'What do the moves towards protectionism suggest?' 'That we do not have Aatmavishwas.' 'If you have self-confidence, confidence in your ability to compete with the best in the world, why do you need protectionism?'
'The future looks quite bleak unless we ramp up testing and start vaccinating on a war footing.'
'If you want Aatma Nirbhar, your policies should favour self-reliance, but your policies do not help the idea.' 'How are we going to be self-reliant if you make things difficult for us?'
'Since we have to stop the pandemic, we have to use the vaccines now and that is why the emergency-use approval is justifiable.'
Shobha Deepak Singh, whose association with the legendary Kishori Amonkar, spanned 35 years, shares her memories of the musical genius.
'The Congress cannot appreciate people with an independent opinion.' 'That's why many people left the party.'
'Even with 3 lakh cases a day, we have saturated our resources.' 'It is scary to even think what will happen when the number doubles.'
'For the UDF, it will depend on how far Rahul Gandhi will succeed with the goodwill he has.' 'That will make a difference.'
While the Congress and DMK headquarters bore a desolate look with party supporters shocked at their dismal performance, the AIADMK and BJP offices were in a celebratory mood. Ladoos, drums playing and dancing on the streets were seen outside the party headquarters. Shobha Warrier/Rediff.com presents the different scenes.
'If Kerala votes back the LDF, if Tamil Nadu brings the DMK and if Bengal votes for the Trinamool, we will project a formidable opposition to the BJP.'
Quite a few members of the film industry arrived to lend support to the singer.
'People ask me from where I get the strength to fight this battle. I really do not know.' 'Perhaps God is giving me the strength as I am fighting for truth.'
'Corporates decide the development and social needs of the people in Gujarat. It is not that Modi is the new inventor of Gujarat.' Social scientist Dr P Radhakrishnan, whose new book Political Villainy, UPA's Fall, AAP's Surge hit the stands recently, discusses the implications of the 2014 election.
Shobha Warrier/Rediff.com meets the parents of Major Mukund Varadarajan, who was killed during an operation against terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir on April 25.
Kudumbashree is a revolution worth replicating wherever there are women in need of help. Shobha Warrier/Rediff.com travels to Thrissur to learn about the success story of the largest network of women in India.
Rama Murali's CARE 3 -- care, connect and community - aims to build a strong caregiver community. Shobha Warrier meets Murali, the woman behind the enterprise.
'Mr (Gautam) Adani invested in Vizhinjam port when no other viable party was willing to bid.' 'He has also been active in charitable work and CSR projects in our coastal areas.' 'As the local MP, I do not judge the local situation purely through the prism of politics.'
'Otherwise, the minorities would not have acknowledged his leadership quality. I am happy the BJP is working towards achieving a secular image,' Vellappally Natesan, the OBC leader in Kerala who has created a controversy by supporting Narendra Modi, tells Rediff.com's Shobha Warrier.
Karnataka Revenue Minister R Ashoka said the 'traitors,' who perpetrated the riots would be dealt with an iron hand and steps would be taken to ensure that such incidents do not recur.
'All the tournaments I played in recent times had a lot of bad moments, but the Candidates was a perfect tournament... Everything about the World Championship was very depressing.' Enjoying a break at his Chennai home, Viswanathan Anand, the former World chess champion, speaks to Rediff.com's Shobha Warrier.
Gopalan Balachandran recalls his eldest sister Dr Sushila Gopalan and her daughter Kamala who is now the US vice-president-elect.
Celebs follow a template for their special day -- an intimate ceremony with few people and a keen eye for a touch of luxury in every aspect.
'Only when you are close to the party, will you understand what the BJP stands for.'
Our economic growth was never broad based. We have not been able to harness technology for the overall development of industry.
Our economic growth was never broad based. We have not been able to harness technology for the overall development of industry.
Our economic growth was never broad based. We have not been able to harness technology for the overall development of industry.
Growth in manufacturing sector is very important for any economy.
'And that means all of us have to be very careful.'
Sonu Nigam received support from his colleagues in the film industry.
'The government has realised that the finances of the government are in a precarious state.' 'We are borrowing to fund the ever-burgeoning revenue deficit.' 'Then you are paying interest on the fresh borrowing.' 'For the first time, the government has realised that this cannot go on.'
'We behaved as if this disease is not a problem for India.' 'We acted as if it would go away. But it didn't go away; it exploded.'
'So far we have paid our salaries and pension in full because we had some reserve fund.' 'But we cannot afford to do so for more than another three months.'
'If they add a small paragraph that no purchase will be allowed below the MSP, they have a winner on their hands'
'When an individual becomes authoritarian, you can overthrow the individual easily. 'When the system becomes authoritarian, whoever challenges the system will be called a criminal or an anti-national.'
''None of the existing vaccines have 100% efficacy.' 'Each vaccine will work openly on a certain percentage of the population.'
Even as Sonam Kapoor threw a Diwali party, Amitabh Bachchan hosted a grand celebration too.
'We keep worrying about this variant or that variant. Forget about that.' 'Every variant can be stopped with a mask.' 'We don't want to do the simple thing of wearing a mask, but we worry ourselves to death about different variants.'
'The vaccine policy should be such that all people should get the vaccine free.'
Athletes Soma Biswas, Santhi Soundarajan and J J Shobha finished among the medals at the Asian Games.
