakh people.'
Ambrose D'Mello, the Independent candidate from Bengaluru South, has been on maun vrat for 15 years. He does not own a house, does not wear footwear and sells books to earn a living.
'When corporates have a stake in the government through contributions to political parties, democracy, which is supposed to work for the common man, doesn't.'
By becoming the first woman ever to contest a Lok Sabha election in Mizoram, Lalthlamuani has already made history.
Mission Shakti 'shows the development within India's military space programme, its desire to be seen as a global space power and its recognition of the potential dangers of China's counterspace programme.'
'You don't want to harm the satellites of other countries, but you also don't want your own satellite to be harmed.'
In Mehreen Amin's gym, Kashmiri girls who earlier had no access to female trainers, are 'gymming' their way to fitness.
'But that does not make him weaker than his adversaries.'
'Going from 5% to 8%, 10, 15% of the votes is not going to translate into seats -- so what's the point of going it alone in UP?'
The hospital that draws patients from all over India giving them hope by saving limbs and wants you to know that skin donation gives life to burn victims.
'Balakot and Pulwama will definitely help the BJP, but it will still not help them to create a 2014 like situation or go beyond that.'
Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja was tortured and killed after his MiG-21 was shot down and he ejected across the Line of Control during the Kargil War.
'Wing Commander Abhinandan would not have even worried if he was going to cross the LoC or not because he was not going to let go of a shot.'
'The Balakot mission was an act of political signaling that India is willing to raise the price that the Pakistani State has to pay in order to support terrorism.'
'We could quibble with each other whether there were 25 terrorists killed or 250 killed.' 'The message is more that India undertook such an aerial attack and this attack has actually changed the paradigm.' 'The change in paradigm is that India has shown by the surgical strike in 2016 and the aerial strike of 2019 that we will not just sit back and tolerate terrorism which killed so many of our people.' 'We will hit back and by hitting back we will raise the costs of such activities.'
'When people who are safe in their homes think that everything is peaceful -- 'kuch nahi ho raha hai' -- it is because a band of soldiers has already stopped that from happening and the anti-nationals have been neutralised.'
'One of the things that gives a downed pilot strength is the knowledge and confidence that his government will do everything in its power and more to get him back.'
'If the other side knows you are coming, then you are the guy who is going to be dead.'
'We know what we are signing up for. There is nothing greater than that.' What Archana Masih/Rediff.com learnt from a chance encounter with an Indian Army officer.
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