'If the Indian Army is deployed aganist Naxals it would mean that the whole political system has failed,' says Lt Gen D B Shekatkar (retd).
Conrad Sangma, 35, Leader of the Opposition in the outgoing Meghalaya assembly that goes to the polls on Saturday, explains the need for a fresh approach to solve the problem of insurgency in the state, the reasons for the lack of women in state politics and the need for cultural exchanges between the North-East and the rest of India.
'There are no quick fixes... The security forces can kill terrorists, but terrorism will be killed only by the people,' says Lieutenant General V G Patankar (retd).
Lieutenant General Kuldip Singh Brar (retired), who has been on the hit-list of Khalistan separatists since 1984, survived an attempt on his life in London last year. The general tells Rediff.com's Archana Masih what it is to live a life under threat and how he has not let that cow him down.
'I am filled with hope and inspiration as I have the privilege to view this testament to Gandhi's life. He is a hero not just to India but to the world,' Obama wrote in the visitor's book.
Briti Chatterjee sings Bangla folk songs on her handmade Dotara. This Durga Pujo, she is booked for 17 shows in pandals across Kolkata.
On the 70th anniversary of World War II, Major General Eustace D'Souza, a young soldier in those battles, looks back at the war that changed the world.
'People were asleep when they heard a loud noise and then a huge deluge of water accompanied with boulders and trees hit their homes.' 'Locals say around 400 houses have totally vanished in the landslide and floods.'
The mini utensils made of mud crafted by local potters and the gharaunda [miniature house] are unique to Diwali in Bihar.
From the torch, to the gas cylinder, to the sewing machine, to a whistle, to a camera... Uttarakhand's Independent candidates are in the fray with some interesting election symbols.
Chandrasekhar -- former minister of state for Electronics and IT -- disagreed with Musk's opinion about EVMs, and argued that the latter's statement was a "huge sweeping generalisation".
'Looking at how quickly the hostilities were escalating, the nuclear threshold did not seem that far.'
An illuminating conversation with Chandu Borde, 90, one of India's finest cricketers in the 1960s.
'India is using Hasina to warn the Yunus government because there is a ground support for the Awami League in Bangladesh.'
'Decline of the UN did not start with the Trump administration. It has been happening over the last two decades or more.'
'When compared to many of America's treaty allies in Asia, Modi 3.0 is on a much stronger footing.'
'No military offensive by Pakistan will end the insurgency in Balochistan without simultaneous, concerted efforts toward political dialogue to de-escalate tensions.'
'We used to get Rs 250 for a Test match, and if the match was over in 4 days, 50 rupees were cut.'
'The Pakistani State has to realise that the pigeons have come home to roost.'
24 hours before campaigning ends in Thiruvanathapuram, Archana Masih/Rediff.com discovers Shashi Tharoor and his BJP rival Rajeev Chandrasekhar are busy getting their message across to voters.
'Amritpal was just a plant.' 'We have to be careful that such kind of people do not emerge in Punjab.'
Fort Kochi's charm lies in its oldness. Put on that cap, lace up your sneakers and those 10,000 steps are easy-peasy!
Every Indian must visit the National War Memorial in Delhi where every soldier who made the supreme sacrifice for the Motherland is remembered in gold letters.
'...without massive amounts of force.'
'Trump's desire to withdraw the US from some arenas on the global stage will result in ceding space to China.'
'I was in serious depression during the shooting of Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar.' 'I realised that this is not the film I wanted to make.' 'Aamir told me we will redo, remove eight key characters and reshoot.' 'He gave me the confidence and told me it was a timeless script.'
'He will be remembered for his simplicity and for taking up the cause of the labourers with great passion.'
'The precision strikes were well planned and excellently executed. The world will be studying this operation.'
'If you stay out of power for long, you become irrelevant, your party members become restless and start looking to jump ship.'
Biman Basu, the senior-most Marxist leader in the country, pays homage to a comrade he has known and admired since the 1980s.
'It brings precarious peace because the red lines have shifted. 'The next Pahalgam attack would mean a full scale war.'
'General Paddy was amongst the last line of generals who stood by his convictions and brooked no interference in matters which were his domain.' Lieutenant General Zameer Uddin Shah (retd) salutes his former chief who passed away on August 19.
'A less tense US-China relationship would make Beijing less likely to provoke India -- including on the border -- in retaliation for its close defence ties with the US.'
'Munir hopes to solidify his hold on power.'
'I will win the election. The Congress and BJP are fighting for second place.'
Christina Rindiki's all-women team on the India-Myanmar border in Champhai, Mizoram, delivers 300 plus Amazon packets daily. The women handle all aspects of the operation and made around 450 deliveries per day this month alone. This is their story.
'The government is saying 88 Hindus have been killed, but it could be much more.' 'Their properties are being looted, their businesses have been ransacked. I am getting distress calls from there.' 'Muslims who believe in the philosophy of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman are also under attack. Most of those who have fled Bangladesh after Sheikh Hasina's fall are Muslims.'
'It was the hostility of the Yunus regime that made India careful and wary of dealing with them.' 'They gradually backed off and lowered the noise, but the damage was done.' 'Their true colours had been exposed.'
'The Galwan clash in 2020 resulted in a large number of troops being moved from J&K to Eastern Ladakh which caused a thinning of deployment in the Jammu area.'
