Innholdsfortegnelse for 28 February 2022 i India Today

In India, controversies sometimes emerge out of the unlikeliest places and when you least expect them. Last month, it erupted in coastal Karnataka when a group of schoolgirls in a government-run pre-university school said they were being prevented from entering their classrooms because they were wearing hijabs (headscarves). The issue snowballed into a larger conflagration. Several such incidents were reported across the state, the state government ordered an unprecedented three-day closure of all schools, and the schoolgirls petitioned the high court. Whether or not hijabs can be worn to school is now a question that the courts will have to answer. Although the controversy arose in the intensely polarised landscape of coastal Karnataka, it soon spread to other educational institutions in the state. The issue now boils down to an…

Andhra Pradesh CM Y.S. JaganMohan Reddy has consistently spurned offers to join the NDA. His precondition: accord AP special category status (SCS) so that the cash-strapped state can get additional funds. Hopes ran high when the Union home ministry included SCS among inter-state issues to discuss at a meeting with Telangana representatives. Alas, it was dropped at the last minute. The prime minister too recently said that the bifurcation hurt both states. Hope is dead, long live hope.…

The terms may be used inter changeably, but in fact, the hijab, niqab and burqa are different pieces of Islamic covering, though all designed to protect a woman’s modesty. They have in recent years sparked debate around the world, with some militating against this show of religious identity, and others seeing it as a patriarchal imposition on women’s bodies, cloaking them in victimhood, and depriving them of choice and agency. The Muslim woman herself is divided: with one half of the sorority discarding it and the other half embracing it as an observation of their faith. But, first, what is the hijab, and its cousins? Hijab The simplest covering, this is essentially a length of cloth used to cover the head and neck, much like the ghoonghat among Hindu women,…

ZAFARUL-ISLAM KHAN An Islamic scholar, Khan studied at Al-Azhar (Cairo) and has a PhD in Islamic Studies from Manchester University. His English translation of the Quran is slated for a 2022 release. In Islam, both men and women are required to dress modestly and follow certain norms to uphold a moral social order. In common usage, the word ‘hijab’ (Arabic for veil) is used to refer to a head scarf—often a part of modest attire. The term itself has more metaphorical range, broadly denoting the modest dress code Muslim women should observe in the presence of men outside their immediate family. The veil is not unique to Islam—versions of it can be found in ancient civilisations, Semitic religions and Hinduism, as well as in pre-Islamic Arabia, where it was used…

MEJINDARPAL KAUR The writer is International Legal Director, UNITED SIKHS The ongoing hijab row has left us shocked. The hijab is worn globally by Muslim women in public places, including schools. It is even more shocking that the debate is unfolding in India, a land where many religions were founded and where religious freedom has existed for aeons, since well before the Indian Constitution provided for it. It is for this religious freedom that the sixth Sikh guru, Sri Guru Teg Bahadurji, gave his life 347 years ago, so Kashmiri Pandits may wear their janeyu. He did it without questioning if the janeyu is an essential requirement of sanatan dharma, let alone if it is discriminatory. And his father, Guru Hargobind Sahibji, built the Guru Ki Maseet for Muslims in…

Of the 60 assembly constituencies in Manipur, 40 are in the valley areas spread over six districts—Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal, Bishnupur, Kakching and Kangpokpi. The remaining 20 seats are in the other 10 districts. The valley districts, dominated by Meiteis, account for just over 11 per cent of the geographical area but are home to 57 per cent of the population. The remaining 43 per cent live in the hill districts, dominated by the Naga and Kuki tribes. ETHNIC & GEOGRAPHICAL DIVIDE MEITEI 53% Mostly follow Hinduism and Sanamahism. In majority in Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal, Bishnupur, Kakching and Kangpokpi KUKI 16% Mostly Christian. In majority in Churachandpur, Jiribam, Noney and Pherzawl NAGA 24% Mostly Christian. In majority in Ukhrul, Kamjong, Tengnoupal, Senapati, Tamenglong and Chandel Others 7%…

Before Bhupender Yadav became the Union minister of environment, forests, climate change, and of labour, he was a key general secretary in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In that role, he played a significant role in building the party into a formidable electoral machine that won two consecutive Lok Sabha elections. Now, along with economist Ila Patnaik, he has penned The Rise of the BJP, a book that offers a clinical analysis of the party’s evolution, its ideological moorings, its economic philosophy, and the lessons its phenomenal growth can teach us. In a conversation with Group Editorial Director Raj Chengappa, Yadav and Patnaik discuss what their new book is about. Excerpts from the interview Q. For decades, the BJP’s vote percentage hovered below 25 per cent. It crossed the 30 per…

