Editorial

FACTUALLY, the Opposition-sponsored I.N.D.I. Alliance lasted far longer than its natural life-cycle. For, factually, this alliance never got started since its founding convener, Mr. Nitish Kumar, deserted it before even its formal launch. Later, with a clock-like regularity, this or that partner of the alliance kept straying out of the ambit for its own reasons. And even when the alliance held on to itself somehow, it was dogged by a half-open-half-silent leadership tussle. The INDI Alliance, thus, ..

THE proposed move of the Border Security Force (BSF) to relocate as many as 360 zero-line villages along the Bangladesh border to safer areas points to a critical shift in the overall security calculus of the country. Villagers themselves have pushed for such a relocation since those villages get almost totally cut off from any emergency services particularly during nights and that the common people have to be at the mercy of Bangladesh. The BSF has also favoured the relocation since it would help ..

 INNUMERABLE followers of Indian music often confused her voice with that of the legendary Lata Mangeshkar. Such was the strength and charm of the voice of Suman Kalyanpur -- who passed away at age 89. Yet, in her own way, she created her tremendous..

FOR record, Mr. Siddaramaiah has resigned as Chief Minister of Karnataka. For record, his deputy, Mr. D K Shivakumar would take his place for the remaining two years of the five-year term. For record, thus, the power tussle within the Congress party is over. So, for record, the State Government would now find time to devote to people’s issues. Despite this, nobody would ever be sure that the internal trouble in the party would really end. This is how the Congress party often functions -- in a fractious ..

 THE statement by Congress leader Mr. Rahul Gandhi at a Congress party meet two days ago has naturally begun attracting barbed criticism all over the country. Though other Congress leaders are trying to express support to Mr. Gandhi’s statement..

EVEN before the wrestling bout could begin, the Delhi High Court had to play referee in a match that was being contested without the spirit of sports. The HC handed a massive relief to woman wrestler Vinesh Phogat by overturning the selection guidelines framed by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and allowed the Olympian to compete in the Asian Games trials. The Delhi HC verdict hands Vinesh a major boost after remaining in the eye of the storm over the last two years...

BY INVOKING Article 21 of the Constitution to deal with the stray dogs menace, the Supreme Court has put things in the right perspective as the right to live with dignity also includes the right to move freely in public spaces without fear of attack by stray animals. The apex court has wisely stressed that children, travellers and old age people cannot be left vulnerable while refusing to recall its earlier order on sterilisation of stray dogs. The firm stand by the Supreme Court should now put the ..

THOUGH the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) may be facing an acute distortion because of the conflict of interests of the Member-Nations on account of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, there should be no doubt that the grouping would reinvent itself in times to come. The current strain between the United States of America and NATO’s European Member-Nations would get sorted out in some time and a new NATO may emerge to redefine the world order. Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi’s current ..

PRIME Minister Mr. Narendra Modi’s current five-nation tour of United Arab Emirates, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Italy is one of the most critical diplomatic campaigns he has undertaken in recent times. When the world is getting embroiled in the serious energy crisis following the ongoing US-Israel-Iran conflict, Mr. Modi has taken upon himself to open newer avenues of energy supplies to India and also build stronger strategic ties with more countries. Of course, he has visited all these five ..

 IT IS time the Opposition avoided unnecessary criticism of the Government as it promotes austerity measures at all possible levels. Thanks to the worsening international situation due to the extended Middle East crisis, the Government has found it n..

THE repeated appeals to people by Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi and his senior colleagues in the Government in favour of austere living in the current conditions need to be taken seriously by the larger Indian society. Though the Government insists that the country has enough crude oil and gas reserves, it has nevertheless urged the people to save every drop possible so as to be ready for tougher days in times to come. It has also urged the people not to undertake unnecessary foreign travels and ..

T HE strongly-worded advisory issued by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) pulling up Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises for conduct and protocol violations is a necessary step to ensure discipline in the world’s biggest cricket league. IPL’s fame and the BCCI’s prestige needs to be protected by all the stakeholders and the Board has acted in time before its reputation could take a beating like it did during the dark fixing and betting scandal in the 2013 edition of the cash-rich ..

  THEre were cracks in the Opposition I.N.D.I. Alliance right since its inception, but the Legislative election results in five States have shown that those cracks are widening every passing day. Every party -- without exception -- is showing s..

 OUSTED West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) founder Ms. Mamata Banerjee is following a clearly immoral morality. She is indulging in a sinful thought-process that is not just anti-democratic but also unconstitutional. Her statemen..

  THE outcomes of exit polls have almost fully matched the actual results of the legislative elections to four States and one Union Territory. As per the exit poll prediction, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has ousted the Trinamool Congress in..

THE time of reckoning has come for India to deal squarely with the oil and gas and fuel prices. The Government has taken the step to introduce steep hike in the prices of commercial LPG cylinders along with a similar hike in the prices of 5-kg cylinders...

HIDDEN costs of the continuing West Asia crisis are coming out in the open for all economies dependent upon oil imports from the Gulf countries. With fuel supplies severely impacted due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran after a battle-deadlock with the United States, many countries in Asia and other parts of the world are struggling with energy crisis. Fuel prices have already seen steep hikes in many economies lacking sufficient oil reserves and mechanisms to absorb losses. Hardly a ..

THE amount of runs and the pace of scoring have already ensured that this edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to become the most explosive tournament. Steep targets are being demolished with total ease as batters have set the trend of making an opening statement to subdue the defending side. Trends are also being set by the established players who have matched the newcomers equally in showing their class. It has been a speciality of the IPL where the young and experience form a potent ..

EVEN as the nation remembered with heavy heart the killing of innocent civilian male tourists at Pahalgam exactly one year ago, the Indian Army, true to its spirit, gave out a terse message to whosoever it may concern that “boundaries of humanity” should never be crossed, and that there would be a “decisive response” if the violation took place again. As the people knew about this message from the Army, they remembered the precision strikes the Indian Armed Forces conducted on Pakistani targets as ..

 NO MATTER that the combined Opposition has managed to defeat the Constitution Amendment Bill of Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam in the Lok Sabha, it is now being made to face a much bigger, country-wide narrative war launched by the Bharatiya Janata Pa..

 T HE defeat of the Constitution Amendment Bill (131st) seeking 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures came on expected lines. There is reason to believe that even the Government expected the Bill to fail the numbers test on the floor of t..

 NO MATTER the electoral rhetoric she is putting up in her own defence, West Bengal Chief Minister Ms. Mamata Banerjee (who also heads the Trinamool Congress -- TMC) is beginning to feel the real heat of the challenge the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)..

 A RAY of hope has emerged in the West Asia crisis with the possibility of another round of talks between representatives of the United States and Iran. Feelers about a possible meeting in Pakistan have come from both sides despite the rising tension..

WITHIN hours of the two-week ceasefire announced by the United States and Iran, hostilities have resumed on the other side with Israel attacking Lebanon territories. It has resulted in over 300 casualties so far but the biggest casualty of these strikes is likely to the proposed peace talks between Washington and Tehran representatives scheduled in Islamabad. The US-Iran truce now hangs in balance with conflicting statements and developments clouding truth about the ceasefire. As the two-week pause ..

AS RELATIONS between the United States and Iran as well as US allies sour further over the ongoing West Asia crisis, a silent reset is on in South Asia with India in firm focus. The last few days have seen US President Mr. Donald Trump heaping severe criticism on Iranian regime and pillorying American allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). At the same time, India was seriously engaged in diplomatic outreach to Governments in Bangladesh and Nepal with a view to rebuild strained relations ..