We celebrate Dassera and regard it as an auspicious day as a day of victory of good over evil! So was 16 December! It is time we regard this day as auspicious as Dassera in future, observes Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
Congress' Amarinder Singh on Wednesday said that Navjot Singh Sidhu would have been a tougher contestant from Amritsar than Bharatiya Janata Party leader Arun Jaitley whom he dismissed as a "nominal candidate".
The prime minister thanked the people but said it was the start of a long battle, as he urged them to follow social distancing to stop the chain of transmission of Coronavirus which has infected 360 people and claimed seven lives in India.
"Indian National Congress welcomes S Navjot Singh Sidhu into the Congress family and we thank Congress vice president for his visionary approach in bringing together like-minded people on common platform under the Congress umbrella," Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said in a statement.
Party also concerned about dissension in Uttarakhand and erosion of support in Goa
Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Dhaka on Friday on a two-day visit to Bangladesh during which he will attend the celebrations of the golden jubilee of the country's independence, the birth centenary of 'Bangabandhu' Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and hold talks with his counterpart Sheikh Hasina.
Rediff readers share photographs from their travels across India.
From the Syrian civil war to the Ukrainian crisis to the terror unleashed by the dreaded Islamic State, there was no lack of news in 2014. In this five-part series, rediff.com presents a selection of the year's most enduring moments year from around the world.
The woman showed her Aadhaar card to them to prove that she did not belong to the 'traditionally barred' age group of 10-50 years.
The Sikhs love a good fight, and that's what the Modi government has given them.
'The sooner Pakistan and India face these geopolitical realities, the better it will be for their own security and prosperity,' observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
V K Sasikala, who was eased out of the AIADMK years ago, on Saturday paid homage at the mausoleum of former party supremo J Jayalalithaa here and cryptically remarked that she has 'unburdened' herself and the party has a bright future.
The squads of both teams took part in the pre-game show of support for civil rights activists denouncing last Sunday's shooting death of Stephon Clark and the killing of numerous other African-Americans at the hands of law enforcement in recent years.
Tea and coffee estates, the smell of eucalyptus in the crisp mountain air, cool nights huddled in shawls, sylvan lake rides and mountain treks... Peace and tranquility is at hand!
In a premise begging for food porn, there's a shocking scarcity of sensory pleasure or vision. You'll see more gastronomic delights in the two-minute trailer of the original Chef than in this entire movie, feels Sukanya Verma.
What makes President Mukherjee's visit to the south Indian states interesting is the combination of engagements.
The mesmerising hill station located in West Bengal is a must visit place for every travel enthusiast, says Hitesh Harisinghani.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and other dignitaries greeted the people on Lord Jagannath's annual car festival.
The Kartarpur corridor was an excellent opportunity for the Congress to seize centre-stage in Sikh religious affairs. After all, the Akalis never achieved this in their years in power, says Sanjeev Nayyar.
Modi's absence from an event to mark the centenary of a definitive moment in Indian history puzzles Utkarsh Mishra.
There is nothing to suggest that the DMK stands to gain from the AIADMK split nor is there anything indicative of an extraordinary advantage for the BJP, independently or in the company of the AIADMK, explains N Sathiya Moorthy.
Members of fan clubs of various leading actors, including Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan and Vijay, also held prayers, wishing that the singer whose golden voice mesmerised generations for over five decades recover soon.
'Since last year, over 50,000 Sikh farmers have been evicted from Kutch district and Narendra Modi's government has done little other than giving assurances.' 'We are today at a point where Sikhs continue to move out of the country in large numbers and nobody is ready to address the real concerns of Sikhs.'
'Of all the PMs of India, I had the closest relationships with Morarji and Rajiv.' Mark Tully, the most famous foreign correspondent in India, remembers some encounters with prime ministers, dictators and militants.
The destinations have a lot to offer in terms of adventure, culture and entertainment.
Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi offered the crown costing Rs 1.5 crore.
Mumbai's CST, Halebidu and Amruthapura. Sudha Murty lists her selection of India's beautiful monuments.
'If you see the way Shammi Kapoor danced... that was Geeta Bali's personality. My mother was a bigger and more successful star than my father when they got married.'
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi performed the traditional ritual of Pahind by sweeping the path with a golden broom, paving way for the Yatra to begin.
'It will be a mistake to imagine that Sidhu will be a permanent feature of the Congress' Punjab scene,' says Amulya Ganguli.
'Ram Sir was a creator of law. He has his stamp on every leading judgment in criminal law.'
The home-chef put Indian cuisine on the world map with her cooking experiments on MasterChef Australia.
The AIADMK's staying power is not in question, but it has to regain the winning streak. That will require its leaders and leadership to re-wire themselves, to be able to re-think situations in ways different from what they had been accustomed to, suggests Sathiya Moorthy.
Modi said the way each section of the society welcomed the verdict reflects India's ancient traditions of amity and harmony.
'If you don't have a strong political leadership, however much expertise a country may have, in pandemic preparedness or infectious disease, will not matter.' 'It's really about having strong political leadership, that is proactive, that prioritises taking the right action.' 'And if you don't have that, then you will have a much worse pandemic experience.'
Pssst, India's Royal Rajasthan on Wheels is listed among these great rail journeys.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah asserted that with pro-people measures and infrastructure development, Modi has not only prepared a blueprint for making a strong 'new India' but also a self-reliant one for the country's 'golden future', while party president J P Nadda declared that the period will be known for taking tough and big decisions and turning challenges into opportunities.
China on Friday said that any successor to the present Dalai Lama should be approved by it, ruling out recognition to any heir nominated by him or by his followers.
'The BJP's solo aim in Mumbai and Maharashtra is to finish off the Shiv Sena and Sharad Pawar's NCP.'
The government, he said, has implemented 'bold reforms'.
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