‘You just can’t beat a Bajaj.’ So went the tagline for one of Bajaj Auto’s popular advertisements. When it came to candour, few could beat Rahul Bajaj, chairman emeritus of the Bajaj Group, who passed away in Pune on February 12 at the age of 83. Here’s an instance. The year 2000-’01 was one of the toughest for his business. After several years of high growth, sales had fallen over three per cent, to Rs 3,588 crore. Operating profits and margins had almost halved as competition, both domestic and foreign, snapped at the company’s heels. Bajaj knew it was time for a shake-up of the company culture, which by then had come to take success for granted. “It has been an article of faith for us at Bajaj Auto to…

DELHI THEN: Up to 20 guests for a gathering at home or at court NOW: Up to 200 guests MADHYA PRADESH THEN: Up to 250 guests THEN: Up to 50 guests NOW: 25 per cent of the capacity of the open ground/banquet halls; maximum 200 TAMIL NADU Up to 100 guests UTTAR PRADESH Up to 100 guests in open spaces KARNATAKA 200 guests allowed in open spaces; 100 in closed spaces RAJASTHAN THEN: Up to 100 guests NOW: 250 guests (excluding the wedding band)…

BE AWARE: It is important to be mindful about how you use social media. Avoid it when it’s negatively impacting you. EXERCISE WILLPOWER: Improve your willpower to say ‘no’. Do not give in to social pressure and stay obsessed with your social media feed. Set boundaries for usage and stick to them. SEEK HELP: If you are unable to resist the temptation, turn to a friend or family member for assistance. Having support from your dear ones can really help in such situations. TURN OFF NOTIFICATIONS: Fix a time in the day for social media rather than indulge in it every time there is a notification. Keep it off at night time and early morning. TRY THERAPY: If you feel you are addicted to social media and it is affecting…

Sudhir Patwardhan has built a career painting things as he saw them—the harsh realities of the undercity, the faceless crowd, Mumbai’s proletariat. “Sudhir is an artist who’s trying not to be decorative or unnecessarily intellectual. His work is narrative. He tells a story he knows best. The great thing about Sudhir is that he has stuck to his artistic preoccupations, without ever bothering about what particular style is in vogue,” says Arun Vadehra, whose Vadehra Art Gallery in New Delhi is currently hosting a show of Patwardhan’s latest body of work. Rendered with an eye both observant and realistic, Portraits of an Existential Artist (on display until February 23) finds Patwardhan turning his gaze inwards. Over the past decade, two important life events—quitting his long-held job as a radiologist in…

PITTER PLATTER Giving serve ware a luxe-appeal, this geometric marble platter is from Serein Decor. It is handmade using natural stone and inlayed with brass finish. PRICE `4,799 AT www.sereindecor.com MARBLE MARVEL Kaksh Studio, founded by Ridhi Tijaria has launched a new collection that pays homage to the royal Mughal era through marble beauties. The Jaipur-based practice blends traditional art and handcrafted techniques. PRICE `1,490 onwards AT www.kakshstudio.com Sleep on This The Flynnter King Sleigh Bed with two storage drawers is part of the Flynnter Bedroom Collection by Ashley Furniture Homestore available at Dash Square. Made of wood, engineered wood and veneers, this beautiful bed ensures a good night’s sleep. PRICE `1,36,442 AT @AshleyFurnitureIndia (Instagram) EYE CANDY If it’s luxury you seek then Beyond Dreams latest Versailles collection is what…

This one’s definitely not for the pastel hearted. Deep velvets in pink tourmalines against carbon dipped, pigmented walls to contrast the texture for drama, was my first instinct to dress up this sea-facing home for the artsy, no-holds barred couple, Pratichee Mohapatra and Anand Iyer. I find accent walls boring, instead an enveloping cocoon that pushes the palette to the extreme is edgy yet eye-catching. Luckily, Pratichee and Anand wanted to go with a full-bodied palette that tipped heavily on the deeper saturated side of the Pantone fandeck. Even though I had worked on their first home 14 years ago, this home held greater promise and got my head rush going. The two most fun parts in the process were first culling out space for Pratichee’s walk-in closet and the…

