Innholdsfortegnelse for Monday, November 6, 2023 i India Today

The BJP versus the Congress. Head to head. In almost all 520 constituencies across three states. For all the buzzing confusion that has crept into our polity in recent decades, there’s such an alluring simplicity to that basic two-party formula that it has endured. It carries the charm of a medieval duel, or a famous tennis rivalry. But within the grid of that bipolar fight, there resides another interesting bipolarity. Ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi strode on to the national stage like a colossus, the BJP has had an unparalleled dominance at the macro level. But whenever the contest shifts to arenas at the local level, it finds its stature as unquestioned supremo slipping away. Almost like a Wimbledon champion playing on the clay court at Roland Garros: the…

In the realm of visionary leaders, one name shines brightly - Mahbubul Hoque, an edupreneur with a mission to develop rural India through institution building. He stands as the founder of a series of educational institutions, including the biggest and NAAC A grade university of the northeast- "University of Science and Technology Meghalaya". His belief in the potential of rural communities to uplift the nation has led him to establish all his educational ventures in remote areas, where 90 percent of his students come from rural villages. He believes that the right vision, honesty, and hard work are the only way to succeed, and therefore in spite of extreme financial constraints, he started his entrepreneurial journey with just one computer, four students, and Rs 85 in his pocket in 2001,…

In recent times, Muslims have been denied entry to some garba venues during Navratri. But this year, Harsh Sanghavi, the Gujarat minister of state for home affairs, did garba with IPS officer Safin Hasan, the deputy commissioner, traffic, in Ahmedabad. On October 19, the Gujarat High Court even sentenced four police officers to 14 days prison for publicly flogging five Muslim men they accused of throwing stones at a crowd during a Navratri event in Kheda last year. Sanghavi had lauded the state police for their action then. Now it’s time for reaching out.…

↘ On October 14, lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai sends a 39-page letter to the CBI and BJP MP Nishikant Dubey with a litany of allegations against Mahua Moitra ↘ The letter claims Mahua accepted luxury gifts/cash from Dubai-based businessman Darshan Hiranandani for asking questions in the Lok Sabha against Gautam Adani’s conglomerate ↘ Among the alleged gifts were luxury brands like Salvatore Ferragamo, Berluti, Louis Vuitton, paid holidays and even cash ↘ Dubey seeks proceedings against Mahua in the House ethics panel; also files a complaint with Lokpal ↘ Mahua calls Dehadrai “a jilted ex”, reprises old charge of Dubey being “a fake degree wala”; says charges are baseless vendetta ↘ Hiranandani files an affidavit incriminating Mahua; says she shared her LS account login/password so he could directly pose questions…

THE CENTRAL TEAM PM Narendra Modi, home minister Amit Shah, BJP president J.P. Nadda, general secretary B.L. Santhosh The four top leaders control the party campaign and candidate selection while also balancing factionalism and setting the narrative. PM Modi is the face of the campaign in all three states ELECTION STRATEGIES ↘ Dhanya Parthasarathy, U. Krishnaswamy Sridhar and Suresh Shreyas Bharadwaj Their outfit Varahe Analytics gathers data and does initial analysis of party prospects, candidates and key issues. Works closely with B.L. Santhosh ↘ Association of Brilliant Minds Stationed in Lucknow, this faceless team works closely with Shah. Work profile includes surveys, voter profiling, campaign strategy. Asking MPs to contest the polls to nix factionalism was their idea MADHYA PRADESH THE SATRAP AND HIS CHALLENGER Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Narendra…

The BJP seems to have ‘forgiven’ Thakur Raja Singh, its lone MLA from Telangana, whom it had suspended in August 2022 for his derogatory remarks against Muslims and Prophet Mohammed in a video after controversy erupted over stand-up comic Munawar Faruqui’s show in Hyderabad. Revoking the suspension, the party is fielding him again from the Goshamahal constituency from where he has won twice. Singh, in fact, figured in the first list of 52 candidates, prompting AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi to say, “Hate speech is the fastest way to get a promotion in Modi’s BJP.” Singh may have also forced the party’s hand, by declaring he would contest as an independent if it didn’t lift his suspension and nominate him. The man is also a Hindutva icon in…

