The prime minister says he will bring real change to Bengal. Perhaps he will. The interesting thing is that his party has never defined what this change is, observes Aakar Patel.
'...that it takes fantasy seriously as a part of real life'... A fascinating excerpt from Jonathan Gil Harris's book, Masala Shakespeare: How A Firangi Writer Became Indian.
A makeshift prayer hall belonging to the Christian community in Gopanpally village of Nizamabad in Telangana was burnt down by unknown people.
'There was a lot of resentment against the BJP which has not translated into votes, this is surprising.'
'The signals were clear. December 6 would not witness another show of "Hindu" strength staged periodically in Ayodhya. Something grave was afoot.' Radhika Ramaseshan's personal recollection of the events of December 6, 1992.
"The charge that the two ministers were pro-rapist is absolutely wrong. It was sheer indiscretion on their part," Madhav said.
However, the woman told police that she was not keen to visit the shrine and admitted that she had come to Pamba following pressure from her husband.
The Belgaum police on Tuesday arrested Pramod Muthalik, the founder of Hindu right-wing organisation Shri Ram Sena, in connection with the attack on a group of girls in a Mangalore pub on Saturday.Muthalik was detained immediately after he addressed a press conference in Belgaum, where he condemned the attack. Terming the incident regrettable, he declared that the Sena would continue to 'protect Indian culture'. The police had launched a manhunt for Muthalik.
True, Azam Khan is being targeted rather disproportionately and also because of his Muslim identity. That must be protested and resisted. But to say that he is a big messiah, and his profit-making educational enterprise is an issue concerning all Muslims of India, is absolutely unjustified, assert Mohammad Sajjad and Md Mohammad Zeeshan Ahmad.
The widow of a slain Dalit youth, who was hacked to death in March this year in a case of honour killing, allegedly attempted suicide on Thursday and has been hospitalised, police said.
'One one hand, the BJP puts Uniform Civil Code as a goal in its manifesto, and on the other, it pushes massive discrimination against Hindus.' 'This is not sabka saath, sabka vikas. Rather it is "Haj ka saath, church ka vikas",' argues Sankrant Sanu.
Four leaders of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad were killed in a Naxal attack at Tumribandha in Kandhamal district of Orissa on Saturday night.
Owaisi's five seats in Bihar's Muslim-majority Seemanchal region ought to ring alarm bells, observes Virendra Kapoor.
We bring you glimpses of the Raksha Bandhan moments in Bollywood.
Seeking protection from any police violence, a five-year-old ethnic-Indian girl has urged the Penang Chief Minister to accompany her to Malaysian Parliament when she visits it on Saturday to request Premier Abdullah Badawi to free the detained activists complaining of racial inequality.
'At Ramjas too, slogans for Kashmir's azaadi were heard. We won't let DU become JNU.'
Kamala Harris is now the first woman, the first Black American and the first Asian American to hold the country's second highest office, and is now in a strong position to run for the top job four years from now.
Right actions might help reduce this trust deficit. But what we have today is over- enthusiastic vigilante groups targeting minorities over beef or 'love jihad', against whom the government does little apart from meek condemnation, says Utkarsh Misgra.
The members of Shri Ram Sena, a Hindu right-wing organisation, went on a rampage in Mangalore on Wednesday morning after the arrest of the group's convenor Prasad Attavar. The mob pelted stones and set ablaze two lorries in the Padeel Alape area of the city on Wednesday morning.Attavar was arrested along with Lohith, another member of the Ram Sena, for attacking some girls in a pub on Saturday.A case has been registered against the members of the mob.
Devotees entering temples in Tamil Nadu will have to follow a new dress code from January 1 as several important shrines have put up notice boards highlighting this.
Bindu and Kanakadurga, who broke centuries-old tradition by entering the holy shrine, said there were no objections from the devotees and called those who were protesting riot-mongers.
An Australian couple abandoned a baby boy born via surrogacy in India despite being repeatedly warned that the child could be left stateless.
The case of 42-year-old Shafaatullah Khan, which came up in a court in Bridgeport on Wednesday, comes close on the heels of a Hindu priest being arrested on charges of groping two children in Texas. Khan, a Pennsylvania resident who plays sitar, surbahar and tabla and teaches Indian classical music on a wide array of instruments, has been charged with multiple counts of corruption of a minor, indecent assault, and related sexual offenses, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
'If the BJP wants to build a minimally inclusive and secure society, in which vulnerable groups and religious minorities don't feel persecuted, then the Sangh Parivar, the party and its government must change their ways. Or else, they risk dividing India further -- violently and irreparably -- for narrow political ends,' argues Praful Bidwai.
The bench asked senior advocate Shyam Divan, representing the father of the woman, to ensure that she is produced that day for interaction with the bench, which is likely to ascertain her mental stage and whether she had given free consent to the marriage.
This time the actress is in trouble for "wearing chappals" in front of idols of goddesses at a film 'muhurat' in Chennai recently.
'In this season of inspired mean-spirited campaigning, it still seemed remarkable that we are more likely to learn civics lessons from school children than our leaders,' says Rahul Jacob.
Majlis-e-Shura of Masjid committee has appealed to Muslim youths to marry within the community and keep away from inter-religious marriages that cause embarrassment, committee secretary Syed Wasimuddin told PTI.
The top posts on social media from your favourite Bollywood celebrities.
Vipul Goel sought changes in the Bollywood film, saying that films based on historical facts, while exercising the freedom of thought, should also keep in mind the people's sentiments and culture.
If you think the film is gutsy, you are simply being blind to the truth that the whole men-are-worthless slant is saleable right now, argues Sreehari Nair.
'If we encourage such forces, then tomorrow they will try to intimidate every teacher who doesn't teach their idea of what is right and wrong.'
Designer Ashley Rebello gives us a sneak peak into the wedding details.
Addressing the tri-monthly meeting of Nationalist Congress Party workers at Belewadi, Pune, Pawar brought up the issue of framing of "innocent" Muslim youths in 2006 Malegaon bomb blasts by investigating agency, saying such incidents not only "inflicted unprecedented agony on their families but also virtually eroded their sense of belonging to India".
Tarun Vijay visits 20 Durga Puja pandals in five towns in Bangladesh and comes back impressed.
In the light of the efforts being made to forge electoral unity between scheduled castes and Muslims, Mohammad Sajjad examines what the architect of our Constitution, B R Ambedkar, had to say about the Muslim community.
'Is Ansari flagging a genuine concern? Is a rectification called for?' 'And finally: Do minorities matter?' asks Shekhar Gupta.
We've already presented some of the stunning early entries to the 2018 National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest in the Nature category and now, here are incredible portraits and action shots of people from around the world that have been submitted in the People category. As mentioned earlier, the grand-prize winner will be awarded $10,000 (Rs 6.67 lakh), will have their photo posted on the @NatGeoTravel Instagram account, as well as the bragging rights. Take a look and be amazed!
The group had damaged the Star News office after the channel aired a report about a minor girl from Surat allegedly eloping with a boy from a different community.
'... That they should emerge as role-models to be emulated by the fellow countrymen; and that the middle classes should not stick only to hate-filled and scornful criticism and condemnation against the state of affairs,' remembers Mohammad Sajjad.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances