Congress leader Salman Khurshid, who is a part of India's diplomatic mission abroad, on Monday said it is 'distressing' that people back home are calculating political allegiances and asked if it is 'so difficult to be patriotic'.
Interacting with the Indian diaspora in Kuala Lumpur, Banerjee said, "We have been in talks with them (Pakistan) for decades, despite changes in various paradigms and governments. But one thing remains constant, the conflict with Pakistan."
From reaching out to the Jat community and requesting them to not harm the country's assets to trying to mediate on behalf of the women protesting against Shani Shingnapur temple authorities, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has made his presence felt. Nikita Puri examines the rise of the New Age guru.
The opposition party, however, said the four eminent Congress MPs and leaders who have been included at the instance of the Modi government will, of course, go with the delegations and make their contributions.
Yoga guru Ramdev and spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar have declined any Padma award for them reportedly being considered by central government on the occasion of the 66th Republic Day.
From Pandit Ravi Shankar to Rajinikanth's Kochadaiyaan to Housefull 2, it's been an interesting week.
At some point, it became evident to the audience that a subtle musical duel was taking place. By the time the faster taans started, the notes had become sharp arrows shot with the intention to annihilate. A revealing excerpt from Namita Devidayal's The Sixth String Of Vilayat Khan.
All-party parliamentary delegations on Friday met leaders and diplomats from several countries to galvanise international action against terrorists and decisively counter the tactics of those who perpetrate, support and sponsor cross-border terror activities against India.
The diplomatic exercise aimed at presenting India's stance against Pakistan on terror comes in the wake of Operation Sindoor -- the Indian offensive against terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed.
'Politics is playing a very big role in keeping communities apart in terms of religion,' says Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.
The Congress on Sunday said it was not stopping anyone from being part of diplomatic delegations to be sent to various countries following Operation Sindoor and that its leaders who have been named at the instance of the government must listen to their conscience and contribute to the exercise.
All-party parliamentary delegations on Monday met with the leaders of several countries and highlighted India's resolve to combat terrorism, which they stressed must be eradicated in the interests of all humanity.
The government will send seven all-party delegations to key partner countries, including members of the United Nations Security Council, later this month to convey India's message of zero tolerance against terrorism following the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor.
Here's what your favourite Bollywood stars are tweeting.
In his condolence message, Dr Singh said: "An era has passed away with Pandit Ravi Shankar. He was national treasure and global ambassador of India's cultural heritage."
Admirers in California reacted in shock to the demise of sitar master Pandit Ravi Shankar who introduced Indian music to the Western world. 92-year-old Shankar died on Tuesday in San Diego, California.
The reality is that far from being friendless, India is better positioned in the world than at any point post-Cold War, asserts Shekhar Gupta.
Prasad hit out at the Opposition, alleging that it starts getting upset the moment it hears "Kumbh" or "Sanatan".
The delegations led by Baijayant Panda, Ravi Shankar Prasad (both Bharatiya Janata Party), Sanjay Kumar Jha (Janata Dal-United), Shrikant Shinde (Shiv Sena), Shashi Tharoor (Congress), Kanimozhi (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) and Supriya Sule (Nationalist Congress Party-Sharad Pawar) will visit a total of 32 countries and the EU headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.
The BJP has launched a fresh attack on Rahul Gandhi, questioning his frequent visits to Vietnam. The party's leaders have accused him of spending more time in the Southeast Asian country than his constituency and have demanded an explanation for his "extraordinary fondness" for Vietnam. Gandhi's foreign trips have been a target of the BJP's criticism in the past, with the party portraying him as unserious and unfit for domestic politics.
The opposition party's attack came after Shashi Tharoor, not part of the four leaders nominated by the Congress, was named as the head of a delegation to key partner countries to convey India's message of zero tolerance against terrorism following Operation Sindoor.
The sitar legend and Anoushka are set to share the stage at the closing day of this year's Womadelaide world music festival.
Founder of the Art of Living Foundation, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, visited Iraq to meet with Iraqi political and religious leaders and to oversee AOL's initiatives in the strife-torn country.
Artistes across the spectrum on Wednesday mourned the demise of sitar maestro Ravi Shankar with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh describing him as a national treasure and a global ambassador of India's cultural heritage.
A 100-year-old freedom fighter from Goa, a Dhak player from West Bengal who trained 150 women in the male-dominated field, and India's first woman puppeteers are among 30 unsung heroes who were awarded Padma Shri on Republic Day. Libia Lobo Sardesai, who played an important role in Goa's freedom movement, cofounded an underground radio station -- 'Voz da Liberdabe (Voice of Freedom)' -- in a forested area in 1955 to rally people against the Portuguese rule. She has been awarded the Padma Shri by the President on the occasion of 76th Republic Day. Also among the awardees is Gokul Chandra Dey, a 57-year-old Dhak player from West Bengal who broke the gender stereotype by training 150 women in the male-dominated field. Dey also created a lightweight Dhak type, 1.5 kg less than the conventional instrument, and represented India at various international platforms and performed with Maestros like Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Zakir Hussain. A vocal advocate of woman empowerment, 82-year-old Sally Holkar transformed once dying Maheshwari craft and founded Handloom school in Maheshwar, Madhya Pradesh, to give training in traditional weaving techniques. Born in America and Inspired by Rani Ahilyabai Holkar's legacy, she devoted five decades of her life to revitalise 300-year-old weaving legacy. She has also been awarded Padma Shri.
'Things are going to change. I know they are going to change,' Sri Sri Ravi Shankar tells Rediff.com's Savera R Someshwar.
Believe it or not, Raakhee Gulzar spent weeks learning how to play the sitar from the maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar himself.
It was an immensely sad day for students of Ravi Shankar Institute of Music and Performing Arts in Delhi.
"We will expose this claim," Prasad said, adding that the Congress was insulting the 2014 mandate.
The funeral service for legendary sitar virtuoso Pandit Ravi Shankar will be held on Sunday near his home in Encinitas in San Diego, California. Ravi Shankar passed away on December 11 near his home in Encinitas. He was 92.
The Congress on Monday distanced itself from the controversial comments of some of its leaders on the Pahalgam terror attack, saying that only the recent CWC resolution and the views expressed by AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and authorised AICC office-bearers represent its position. The opposition party's assertion comes in the wake of remarks by leaders like Vijay Wadettiwar, Mani Shankar Aiyar, Shashi Tharoor, Tariq Hameed Karra and Saifuddin Soz that have triggered a row, with the BJP alleging that some from the opposition party were speaking "Pakistan's language".
The sitar exponent, perhaps could be called India's musical ambassador and was responsible for making Indian classical music popular in the West.
Labelled the 'godfather' of world music, Ravi Shankar undertook an extraordinary journey from the banks of Ganges to the heart of the west, mesmerising them with Indian ragas and partnering with musical greats like Beatles' George Harrison and Yehudi Menuhin
Crowley said that Sri Sri's "...commitment to helping those who may not help themselves is striking."
The maestro performed to a spellbound Delhi gathering.
He was a formidable musician but seemed utterly human, a Peter Pan who wore his genius with deceptive lightness. Sandip Roy remembers Ustad Zakir Hussain.
Shankar, 86, was suffering from pneumonia but now his condition is stable, his family sources said in Kolkata.
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