What better way to ensure a constituency stays in the family than to contest from rival parties. And so brothers Girija Shankar Sharma and Sitasaran Sharma will be fighting for the Hoshangabad seat in Madhya Pradesh on Congress and BJP tickets, respectively. Both are BJP veterans and MLAs many times over. In neighbouring Timari seat, sitting BJP MLA Sanjay Shah is pitted against nephew Abhijit Shah (Congress). Another uncle-nephew battle will play out in Deotalab in Rewa district, where assembly speaker Girish Gautam will be pitted against nephew Padmesh Gautam (Congress). In Sagar, BJP MLA Shailendra Jain is contesting against his brother’s wife Nidhi (Congress). In Akaltara seat in Chhattisgarh, Raghvendra Singh has Congress backing against uncle Saurabh Singh, the sitting BJP MLA. Thus political parties get to accommodate the…

Q. How easy or difficult has it been for you to be a star kid? Well, I’ll be honest, there are certain privileges and I did have my foot in the door. But beyond that, sustaining is something one has to do on one’s own steam. Having a famous parent or belonging to a family that’s known is one thing but being able to carve a name for your own self is quite another. Q. And how have you overcome these challenges? The one thing I have always believed in is to embrace my individuality and follow my passions fearlessly. In a world filled with constant comparisons and pressures, it’s important to stay true to yourself and pursue what makes you happy. My goals are set according to my strengths,…

LOUNGING IN LUXURY There’s nothing better than assuming your couch potato avatar on a luxury lounger. And this one from Poltrona Frau and Ceccotti Collezioni’s duo collection is your best bet to experience the ‘Made in Italy’ excellence. Price on request; Availability Brand stores HOMECOMING If quirky is your quest, look no further than ‘The Guest’ (Limited edition) by Camille Walala sculptures presents a unity of opposites that gleefully combine bold, bright colours with intricate patterns, this is where decor accents get distinctive, deliberate and dramatic. And Lladro does it with élan. Price ₹2.57 lakh; Availability Brand stores LIGHT YEARS AHEAD If even a luxurious, handcrafted, crystal chandelier, in delicate purple does not set the right mood, it’s time to seek professional help. Inspired by the royal Wisteria’s lilac hues,…

What has truly charmed the trade and tipplers alike about the country’s cocktail game, in recent times, is the constant reinvention. With a flourishing subculture of cocktail experiences, what is happening at bars, experiential dining places, even micro breweries, has evolved into thought-provoking concepts, nuanced storytelling, celebration of provenance and nostalgia in a bid to woo the oohs and aahs! We’ve bid adieu to the idea of creating a menu that’s split between families of cocktails and various other spirits. Now, celebrated watering holes look at menus as timeless plays and novels that are almost like collectibles. These menus have become a window into the host city’s glory, the country’s hidden crafts, and stories from the past, all served up with a dash of showmanship and sensibility-driven hospitality. More than…

Jewels are miniature time capsules, forever crystalising a memorable moment in a person’s life. Beyond personal adornment, jewellery, through its design, innate preciousness, and craftsmanship, also reflects the socio-economic aspects influencing buyer sentiments. The coming festive season brings a fresh perspective on fine and high jewellery in India. Natural diamonds are out, and coloured gemstones have moved in, especially emeralds. Fifteen years ago, diamond solitaire earrings, or bangles with round diamonds were integral to any HNI’s jewellery collection. That’s changed. Some may argue that the growing popularity of lab-grown diamonds combined with a 35 per cent drop in wholesale diamond prices in certain categories of round diamonds (1-3 carat, SI) has spooked customers and retailers alike. That may be true to a small extent, but other factors deserve credit for…

Love it or hate, but you can’t ignore it. After all, from tech-veterans to real housewives, the Apple iPhone launch is eagerly awaited by one and all. Among the four smartphones released, the iPhone 15 Pro Max was the top-end model. The Titanium body had everyone drooling over it right from the announcement. Here’s why this new phone is worth the dent in your pocket. Looks Good When it comes to the design of the new Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max, two significant changes stand out. The company has bid farewell to the Lightning Charging port in favour of the USBC port. Another noteworthy change is the introduction of an action button, which replaces the traditional ringer key. This addition allows for personalised customisation, enhancing user functionality. That’s not all,…

Imagine a perfect day out on the ocean: Clear azure skies reflected in the magnetic blue of the waters below, warm sun on your shoulders, clearly adrift in a cloud of dreams. If you haven’t quite discovered your sea legs yet, celebrate your blue cloud day with OMEGA’s oceangoing icon instead. The luxury Swiss brand has launched a new collection with bold dials that includes a striking tone reminiscent of an idyllic day on a boundless sea. The seven iconic models—totalling eleven watches in all—offer comprehensive options from dressy to serious dive tech. While cool and classy is the shared edit, Summer Blue, is another common denominator, used in greater or lesser degrees to reflect the water resistance of each of the Seamasters to outline its depth-defying credentials. If Aqua…

The latest round of the e-auction of various gifts given to Prime Minister Narendra Modi ends on October 31. On the anvil are a badminton racket autographed by K. Srikanth for Rs 5.4 lakh, a seated Buddha in wood for Rs 1.8 lakh and a jersey autographed by the men’s hockey team of the 2022 Commonwealth Games at Rs 3.2 lakh. The star item is a Paresh Maity painting of the Varanasi ghat, the price of which has gone up to Rs 74 lakh from Rs 64 lakh on October 2. An aluminium javelin gifted to the PM, initially priced at Rs 3.34 lakh, is also going at around Rs 15 lakh. However, a week before the auction, the response has been tepid as the number of items yet to…

Even though the Congress is sitting pretty in Karnataka after its emphatic win in the May assembly polls, partymen can’t resist speculating about a change of guard. On October 20, Ashok Pattan, the chief whip, brought up the subject of a mid-term reshuffle. Then, MLA Basavaraj Shivaganga claimed that the 70-odd first-time MLAs will back deputy chief minister D.K. Shivakumar as chief minister. Shivakumar, also the PCC president, responded with a gag order, forbidding MLAs from publicly airing views on such issues. Kaushik Deka with Avishek Ghosh Dastidar, Prashant Srivastava, Jumana Shah, Ajay Sukumaran and Amitabh Srivastava…

THE CENTRAL TEAM Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and K.C. Venugopal They have let the state team take the lead in campaigning as well as in setting the narrative while providing support where necessary. Rahul Gandhi is the prime driver of the caste census demand, a core campaign mantra of the party ELECTION STRATEGISTS Sunil Kanungo A former colleague of Prashant Kishor, he was instrumental in the Congress victory in Karnataka. Now given charge of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan Naresh Arora His company DesignBoxed worked for Karnataka deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar in the run-up to the assembly polls there. Now doing poll surveys in Rajasthan MADHYA PRADESH THE TWO COMMANDERS Kamal Nath and Digvijaya Singh: They are strategising and managing the entire poll campaign of the party in the…

As Nawaz Sharif made his way up the elevated stage at his party’s show of force at Lahore’s landmark Minare-Pakistan on October 21, his daughter Maryam Nawaz pointedly recited a verse from the Quran on the mic. The well-known Arabic verse translates as “Indeed, You [God] can exalt whom You please, and abase whom You please.” The fact that this was the same Quranic verse tweeted by the army’s spokesperson, then Maj. Gen. Asif Ghafoor, on July 25, 2018, as election results poured in, was not lost on anyone. The results had suggested a final nail in the coffin for Sharif’s party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), and a win for Sharif’s rival, Imran Khan. Sharif himself had already been ousted as a third-time prime minister and disqualified for life…

↘ In case of a multifront war in Gaza, West Bank, Syria and Lebanon, and unrest in all of West Asia, oil prices could rise by $8 per barrel, global inflation by 0.2 percentage points, and growth would slow down by 0.3 points ↘ A direct war involving Israel and Iran, coupled with unrest in West Asia, could see oil prices rise by an additional $64 a barrel, touching $150 a barrel. Global inflation could rise by 1.2 points, and growth fall by 1 point ↘ Higher oil prices could widen the trade deficit for India, where the government will have to shell out more for imports. Since it will not want to pass on the hike to consumers due to the impending state and general elections, its welfare spend…

Early this year, Priyanka Chopra Jonas hosted a pre-Oscars bash in Hollywood to celebrate South Asian talent both on and behind the screen. A few days later, Indian films RRR (2022) and The Elephant Whisperers (2022) won at the Oscars. South Asia will be the focus again this time at the Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival (October 27 to November 5), of which Chopra is the chairperson. Returning after a pandemic-induced intermission of three years, the festival will host 130 filmmakers and screen 250 films across 20 venues around Mumbai. One of them is the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre’s 2,000-seater Grand Theatre, where Chopra is expected to host an opening gala. “We were sure if MAMI is to be back in Mumbai, it has to be in a bigger…

ROOH by Manav Kaul PENGUIN EBURY PRESS ₹499; 256 pages THE PLAYS HE HAS SCRIPTED and directed, the film roles he has essayed, the many novels, short stories, and anthologies of poems that he has written in Hindi, all of them are quintessentially Manav Kaul. Each, intense and introspective, and drawing from the deeply personal. In that sense, his latest novel titled Rooh, ostensibly a travelogue through Kashmir, is also more about the journey within rather than a descriptive documentation of the Valley’s beauty. Kaul travels through Srinagar, Gulmarg, Baramulla, even treks up to the stunning Tarsar Lake. But don’t expect a touristy travel tale. This one is an exploration into his inner self, sometimes heartwarming, often heart-rending. The story works on several different levels. Sprinkled throughout are incidents that…

CHOICE IS A SUBTLE INTERLOCUTOR BETWEEN THE enthusiast and the connoisseur, particularly when it comes to umpiring luxury’s finest. While judging wine, whiskies, and cigars may require more knowledge, experience and discernment than, say, watches, jewellery or design, which rely on a more subjective assessment, curating a merit list, nonetheless, is a daunting deliberation. However, this is precisely the mandate we have chosen for the Spice ‘Best Buys’ special this issue. As the sun assumes a more benign disposition, moving into the third quarter of the year, coinciding with a relay of festive cheer, it seems almost propitious to pull out shopping lists and enjoy a spot of retail therapy. It may appear a little whimsical to let the weather weigh in on choices, but little else complements balmy evenings…

In the past decade, the luxury landscape has undergone a profound transformation, ushering in what is best described as an era of “New Luxury.” The catalyst for this shift was undoubtedly the global pandemic, acting almost like a force of nature, propelling the market from its traditional approach towards embracing technology, sustainability, and inclusivity. Today, they are luxury’s loyal lieutenants, leading the charge, redefining its very essence. Millennials and Gen Z are the architects of the New Luxury, and are at the helm of this change. For them, the lure of material possession has lost its sheen and has been replaced by a thirst for experiential pursuits, authenticity, and sustainability. This generation, whose affluence is a burgeoning demographic, places a premium on experiences that resonate with their values. By 2025,…

Mid-day musings: Who turns down day-time, midweek indulgence? And that too for a new gin that promises the provenance of the misty hills of the picturesque Kumaon, in a bottle? Too good to be true? We didn’t believe it either till we sampled Kumaon & I. The heart and hard work behind the gin is the same as other labels that have wooed us in the past such as Jin Jiji and Kamet Single Malt Whisky—Ansh Khanna. Touted as the country’s first hyperlocal provincial gin, Kumaon&I prides itself in sourcing botanicals that are native to the region. Putting together a gin in India presents a unique problem—the scourge of plenty. You ask for a citrus fruit, and we have a library of more than 100 varieties of limes alone. The…

We got our hands on one of the first review pieces of the new Apple Watch Series 9 on the day of its release, and at the time of writing this it had already spent a month on our wrist so far. For context, we’re upgrading from last year’s Series 8. Apple says that the most significant upgrade is the new gesture ‘double tap’ and this one has us excited. While the gesture will work only October onwards following a software update, we love that it frees one hand while you can control certain actions like answer a call, pause music, or take a photo with the camera remote, by tapping your thumb and index finger. As far as appearance goes, the device amps up its screen brightness to 2000…

Drought-hit Karnataka is now reeling under a double whammy, with a surge in energy demand owing to a weak monsoon adding to the misery already wrought by the latter. Over the past few weeks, the state has declared a drought in 216 of its 236 talukas and the extent of farm losses is estimated to run into Rs 30,000 crore. Alongside, the low inflow into hydel reservoirs, which Karnataka relies on for a bulk of its electricity generation, has resulted in an acute power problem. This is because drought-hit farmers are depending solely on electric pump sets this season to save standing crops. “One reason is there is no rain. All of a sudden, (power) demand has gone up,” says Karnataka energy minister K.J. George, pointing out that demand reached…

The Nine Days of the Goddess did not bring the usual harvest of carnival laughter this time for Mahua Moitra. The parliamentarian from Bengal—whose constituency goes far beyond the dull confines of her Lok Sabha seat of Krishnanagar—had the Pujo calendar of 2023 ticking more like an ominous clock. On October 14, a “jilted ex” darkened the eve of Navratri for her: this was Jai Anant Dehadrai, a 35-year-old Supreme Court lawyer, who had shot off a 39-page letter oozing with scandal to the CBI and to a BJP MP. The latter, Nishikant Dubey, promptly scaled up the hostilities by demanding Mahua’s suspension from the House for breach of privilege and worse, citing nuggets from the letter. Mahua, with studied nonchalance, took to social media to wave away this onslaught…

THE THREE HINDI HEARTLAND STATES OF RAJASTHAN, MADHYA PRADESH AND CHHATTISGARH ARE AMONG the five going to the polls in November, and will be the launch pads for the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party for the Lok Sabha election in 2024. In most of the 520 assembly seats in these states, the two behemoths of Indian politics will be engaged in direct combat. If the BJP dominates national politics, the Congress is in power in two of the states and a strong challenger in the third. For the Grand Old Party, currently ruling six states (as junior alliance partner in two), protecting its turf is crucial. For the BJP, which rules 10 states on its own—four in the northeast—and three in alliance, winning these states will cement its place in…

If it’s ‘Rajasthan’, surely the rajas who once ruled the rugged dungars can’t be out of the game. But here we have two worthies who lost their kingdom, in different ways. The royal apparition is Vishvaraj Singh Mewar of, well, Mewar. He will be riding out to Nathdwara—not far from the turmeric-coloured grass of Haldighati—as the saffron chevalier. But unlike his legendary forebear, Maharana Pratap, he won’t be battling the mighty Mughal army. Duelling with him in the winter sun will be the much less alarming figure of assembly speaker C.P. Joshi—the bespectacled Congress veteran who almost became CM in 2008 but fluffed his tryst with destiny by losing an election by one vote. Not to be confused with the other C.P. Joshi—the young state BJP chief—our 73-year-old Joshi is…

Why be just a lowly mandarin when you can own the canton? Power exerts an irresistible pull on those within its gravitational field. No surprises, then, like always: a string of IAS-IPS types in Madhya Pradesh were eyeing tickets, keen on being the change they want to see. Early October, Shahdol divisional commissioner Rajeev Sharma quit the IAS to join politics, but was denied a BJP ticket. A couple of other ex-IASes were also ignored. Deputy collector Nisha Bangre may still get in, but the inordinate delay in the acceptance of her resignation may have put a Congress ticket out of reach for her. In Chhattisgarh, ex-babus have fared better. The BJP has fielded two, O.P. Chaudhry from Raigarh and Neelkanth Tekam from Keshkal.…

PANAMA PAPERS: The Panama Papers leak showed that Sharif’s children—daughter Maryam and sons Hasan and Hussein—owned offshore companies not mentioned in the family’s wealth statement, and which they allegedly used to acquire expensive properties. The companies, said investigators, were for laundering money and evading taxes. Though the Supreme Court initially refused to hear the case, Opposition politicians approached the apex court, which ruled that Sharif could continue as PM but that a joint investigative team probe the charges. The two main probes against Sharif arising out of the Panama Papers—Avenfield Apartments case and Al Azizia Steel Company case—were sent to an accountability court. SALARY NON-DISCLOSURE: The reason cited by the SC to disqualify Sharif from holding office, forcing his resignation, was his alleged non-disclosure of the fact that as chairman…

↘ V. Ramagopal Rao Committee (2020) Rao, a former director of IIT Delhi, headed a panel to overhaul the DRDO to meet “defence and battlefield needs”. Its recommendations were never made public, and led to the closure of some laboratories ↘ Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence (2019) Headed by former cabinet minister and BJP MP Jual Oram, it recommended a “complete revamp” of DRDO by involving the private sector and institutions like IITs. It suggested a level playing field for private industry, and tie-ups with foreign manufacturers to develop cutting-edge equipment ↘ P. Rama Rao Committee (2008) The panel suggested that DRDO concentrate only on “core technologies of strategic importance”. It also advised decentralisation of DRDO management and the creation of a Board of Research for Advanced Defence Sciences (BRADS)…

SEATED IN A HOTEL ROOM IN Jhansi, actor Mona Singh’s beaming face shows no signs of the weariness of shooting relentlessly. By her own account, she has shot four web series in 2023, which, going by the long-format duration, is as good as doing eight films. Best known for essaying Jassi in the popular TV show Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin, a remake of the American sitcom Ugly Betty, Singh is currently basking in the release of three web series this year—Kafas (SonyLIV), Made in Heaven season two (Amazon Prime) and the latest, Kaala Paani (Netflix). So omnipresent is the actor that Singh’s social media following has blown up, with fans hailing her as the “Pankaj Tripathi of web series”. “I can just feel the change,” she says. “I’m grateful for…

The central premise of this book is familiar: South Asian people trying to live their South Asian lives in the middle of uncaring white culture. I could almost see the words ‘in the style of Monica Ali’ floating above the text, but alas, without the wit, charm and brilliance of Ali’s writing. This shortfall is not just because Raheem’s setting is the manufactured peace of American suburbia rather than the churn of big, noisy London. The feeling I got from the book was that the writer is struggling to connect with her readers, but her training is holding her back. The book has the overbrushed technical smoothness that characterises the output of American writing programmes, and this product placement is at war with the rawness that lies deep underneath. Raheem…

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs may not locate pride of place for luxury goods and the satiety that resonates with the good life, but we know better, don’t we? However, with the paradox of choice in play, the more we see, the more complex choosing becomes. So Spice has curated a wishlist of the season’s finest—the choicest gizmos that give you our take on the tech to the world’s most storied stogies to award-winning, limited edition spirits. Of course, the haute sheet would be incomplete without the timeless appeal of watches or the enduring romance of sonnets in stone strung together by our penchant for the sparkly. When it comes to design, bring home the magic from the whimsical to the wondrous; on the quilted passion of luxury, imagination is the…

Jean-Marc Pontroué has been steering luxury watch brand Panerai for seven transformative years, and has masterfully juxtaposed the brand’s illustrious heritage with today’s evolving luxury landscape. With innovation and unique storytelling as twin strategies, Panerai has set its sights on the burgeoning luxury market in India, signalling an exciting era of retail expansion and curated experiences for discerning clientele. As you complete seven years as head of Panerai, what are the changes that you have observed in the company as well as the industry during this time? Looking back over my 7-year tenure, it is evident that both the company and the broader luxury industry have undergone significant transformations. When I first joined the company, we were at a pivotal point, navigating through a series of disruptive changes that were…

What do you call a restobar that is playful, whimsical, engaging, and where the menu reads like an entertaining potboiler? KHI KHI! Literally translating to giggles, it is a place that holds true to its name and offers a load of chuckles and some wonderful cocktails to chug as well. The cocktails are cheerful and stirred with satire; each one is a playful interpretation of familiar favourites. Nothing is literal, heavy handed or serious; the idea is to poke fun at one and all. And they do so with élan. So you have a Bellini’ on the menu, but this one comprises of stone fruit, allspice and prosecco. The ‘Cinema Highball’—a tribute to KHI KHI’s location, within the Priya Cinema premises, heroes Tennessee Whisky that is butter washed and popcorn…