'We have learnt lessons from Mamata Banerjee who overcame the BJP's canard by reciting Chandi Path and playing up her Brahmin origins in her campaign. We need to adopt strategies like asking Muslims to lie low and distributing tickets prudently so that we are not accused of favouring one community.' Radhika Ramaseshan reports.
Shortage of ICU beds, oxygen, ventilators, vaccines, doctors, nurses and crematorium space in India has dominated headlines around the world in the past few weeks with Covid-19 cases surging beyond control and the government failing to deliver. Yes, election rallies, Kumbh Mela, blatant flouting of social distancing and mask protocols coupled with a messy vaccination process are said to be responsible for the health crisis of colossal proportions that India is facing today. But an analysis of Budget speeches made by finance ministers over 75 years also offers a glimpse of how low on the priority list healthcare has featured for the political class and policy-makers, which is a significant reason for the current situation.
'This experience is horrifying. Doctors need psychiatrists to handle the trauma they are going through in the face of this pandemic'
Hardly anyone wears a mask and most brush off concerns over a pandemic. It is not just scepticism over the existence of the pandemic. A common refrain across villages is the fear of vaccines, reports Ruchika Chitravanshi.
After a gap of 65 years, the pious Makarsankranti dip at Gangasagar, the second largest after Kumbh Mela, will again take place during the evening hours on Tuesday, the Chief Priest of the Kapilmuni Temple said.
The National Investigation Agency on Monday filed a chargesheet against six suspected Islamic State operatives arrested for allegedly conspiring to carry out terrorist activities in Delhi and during the Ardh Kumbh in Haridwar.
Modi said UP's population of 24 crore is same as that of four European countries put together but, in UP the death toll is 600 due to coronavirus and lauded the efforts of Adityanath in tackling the pandemic.
You need, first of all, to figure out how we messed it all up so badly. You need to fix accountability. None of that is happening, says Vir Sanghvi.
Top officers across various ministries participate in the meeting that started at 8 pm on Saturday. The meeting is currently underway. The country is currently witnessing a second and more severe wave of the pandemic.
Whether the third wave will ravage us depends on the pace of vaccinations, careful and calibrated opening up of establishments, and a strategy to contain the spread in specific states or pockets.
While the New Delhi Municipal Council area was given the 'Cleanest Small City' award, Uttarakhand's Gauchar was adjudged the 'Best Ganga Town' in the central government survey.
'When there is so much anxiety, the Government of India should assure people on the vaccine issue and help the states demanding more supply that they will be provided the required quantities.' 'Any Centre-state conflict at this point of time is counter-productive and enhances people's anxieties that should be avoided.'
A century-old company -- that started as an infrastructure provider for large religious gatherings like the Kumbh Mela -- has expanded its role to keeping the premises of such gatherings litter-free.
Shifting positions on religiosity and Covid may confuse the Hindutva citizenry, but you can rely on Bengal to turn a non-arguable issue into a raging controversy, notes Kanika Datta.
Built by the French railway technology company Alstom, it will host a 90-metre-long digital wall for train operation, said to be the second largest in Asia.
'The government had a vaccine from January.' 'The government should have given the vaccine to all population above the age of 45, right from the start.' 'Each state has its own problems, but as far as vaccine coverage in India is concerned, there have been mistakes.'
The security plan -- with high end technology -- has already been put in motion at Allahabad, in anticipation of the Kumbh Mela which begins this month and at Hoobly railway station in Karnataka
Winning against Covid means thinking ahead, at least six months, putting in place the likely scenarios of what might happen, and then planning. Planning is the role of the government. Having planned, it should communicate what and why. Then, get out of the way, recommends Naushad Forbes.
.jpg)
Infosys will develop software for managing the kumbh mela scheduled in Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh) in 2016, he told PTI in an interview.
'Let me assure the nation on behalf of the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha that our protests have not weakened at all or lost steam.'