The perfect pairing is stuff of myths and legends. In the design industry, it’s akin to striking gold, which is what makes the collaboration between Jaipur Rugs and celebrated designer Vinita Chaitanya so special. A match made in design heaven the collection of coordinated silk carpet pairings is titled Inde Rose (French for India Rose). The range comprises five carpet pairings, one graphic-heavy piece complemented by a visually lighter one. Every carpet is made in silk, with 121 knots per square inch, and uses a sculpting technique locally known as gultaraash (like the pruning done by a gardener). This also marks Chaitanya’s first every carpet collection. We for one can’t keep our eyes off it. PRICE on request AT www.jaipurrugs.com…

THE PROTAGONISTS PARAM BIR SINGH FORMER MUMBAI POLICE COMMISSIONER Once a favourite of top politicians, the 1988 batch IPS officer was unceremoniously removed as police chief on March 17, 2021 after investigations made it apparent that his trusted aide, Sachin Vaze, was involved in the Ambani bomb scare case. Singh, who was later appointed DG of Maharashtra Home Guard, went missing for 289 days. He was suspended on December 3, 2021 for dereliction of duty. THE CHARGES: As head of Mumbai Police Establishment Board, Singh had reinstated Vaze on June 6, 2020 despite a tainted record. Singh made Vaze head of Mumbai police’s Crime Intelligence Unit (CIU) on June 9, 2020 by allegedly ignoring rules. He allegedly allowed Vaze to bypass senior officers and directly report to him. HIS DEFENCE:…

HASINA KHAN The author is a feminist activist and founder member of the Bebaak Collective The Karnataka school’s sudden decision to ban girls wearing hijab from entering its premises reeks of a conspiracy directed at Muslims. In the name of gender empowerment, they are out to build a narrative in which the entire fault lies with the Muslim community, all other communities are fine. They want to demonstrate that schools should have discipline, they should have a uniform. I do think that schools should have a uniform, and that every student, whatever his or her religion, should adhere to it. But what was the school management doing till now with students who were turning up wearing their religious identity? How can they be stopped suddenly? Was there any disciplinary action?…

On a sunny February morning, occasionally swept by a cold breeze, Manipur chief minister N. Biren Singh’s convoy left for Saikul assembly constituency in Kangpokpi district, 35 km from state capital Imphal. The cavalcade moved slowly, taking nearly two hours to reach Saikul, a Kuki-dominated area where Singh was to campaign for BJP candidate Yamthong Haokip, a Congress import from last November. Despite the unpaved, potholed stretches along the way, Singh’s address to the 700-strong gathering in Saikul did not promise new roads. Instead, he warned militants not to disturb peace which, he claims, has prevailed in Manipur since the BJP came to power in 2017. “If PM Modi can strike terror camps in Balakot, the same can be done against other outfits involved in terrorism,” thundered the chief minister.…

CM contender: Yumnam Joykumar Singh, 67 Alliance partner: None STRENGTHS ↘ Selection of strong candidates ↘ Campaign for repeal of AFSPA has a connect with voters ↘ Social media campaign is attracting young voters CHALLENGES ↘ Contesting only 40 of 60 seats ↘ Y. Joykumar Singh’s record as DGP may go against the party ↘ Organisationally not as strong as BJP and Congress…

The ascendance of the Bharatiyat Janata Party (BJP) to the national centrestage in 2014 has provoked some serious scholarly attention in the past few years. Several books have been published presenting both sympathetic and deeply critical accounts of the party and its ‘ideological mentor’, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), as well as biographical descriptions of several top leaders of both organisations. There are also new monographs focusing on how the rise of the BJP under Prime Minister Narendra Modi is reshaping India’s political culture and its democracy. It is in this context that the two books under review—one co-authored by senior BJP leader Bhupender Yadav and economist Ila Patnaik, The Rise of the BJP: The Making of the World’s Largest Political Party; and journalist and academic Nalin Mehta’s The New…

Bappi Lahiri or Bappi da, as he was known to everyone, stayed musically ahead of the curve by bringing new trends to Bollywood. He introduced disco and electro pop beats to Hindi music, giving us songs that we are dancing to till date. And to have done this when composers didn’t even have the luxury of platforms like YouTube and Spotify, which make international music easily accessible, is all the more impressive. He heard music from across the world and invested time to be in sync with what the world was doing. As much as the West inspired him, his music was equally commercial Bollywood. Just listen to ‘Aaj Rapat Jaayen To’ from Namak Halal. Coming from a musical family from West Bengal, there’s a lot of Bengali folk influence…

