Policies that created the crisis have not changed: P Sainath on farmer suicides
The 'Only in India' segment explores the digital transformation of traditional Hindu rituals. Ceremonies like griha pravesh, naam karan, mundan, and pitra paksha are now being conducted via video calls, allowing devotees from Delhi to Dubai to Dallas to participate.
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Hans India
12 minutes ago
- Hans India
Suggest ways to overcome booth-wise vote margin deficit: Bengal BJP chief to affiliated organisations
Kolkata: Bengal BJP chief Samik Bhattacharya has directed its affiliated organisations to suggest strategies to overcome or minimise the booth-wise vote margin deficit with Trinamool Congress in the crucial Assembly elections scheduled next year. According to the BJP state committee, Bhattacharya is of the view that the role of the affiliated organisations will be equally crucial to that of the state party unit in overcoming or minimising the booth-wise vote margin deficit with Trinamool Congress. "Precisely that is why he had meetings with the representatives of the affiliated organisations on Friday evening. The party's central observers, Sunil Bansal and Mangal Pandey, were also present at the meeting. In that meeting, Bhattacharya directed the representatives of the different mass organisations to immediately start the process for calculating the booth-wise vote margin deficits and suggest strategies to overcome them," said the state committee member on Saturday. As of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the votes secured by the BJP were 23,327,349 against Trinamool Congress' 27,564,561, which meant the vote margin deficit was 42,37,212. Percentage-wise, the BJP secured 40.7 per cent as against Trinamool Congress's figure of 43.3 per cent. On the other hand, in 2024, the Congress-Left Front alliance secured 62,35,669 popular votes. "As per a rough internal calculation, considering that Muslim votes went to Trinamool Congress' kitty in 2024, the majority of 62 lakh votes that went in favour of the Congress-Left Front alliance were Hindu votes or votes from non-Muslim other religions. Now, if we can turn around and consolidate a large portion of these Hindu votes in our favour in 2026, the vote margin deficit of around 42 lakhs could be minimised to a great extent," said the state committee member. At the same time, efforts will be made to consolidate Hindu votes from non-Muslim other religions, which went to Trinamool Congress till the 2024 polls, into the BJP's fold, he said. Bhattacharya also admitted that the vote consolidation process, as aimed by the BJP, will be comparatively easier in the metro and urban pockets than in the rural belts.
Time of India
17 minutes ago
- Time of India
DJ, liquor, and now cricket? Viral video from Kedarnath sparks outrage
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel A video showing a group of people playing cricket near the Kedarnath temple has gone viral, triggering widespread outrage on social media over the perceived desecration of a sacred Hindu pilgrimage clip was first shared by Uttarakhand Ekta Manch, which strongly condemned the act. In its post, the group wrote, 'In this holy place, everything is happening except devotion to God. Someone is setting up a DJ and turning it into a dance bar, someone is fighting with sticks, someone is playing cricket, someone is selling liquor, and someone is celebrating their honeymoon. Truly, Hinduism is in danger.'The post also demanded the implementation of the Fifth Schedule to protect religious sites and traditions. It is, however, not clear when the incident video was later reshared by The Jaipur Dialogues, which added, "There should be strict action against these people. Kedarnath is a sacred place & it has some Maryada. Can people play cricket like this in Mecca? Why do we keep silence on such issues?"Social media users were divided in their responses. One commented, 'Unfortunately, most Hindu pilgrimage sites have become tourist and recreational hubs. Sad.' Another disagreed, saying, 'Emotions aside, they might be locals. We can't expect them to be in constant Bhakti mode.' A similar sentiment read, 'So locals of Kedarnath should stop living life completely?'Some demanded action: 'Punish and ban these people. Set an example.' Others urged calm: 'Just let them play. Don't overreact.'The controversy comes amid heightened scrutiny of visitor behavior at sacred sites. Earlier this week, the Kedarnath Dham Yatra was temporarily halted due to falling debris and stones at the Munkatia Sliding Zone near challenges, the 2025 Kedarnath Yatra has witnessed record-breaking footfall, which officials attribute to improved infrastructure and growing spiritual enthusiasm. Authorities have deployed enhanced security and medical teams to manage the high-altitude pilgrimage at over 11,000 feet in the Himalayas, the Kedarnath temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and holds immense religious importance. The temple doors were opened to devotees this year on May 2.
The Hindu
31 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Patriarchy exists in all cultures, a universal issue, says Banu Mushtaq
Kannada writer and International Booker Prize winner Banu Mushtaq said that readers were perceiving a sense of universality in the central theme of her writings that exposes patriarchy. She was taking part in a panel discussion at the 9th edition of the Mysuru Literature Festival which got under way here on Saturday. The two-day festival is being organised by the Mysuru Literary Forum Charitable Trust and Mysuru Book Clubs Charitable Trust. The discussion, moderated by writer and poet Bharath Diwakar, included writer and translator Deepa Bhasthi. It touched upon various interconnected topics including patriarchy, activism, feminism, identity, culture, translation, among others. In reply to a question, Ms. Mushtaq referred to criticism from a section of the Muslim leaders that her works were exposing the weakness or faults within the community, while a few others sneered at her stating that she was writing to win praise. But this is not true, said Ms. Mushtaq, citing from reviews of her work from across the globe. She pointed out that the characters and themes have a universality and was not about Muslim community alone as patriarchy exists in all cultures. 'In a telling sign of changing perceptions, the same critics recently honoured me in Hassan,' she said. Ms. Mushtaq said literature cannot bring closure in conflict situations but help open the door to it. As a lawyer and activist, the mind is oriented towards finding a closure of a case and securing compensation. But as a writer, she leaves it to the reader to explore the various possibilities, and the literature only creates a space for it, she added. The writer underscored how characters in her stories never drift towards pessimism or despair, and there is an undercurrent of optimism, light, and hope that veer towards life. Ms. Bhasthi, who translated a collection of short stories by Ms. Mushtaq, said the latter did not micromanage her translation or check for every sentence. 'But when I had doubts or wanted more clarity on an issue, Ms. Mushtaq was always there,' said Ms. Bhasti, underlining the trust that defined their partnership. The two touched upon how their collaboration was described in some quarters as a 'work of a Muslim author and a Hindu translator'. An attempt was made to thrust religious identity, and it was uncomfortable. I took up the work as the theme is universal,' said Ms. Bhasti. Earlier, Pramoda Devi Wadiyar inaugurated the literature festival. Prahalada Rama Rao, a former scientist at the Defence Research and Development Organisation, who was the chief guest, said that culture, art, creativity, etc., can flourish only when there is security from both external and internal forces. He said there was a time when India excelled in various spheres, but in the absence of security, that progress was impeded, and the nation became vulnerable to invasions and cultural erosion. 'A secure environment is the foundation on which intellectual and artistic pursuits like literature, etc., can thrive,' he said. Shubha Sanjay Urs, founder and director of the Mysuru Literature Festival, was present. The organisers said the two-day festival has scores of discussions on various themes, and is a platform for dialogue and creative exchange of ideas reflecting the evolving intellectual and cultural landscape of India.
