'How can we tolerate such high-handedness?'
'We still have 30,000-40,000 cases.' 'It is plateauing, but the number should definitely come down more so that we can convert the pandemic into an endemic.'
'India is a founding and permanent member of this 'club of shame': Journalists are murdered on account of what they write or intend to write, but nobody is finally brought to justice in such cases.'
'If you pay Rs 1,000, you get a special queue.' 'If you pay Rs 500, there will be another shorter queue.' 'There will be a separate queue for Rs 300.' 'Is this the way you give vaccine to the people?'
'This is about children caring for their parents and helping them with assistance.'
'We don't have any more time.' 'We should close down, and vaccinate as many people as possible.'
'The Hindu electorate is more or less in the BJP defined space now.'
'Some people even boldly ask for a 100% increase in the salary.'
'When I saw my name in the list, it was unbelievable.'
'When the world was refining itself, India was going backwards culturally with so many rape cases and other atrocities against women, children and the elderly. The growth of evil forces was very bad in the last 10 years,' says Malayalam movie star Suresh Gopi, who met Narendra Modi recently tells Rediff.com's Shobha Warrier in this exclusive interview.
'Why does a State that sees a national security issue at every turn not recognise the seriousness of the data from sensitive databases being breached?'
'An ambassador may not be sure whether there would be a war next month, but prudence requires him to take action to see to it that people leave early.' 'Because once the war starts, it will be very difficult to move out.'
We asked colleagues, present and past, to reflect on a man who has made such a difference to their lives and careers. Here it is then, a rich collection of memories that offer enchanting glimpses of the enigmatic Ajit Balakrishnan.
'Segregation suits the BJP at the moment. It will not suit them forever.'
'If they harp on it again, they will begin to lose votes.' 'They have not lost this time, but they will lose next time.' 'Your committed votes will never be enough to guarantee victory for you.'
'Inequality has been growing in the world. The virus has only amplified it.'
'What she did so far and what she will do now is secondary; the most important thing is a person from the Adivasi community has reached the top-most position in the country.'
'In the total of black wealth, only 1% or less than 1% constitute cash.' 'So, even if cash is completely weaned out, it impacts only 1% of the black wealth.'
'People should realise that what we are fighting for today is actually for tomorrow, for future generations.'
'Unemployment barely figures in the Budget except as a derived demand from the industry and infrastructure.' 'There is no effort at direct attack on unemployment.'
'The others have been looting the people all these years. If you don't do that, you can do a lot for the people,' says Tamil star politician Vijayakanth.
'There are a lot of companies that have been struggling really hard expecting to do better year after year.' 'All these people will think now, "Let me not fight any more. Let me end this".'
'What a saint he was. What a godly person he was.'
'After the discovery of the biomarkers, Calpain and Inflammasomes, we know we have a biomarker to target.' 'That way, we can use the biomarkers for an early diagnosis of blood clotting due to hypoxia or low oxygen in the tissues, and can save a life.'
'How many more months and years will we have to wait for truth to win?' 'Will anyone give us back the months and years we have lost waiting for that 'one day'?'
'Putting tanks on the Ladakh border is not enough to combat China, what is needed to ensure resilience against any cyber-attacks or attacks in outer space or China flexing its economic muscle, as it did with Australia.'
'This setback is only transient, and this too shall pass.'
'We want to make sustainability affordable.' 'We tell everyone, don't just recycle, Craste it!'
'His last journey was like putting out the lamps one by one in a temple at night.' 'It was like the soul slowly walking away from the body; it was so pure and peaceful...'
'India's manufacturing will take 10-15 years to catch up with China.'
'For the UDF, it will depend on how far Rahul Gandhi will succeed with the goodwill he has.' 'That will make a difference.'
'The arrest of Kappan, the charge sheet and the way he is being treated show that they view journalism as a criminal activity.'
'During the nine years of BJP rule, not a single temple has been reconstructed.' 'They might have constructed the Ram temple as it is an emotional issue. But they are not much interested in issues like heritage.'
'Our study finds that only about 20% of Indians are vegetarians and the rest of the 80% are non-vegetarians or meat-eaters.'
'We found that in fatty liver patients, something happens that blocks insulin secretion.'
'Those who should have been affected benefitted from demonetisation.' 'And the vast majority who should not have been affected lost out.' 'That is the ultimate result of demonetisation.'
'The Indian State needs to focus on healthcare, education, infrastructure and law and order, and get out of all these regulatory cholesterols.' 'Then, India will fly.'
'As long as there is misery, as long as people let themselves be exploited by rogues, this will continue.'
'In a secular society where women are treated equally by law, I want the same equal status for my daughters in society, on par with all the boys.'
'All Shatabdis and Rajdhanis should be converted to this type of high-speed train.' 'There should be a sleeper version of the train.' 'Right now, there is only a day version of the train.' 'Unless you develop a sleeper version, it will not be possible to replace the Rajdhani.' 'Work on the sleeper version was stopped for some reason. It should be revived now.'
