Andhra Deputy Chief Minister defends Hindi as 'unifying language', sparks debate
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Indian Express
20 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Narasimha Rao knew 17 languages, today we are asking — why learn Hindi: Naidu
Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu Tuesday said former PM P V Narasimha Rao was a scholarly person who knew 17 languages, and took a veiled dig at the charge of Hindi imposition in states like Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, saying, 'now we are asking — why should we learn Hindi'? During a lecture on 'The life and legacy of former PM Shri PV Narasimha Rao', Naidu termed him a 'great statesman' and 'visionary' who changed the future of India. Independent India, he said, is divided into two phases: pre-economic reforms and after it. Recalling the 1991 economic crisis, Naidu credited Rao for the economic reforms and called him 'one of the greatest sons of Bharat Mata'. 'P V Narasimha Rao was the Deng Xiaoping of India,' he said, likening the opening up of the economy in 1991 to Deng's transformation of the Chinese economy in 1978. 'He changed the future of India and we are enjoying the fruits of his reforms today,' Naidu said. '… Rao was heading a minority government then. Yet, because of his political acumen he could build a consensus across parties and ideologies. This was his greatest achievement,' he said. Naidu said it was because of the 1991 economic reforms that despite there being coalition governments between 1989 and 2014, 'the results produced were better than those in the previous decades with majority governments'. He commended ex-PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee for continuing the good work of Rao, recalling the road infra and telecom strides during his government (1998 to 2004). Naidu pointed to what he saw as India's four strengths — economic reforms, demographic dividend, first-mover IT advantage and now the strong leadership of PM Narendra Modi. 'Under Modi-ji from 2014, there has been further progress. India will become the third largest economy in 2028,' he said. Vikas Pathak is deputy associate editor with The Indian Express and writes on national politics. He has over 17 years of experience, and has worked earlier with The Hindustan Times and The Hindu, among other publications. He has covered the national BJP, some key central ministries and Parliament for years, and has covered the 2009 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls and many state assembly polls. He has interviewed many Union ministers and Chief Ministers. Vikas has taught as a full-time faculty member at Asian College of Journalism, Chennai; Symbiosis International University, Pune; Jio Institute, Navi Mumbai; and as a guest professor at Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi. Vikas has authored a book, Contesting Nationalisms: Hinduism, Secularism and Untouchability in Colonial Punjab (Primus, 2018), which has been widely reviewed by top academic journals and leading newspapers. He did his PhD, M Phil and MA from JNU, New Delhi, was Student of the Year (2005-06) at ACJ and gold medalist from University Rajasthan College in Jaipur in graduation. He has been invited to top academic institutions like JNU, St Stephen's College, Delhi, and IIT Delhi as a guest speaker/panellist. ... Read More
Indian Express
30 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Mamata: No ban on samosa, jalebi, won't interfere with food habits
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said Tuesday that state government will not implement a ban on popular snacks like samosas and jalebi as suggested by some media reports and her government would not interfere with people's food habits. In a post on X, Banerjee wrote, 'Some media have reported that apparently samosas/jalebis cannot be consumed from now on, based on instructions from the (Union) Health Ministry. This is not a notification from the Government of West Bengal. We are not interfering in every matter. We shall not implement this. I think, samosas and jalebis are popular in other states also. People in those states also love these food items. Let us not interfere with people's food habits.' Hitting back, BJP IT cell incharge Amit Malviya said on X, 'Sitting in the Chief Minister's chair with no real governance to offer, Mamata Banerjee has now taken to tweeting about fake issues. The Union Health Ministry has issued no advisory banning the consumption of samosas or jalebis. This is pure fiction — peddled by Mamata for cheap publicity. With her credibility fading and her authority increasingly challenged by her own nephew, this is what she's been reduced to: spreading falsehoods over imaginary controversies.' Sweety Kumari reports from West Bengal for The Indian Express. She is a journalist with over a decade of experience in the media industry. Covers Crime, Defence, Health , Politics etc and writes on trending topics. With a keen eye for investigative and human-interest stories. She has honed her craft across diverse beats including aviation, health, incidents etc. Sweety delivers impactful journalism that informs and engages audiences. Sweety Kumari is a graduate of Calcutta University with an Honors degree in Journalism from Jaipuria College and a PG in Mass Communication from Jadavpur University. Originally from Bihar, she is brought up in Kolkata and completed her education from Kendriya Vidyalaya SaltLake. Multilingual, Sweety is fluent in English, Hindi, Bengali, and Maithili. She started her career as an Entertainment and lifestyle journalist with a newsportal in Kolkata. She is working with The Indian Express for 8 years now. ... Read More
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
National highways proposed in Kerala now in limbo
Thiruvananthapuram: Two of Kerala's most significant road development plans, including the proposed Kozhikode-Mysore greenfield corridor and the declaration of 12 key road stretches as national highways (NHs), have hit a wall with Centre either stalling or quietly stepping back from earlier commitments. In a fresh representation to Union ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH), state urged urgent revival of both. Govt asked MPs from the state to take up the matter in Parliament. The Kozhikode-Mysore economic corridor, envisioned as a seamless 24-hour greenfield highway bypassing ecologically sensitive areas, was initially backed by National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), which engaged with forest department to finalise an alignment that would skirt major wildlife sanctuaries. However, the state flagged that NHAI was no longer pursuing the project actively—a development it described as "a matter of serious concern. " The proposed corridor was designed to offer uninterrupted interstate connectivity between Bengaluru and north Kerala, particularly vital in light of the night traffic ban on NH-766 and other roads passing through Bandipur and Wayanad forests. Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan personally raised the issue with Union road transport minister Nitin Gadkari during a meeting on Dec 6, 2024 but no follow-up commitments materialised. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This Could Be the Best Time to Trade Gold in 5 Years IC Markets Learn More Undo Equally troubling is Centre's failure to act on its earlier in-principle approval to declare 12 important road stretches in Kerala, totalling 484.6km, as NHs. While the directive to foreclose the preparation of detailed project reports (DPRs) came in July 2020, state is now pushing for these road stretches to be revived under the NH network, given that formal notification never followed despite the initial green light. The state's latest appeal underscores that these roads are strategically critical and their upgradation is even more urgent, considering Kerala's overburdened road infrastructure. State currently has just about 580km of NHs under PWD's purview. With one of the highest vehicle and population densities in the country, capacity expansion through centrally funded corridors is being projected as a non-negotiable priority. As these proposals under Bharatmala Pariyojana are being discontinued, state has submitted a fresh set of 17 road stretches covering 1,054km for inclusion in Vision 2047 Master Plan, which MoRTH is currently finalising. These corridors have been identified after a new assessment and reflect the evolving transport and logistics needs of the region, Kerala argues. Adding to its case, govt highlighted that no new major project has been sanctioned for Kerala through PWD's NH wing in the last four years. It urged Centre to include 14 proposed projects amounting to Rs 6,700 crore in MoRTH's current year annual plan, warning that worsening congestion and infrastructure fatigue would continue unless the pipeline was urgently revived. As Centre maintains silence despite multiple submissions, state has now shifted gears politically, urging its MPs to escalate the issue in Parliament in a coordinated push. While the projects themselves may have seen bureaucratic limbo for years, state's current campaign signals that the fight for them is anything but over.