Opposition parties on Monday blamed the Railways and the Samajwadi Party government in Uttar Pradesh for the "avoidable" stampede during the Kumbh Mela in Allahabad that left 36 people dead and demanded a judicial probe into the incident.
Miffed over opposition parties blaming Sunday's stampede in Allahabad, which claimed 36 lives on administrative laxity, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday said there should be no politics over a tragedy.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Governor Anandiben Patel participated in the celebrations.
Amid demand by some Bharatiya Janata Party leaders for projecting Narendra Modi as the party's prime ministerial candidate, Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Ashok Singhal on Wednesday said the Gujarat Chief Minister enjoys the same popularity as that of the first Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru.
Amid demand by some Bharatiya Janata Party leaders for projecting Narendra Modi as the party's prime ministerial candidate, Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Ashok Singhal on Wednesday said the Gujarat Chief Minister enjoys the same popularity as that of the first Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru.
The Maha Kumbh, considered to be the largest religious gathering on earth, will begin at the Sangam in Allahabad from January 14. Photographer Rajesh Karkera and Archana Masih capture the scenes from the ghat in the run-up to the religious festival that is the pinnacle of many spiritual dreams.
The Bharatiya Janta Party on Thursday demanded that a sitting high court judge should probe the stampede at Allahabad railway station which killed 37 people on Sunday night.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has directed two ministers in his cabinet as well senior officials in his administration to visit Allahabad in the wake of a stampede at the city's police station. The tragic stampede has claimed the lives of 36 pilgrims who were on their way back after attending the Maha Kumbh Mela at Allahabad on Sunday night.
"People were walking on the footbridge when suddenly police charged with batons. Because of that baton charge, the public panicked and the stampede happened. In that stampede these people were killed," eyewitness Amit Kumar said.
Dr S Q R Ilyas, head of the BMAC and a senior member of the board, feels that the Sangh Parivar should not have raked up the Ram temple issue. In a candid chat with rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa, Dr Ilyas said the recent proclamation by the RSS, VHP and BJP was a desperate measure to rake up the issue of Hindutva once again
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday backed the BVishwa Hindu parishad's resolution for building a Ram temple in Ayodhya, saying its construction is like establishing the 'Indian identity'.
The actor met his girlfriend and soon-to-be wife Anwita during the making of Love Sex Aur Dhoka.
'There will always be hiccups given that the Namami Gange programme is spread over different sectors and involves several agencies.'
An Indian Police Service officer on Friday found himself in the thick of controversy after he reached Sangam in his car despite the high court ruling that no vehicles other than those of police and ambulances be allowed to ply in the Kumbh Mela area on main bathing days.
A day after the stampede at the overcrowded Allahabad Railway Station claimed 36 lives, Railway Minister P K Bansal on Monday said it was not possible for railways to run trains every 10 minutes to clear the heavy rush of Kumbh passengers.
To believe that the key job of his senior ministers is to ensure that his image be kept intact whatever be the outcome of his policies is to expect too much even of someone as ambitious as Narendra Modi, asserts Rashme Sehgal.
Bansal said: "Till now death toll has reached 36. There has been no collapse of foot-over-bridge or any railing on the station. I want to clear that stampede occurred due to people reaching in large numbers. We had made arrangements before start of the Kumbh. We have come to know that people turned in large numbers resulting in stampede."
In a major mishap, at least 24 people are feared killed after a railing of the foot-over bridge collapsed due to excessive crowds at platform no 6 in Allahabad railway station.
Why does Jairam Ramesh want to quit the Cabinet? Which heavyweight akhara will host the Gandhi family at the Kumbh Mela? Was bad Vaastu the reason why Nitin Gadkari failed to make history as the first person to head the BJP for a second term? All this and more in this week's Dilli Gupshup...
Asserting the Ram Janmabhoomi dispute could be resolved only by Parliament and not by a court of law, the Vishwa Hindu Parishand today said it would initiate efforts at the Maha Kumbh in Allahabad to ensure that those sensitive towards the sentiments of Hindus were elected to it in a large number.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances