Indholdsfortegnelse for April 12, 2021 i India Today

One of India’s tectonic political shifts has been the metamorphosis of the BJP from the principal opposition grouping to the world’s largest party, which claims to have a membership of over 150 million. This change was heralded by the arrival of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his party chief Amit Shah on the national scene in 2014. In the past seven years, the BJP has transformed itself into a relentless election fighting machine that seems to be in perpetual campaign mode. This complex organism extends from the heights of national government down to grassroots units such as booth committees earlier to ‘page committees’ that mobilise voters and cadre, and is constantly being refined. The creation and successful management of such a massive organisation is a stupendous managerial feat, worthy of…

Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani’s ‘Lunch with CM’ initiative has him breaking bread once a month with members of various communities. Now, his Goa counterpart, Pramod Sawant, has borrowed the idea. ‘Coffee with CM’ will be Sawant’s monthly connect with young people. Wouldn’t ‘Beer with CM’ be more apt, one of his aides wisecracked—it’s Goa, after all.…

Since 2006, one political party, the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF), has been a part of every coalition government in Assam. Formed in 2005, it shared power with the Congress between 2006 and 2016. Just before the assembly poll in 2016, it dumped its former ally and joined hands with the BJP. In February this year, the party took a U-turn to be part of the Congress-led ‘Mahajath’, a pre-poll alliance of eight parties. Though now with the Congress, the BPF’s unannounced policy to be part of the power structure at the Centre and in the state makes it the most unpredictable kingmaker in Assam’s politics. The party, which has been sweeping the election in the state’s Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) for the past three assembly polls, can switch sides, depending…

In the upcoming April 6 Tamil Nadu assembly election, Chief Minister E.K. Palaniswami is faced with a somewhat Herculean task—winning a third consecutive term for the All India Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). Achieving this will match the record of party founder M.G. Ramachandran, the actor-turned-politician whose radiating charisma and zeal for people’s welfare won his party the assembly polls in 1977, 1980 and 1984. The party currently holds 124 seats in the 235-member house. The chief minister’s poll strategy has focused on promoting the AIADMK’s achievements in the past decade while relying on his allies, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), to target the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). In early March, the AIADMK signed a pact with the BJP, assigning it 20 seats for the…

After losing to the hosts in Adelaide in the first Test of the 2020-21 tour of Australia, having been bowled out for 36 on the morning of 19 December 2020, India held a team meeting around midnight. “We were determined to get past that one bad hour and a lot of ideas were on the table,” recalls Ajinkya Rahane, who’d taken over the captaincy from Virat Kohli in the most challenging circumstances. “That’s when Ravibhai [Shastri] said we could think of 36 as a badge. Would it be a badge of disgrace or a badge of honour? That was for us… the beginning of the turnaround.” These recollections of Rahane, the stand-in captain for three of the four Tests on that tour, which India capped off with an epic come-from-behind…

In a video titled ‘Simple Kerala Style Chicken Fry’, uploaded on YouTube channel ‘Village Cooking – Kerala’, the sound of heavy rain mingles with the sizzle of chicken cooking in a heady spice mix of coriander, red chilli and pepper. In the videos, shot in Pothupara in Kerala’s Pathanamthitta district, birds chirp away as 66-year-old Omana amma expertlycrusheswhole spices on an ammikallu andcooksona wood-fired stove. In Palakkad, brothers Sebin and Ebin P.K. shoot videos atop a hill overlooking the Mangalam dam, for their channel ‘Hilltop Kitchen by PK brothers’. The videos begin with a panoramic shot of the dam, before Sebin collects twigs to get his stove burning, or plucks pineapples to rustle up some halwa. These channels showcasing rural life in lush Kerala evoke nostalgia and are a clear…

In Burqa Boxers, one of the protagonists rents a police uniform costume. She has realised that her dream of becoming a policewoman will remain just that, but she wants to live it out nevertheless. She gets photographs clicked in a studio while wearing the uniform. The scene delivers a punch to the gut as it establishes that the women in the documentary, like elsewhere, straddle multiple worlds that often collide with each other. Alka Raghuram’s 2016 film, which is now out on Cinemapreneur, a pay-per-view OTT platform, follows the lives of three female Muslim boxers in Kidderpore, Kolkata. “It shows how a group of feisty women and girls from a deeply traditional community try to change things in a way that’s appropriate for them,” says Raghuram over the phone from…

Q. You’ve said that the lock-down made you a barber, gardener and cook. Looking ahead, which of these skills will serve you most in the future? I became a housekeeping expert. I was an electrician, a mechanic and many other things. I enjoyed gardening because I love nature. I also have fond memories of farming with my father in our Guwahati home. Q. You have collaborated with the likes of Karsh Kale and MIDIval Punditz in the past. Your new song, ‘Main Aaj Bhi Wahin’, also has a strong electronica influence. What draws you to that genre? You will find traces of electronica even in my first Assamese album, released in the late 1990s, Jonaki Raati. I was exposed to electronic music in Delhi where I met MIDIval Punditz and…

Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu has announced a road project to Vijaynagar, one of his state’s remotest regions, in style—with a cross-country trek over two days. Khandu, on March 27, became the first CM to reach Arunachal’s last administrative headquarters close to the Myanmar border. The road from Vijaynagar to Miao will be ready by March 2022. Khandu drove 157 km by jeep and finished the rest of the journey on foot. He even shared pictures of him walking and driving through mud and slush. An all-terrain politician?…

WHEN HE WAS YOUNG, Jagat Prakash Nadda was an ace sprinter and swimmer, winning gold medals both in school and college in Patna where he grew up. Sports, he said, taught him focus, consistency and the patience to wait for the right opportunity. These qualities held him in good stead when he returned to his home state, Himachal Pradesh, joined politics and was elected an MLA of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In 1998, when the party won the assembly poll, he was bypassed for the chief minister’s post which was given to Prem Kumar Dhumal. The BJP general secretary who made that choice was Narendra Modi. Even though Nadda had worked closely with Modi to ensure the BJP win, he showed no rancour and even joined the Dhumal cabinet.…

Adhering to safety norms: safe distancing at the workplace, keeping shop floors/ offices sanitised, wearing masks Better cost controls, be it purchase of raw materials, managing supply chains or day-today operations Avoiding inventory pile-up by making stock available through just-in-time practices and lean manufacturing methods Keeping alternative vendors on standby in case existing ones fail to deliver Developing a robust online strategy to take orders and deliver directly to homes Renegotiating with landlords to try and bring office/ shop rentals down Opting for more contract/ temporary staff so that downsizing is easier…

The Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) is an autonomous region created under the 6th Schedule of the Constitution to provide self-rule to the Bodo people in four adjoining districts—Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa and Udalguri—in western Assam. The 6th Schedule allows for political autonomy and decentralised governance in certain tribal areas of the Northeast. The Bodos, a plains-dwelling tribe, are the single-largest ST community in Assam, accounting for nearly 6 per cent of its population. Several Bodo groups have led armed struggles, demanding either a separate state or country for Bodos. Three accords—in 1993, 2003 and 2020—have been signed among the Centre, state and the Bodo groups to bring an end to the insurgency in the region. Following the 2003 accord, the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) was created to administer the four districts…

WEST BENGAL NON-STOP SOPS There appears to be no end to the promises being made to voters in Bengal. Aside from poll pledges, Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee has been promising rewards to those willing to protect EVMs (electronic voting machines) against tampering. Alleging that BJP leaders are using money and threats to get votes, she has also promised jobs to those who prevent this from happening. “Look out for outsiders and gundas coming into your communities with cash to lure voters,” she has said at poll rallies. “Hand them over to us. We will reward you.” The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is not far behind—among other pledges, Union home minister Amit Shah has promised five-rupee meals for the tribals of West Midnapore, Purulia and Bankura, as well as…

“Water is the world’s most replenishable substance,” said Sunita Narain, kicking off the India Today Water Round Table on a positive note. “It is not necessary that India will face water shortages or a water war,” added the director general of Centre for Science and Environment. Moderated by Raj Chengappa, Group Editorial Director (Publishing) at the India Today Group, the virtual session had on its panel experts like Narain working in the field of water conservation. The session was held on March 22, observed as World Water Day. It also explored innovations and tech-based solutions which can be utilised to address India’s water crisis. Harvesting and utilising every drop of rain water India receives was something every speaker stressed on. “Every roof in India needs to be a catchment area.…

It’s hard to say whether the characters in Anuja Chauhan’s five previous novels were as loathsome as the ones in her newest, Club You to Death, or whether elite Indian society has simply become so cringeworthy that it is almost unbearable to look at its reflection in Chauhan’s first murder mystery. Certainly it is simpler to overlook the prejudices and follies of the privileged of another era, for example 1980s Delhi, in Chauhan’s The House that BJ Built. Chauhan’s protagonists are never morally uncomplicated: her heroines are often feisty and her heroes cocky, but to even refer glancingly (as some promotional material does), to this novel as a “romance” is wide of the mark. The only sympathetic character is kindly “Papa Bear” ACP Bhavani, an unlikely upstanding Delhi cop. The…

Athlete A (2020) NETFLIX This documentary tells the story of how a group of intrepid reporters came to find that young gymnasts were being sexually abused by USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar. Little Miss Sumo (2018) NETFLIX A 20-year-old female sumo wrestler dares to challenge the rules of the traditional sport by entering the ring herself. Carolina Marín (2020) AMAZON PRIME The series follows the highs and lows of the former world No. 1’s extraordinary career—the Olympic Gold medal win in 2016, a devastating injury and her comeback to the badminton court.…

NDA constituent Chirag Paswan unsuccessfully challenged BJP ally Janata Dal (United) in the Bihar assembly election last November. Since then, things have gone downhill for Chirag and his Lok Janshakti Party (LJP). Its lone MLC in Bihar, Nutan Singh, joined the BJP in February. Now, the lone LJP MLA, Raj Kumar Singh, too appears to have his differences with Chirag. Singh, on March 23, voted for the JD(U) candidate for the post of deputy speaker in the state assembly. The LJP has slapped a showcause notice on Singh, but things aren’t looking too bright for Chirag.…

Q. You played sports when you were young. Does that background help you now in taking decisions and running a political party? A. Yes. I was a running champion and won both sprint and long-distance events. I was also a swimmer and was Bihar No. 4. I even swam across the Ganga in Patna six times. In both politics and sports, it is necessary to focus and be consistent. You also have to wait for opportunities, so you need to be patient. Q. When you took over as BJP president from Amit Shah, the party had already won two back-to-back general elections along with several major assembly polls. What priorities did you set out for yourself when you assumed charge? THE NADDA CREDO“IF WE WANT INDIA TO BE PROGRESSIVE AND…

Fake ID The NIA suspects Vaze stayed at the 5-star Trident Hotel in south Mumbai between January and February using a fake Aadhaar card in the name of Sushant Khamkar. The bag scanner at the hotel showed huge cash in his hand bag. Missing evidence Vaze stands accused of trying to destroy the video data record (VDR), the CCTV footage from cameras installed outside his office. The VDR reportedly contains his movements in the six cars he allegedly used to roam in the city. The NIA found two CPUs, one hard disk, one laptop and two fake number plates from Mithi river. It suspects Vaze tried to destroy data in these devices and threw them in the river near Bandra-Kurla Complex. Attempt to mislead Vaze conducted a raid on one…

“Political tourism bahut achha chal raha hai (Political tourism is on in full swing).” This jibe from Union home minister Amit Shah, the BJP’s chief strategist for the West Bengal assembly election, on March 15 was directed at the 25-odd party leaders in charge of organisational work, who have been camping in the state for the past three months to realise Mission ‘Ebar Bangla (Now Bengal)’. Earlier in the day, Shah had to call off his rally in Jhargram district at the eleventh hour as the BJP local unit was able to mobilise only a handful of people to turn up. Shah’s dressing down for party leaders, though, was prompted by a deeper concern. Campaigning in Guwahati for the Assam election, he decided on a brief stopover in Bengal on…

IN the upcoming Kerala assembly election, scheduled for April 6, the Congress appears to be locked in a battle for survival. Though the party has fielded 55 new candidates and pressed the Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF (Left Democratic Front) government on multiple issues, observers say it has only just managed to fight its way back from ruin. Recently, responding to a complaint filed by the Congress, the Election Commission ordered the state government to halt the distribution of food kits until polling has been concluded. Though this comes late in the day, it may limit how much public goodwill the LDF carries to the polls through this distribution of state resources. On a similar note, the Congress has been making much of a now-cancelled deal valued at several thousand crores between…

Despite the bitter struggle between Mamata and Suvendu Adhikari, the TMC campaign in Nandigram is being run out of a house owned by Adhikari’s election agent. Part of the building had been leased to the TMC before Adhikari left for the BJP, and the situation has continued since. The Left has been quick to say that this confirms their suspicion that the TMC and BJP are working hand-in-glove behind the scenes. The TMC’s Abhishek Banerjee has a new name for Adhikari: “Chaar sau bees (420)” Adhikari. Noting that Adhikari has frequently described voters in numbers—“We have the support of 260,000 [Hindus], I am not concerned with 62,000 [Muslims]”—Banerjee seems to have thought it fit to give Adhikari a ‘number plate’ of his own. Toward the end of campaigning, Mamata sparked…

If you have an interest in food and are on Instagram, it’s likely you are already following chef Thomas Zacharias. The former executive chef of The Bombay Canteen in Mumbai has the kind of feed that will first make you salivate and then want to cook. It might also make you want to hit the road. When travelling through India to discover ingredients and recipes in its nooks and crannies, Zacharias uses the hashtag #ChefOnTheRoad. His recent posts from Uttarakhand also prove he is as fond of people as he is of food. The chef clearly likes his journeys. His own—from working in European restaurants to championing regional Indian cuisine—has been both rewarding and eventful. Growing up in a food-loving family in Kochi, Zacharias says his grandmother played an important…

A friend recently remarked that Siddharth Chowdhury, whose fourth offering is a novella, The Time of the Peacock, is India’s most underrated writer. Perhaps, instead, it’s India’s literary ecosystem that’s overrated. Chowdhury’s mind is like a glacier that is melting due to the zeitgeist. We readers are swept along in his torrent of words: fast but never hurried, the words are cleansing, and translucent so that the riverbed is visible. Each sentence carries so much imagery and information that you marvel at his craft. If a narrative propels you forward effortlessly, it is the mark of a great writer. Chowdhury does that. Apart from being a lighthearted look at Delhi’s publishing scene, The Time of the Peacock is also subtly political There was recently also a mention of “Delhi” writing…

Madhuri Dixit (Khal Nayak) Bollywood without the undercover femalecop islike Khal Nayak without Madhuri Dixit. There remains something iconic about her Inspector Ganga crooning “Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai”, while pretending to be a street girl. Juhi Chawla (One 2 Ka 4) Juhi Chawla effortlessly sways between the comedic cacophony of being a Hum Hain Rahi Pyaar Ke-style babysitter/ lover and the sullen secrecy of being an undercover cop posing as the mega-villain’s sultry squeeze. Sushmita Sen (Samay: When Time Strikes) A rare pre-2010s female cop-led thriller, Samay stars Sushmita Sen in a gender-reversed version of David Fincher’s Se7en—as a widowed ACP on the hunt for an unorthodox serial killer.…