WEDMEGOOD Founded in 2014 A one-stop shop, the app can help you create wedding invitations and choose your vendors. The app has seen a monthly download of over 75,000 and 3 million total users. APPY COUPLE Founded in 2011 Appy allows couples to design and customise their own wedding app and website. The website has about 129,452 monthly visits and saw 1,998 app downloads over the past 30 days. RSVP MANAGER Founded in 2020 The app helps users manage guest logistics—track their arrival and departure, meal preferences. The app needs to be bought from Wedding Wishlist. It has over 1,000 users. WEDDING PLANNER BY WEDDINGWIRE Founded in 2017 It connects couples and their families with local wedding professionals. It has over 500,000 users and over a million downloads.…

Benjamin Guy Horniman came to Calcutta in 1904. Unlike his colleagues at The Statesman—British journalists who went to the races in the afternoon and the Bengal Club after—Horniman preferred keeping his nose to the grindstone. He travelled widely. He wrote about rural suffering and Hindu-Muslim strife. Protesting the partition of Bengal, he walked barefoot on Calcutta’s streets, ‘dressed in a white dhoti, kurta and chadder like an Indian patriot’. In 1919, when he was editor of the Bombay Chronicle, he again stood out. As Mahatma Gandhi arrived at Chowpatty to protest the Rowlatt Bills, only ‘one Englishman’ was seen in the big, bustling crowd—Horniman. Reading Ramachandra Guha’s Rebels Against the Raj, it becomes clear that Horniman was more catalyst than he was exception. Deported for ‘openly, explicitly, identifying with the…

Michel de Montaigne had asked, “When I play with my cat, how do I know she is not passing time with me rather than I with her?” Gray tries to answer this and other catrelated philosophical queries here. Always generous and sometimes humorous, Susan Orlean’s essays focus on the birds and mammals—turkeys, cattle, chickens, dogs—that have been residents and guests at her farm in upstate New York. Narrated by Doug, a loyal rescue pug, this hilarious novel offers laughs and comfort in equal measure. Though confounded by human relationships, Doug tries hard to bring together his owner and his vet.…

A year ago, Shriram Kondhawekar, 50, and Milind Tambe, 56, got together to plan their annual adventure. Most times, they preferred going on a Himalayan trek, but this time, they wanted to hit the open road and cycle along India’s coastline. As they began to research, they realised just what they were up against—the distance added up to 6,800 km, with a total elevation gain of around 24,000 metres, which would take them 101 days in all to pedal. They would be riding self-supported, which meant carrying all the essential gear on their bicycles. “I last rode a bicycle during my college days. But Milind’s idea was unique and I had enough self-belief that I could pull it off,” says Kondhawekar. Bikepacking or bicycle touring has increasingly become a popular…

Q. What prompted your announcement to retire at the end of the season? It wasn’t something that was really planned. I have been thinking about it for the past few months. I have been struggling a bit with my body, also mentally. In hindsight, though, I feel like I have made so many people sad because I am now constantly being asked about retirement after every match. Q. Who has been your favourite doubles/mixed doubles partner and why? I’m going to have to say it was Martina (Hingis). We had a lot of fun on and off the court, created some special memories and some very special records. In mixed, I think it’s Mahesh (Bhupathi), because we were the first Indian woman and man to win a Grand Slam together.…

SAFETY FIRST Technology makes life easy, but more the gadgetry, more the exposure to e-radiation or EMR that can cause a plethora of problems. You can safeguard yourself from its ill effects with Enviroglobe that protects an area to 300 sq ft. PRICE `4,299 NEW RELEASE The new range of De’Longhi Oil-Filled Radiators (OFR) come with dual thermostat and an additional fan heater for instant and powerful heating. PRICE `17,790 onwards…

A bedroom is a personal sanctuary, where one goes after a tiring day, seeking solace and relaxation. After having made our bedrooms into makeshift offices and yoga studios, the space is bound to feel monotonous. Looking to transform the bedroom into a bold statement space? Here are some ways to grant it a refreshed aesthetic. 1. The colour palette plays a crucial role in determining the vibe of any space. Since the primary purpose of the bedroom is unwinding, the overall palette should be calming like the soft pastel palette of the daughter’s room in the Fluid homewhere the upholstery, the bedcovers and cushions are used in contrast to the wall panelling. Metallic accents in gold add the bold factor. 2. Wall panelling, especially behind the bed, is one of…

Ididn’t choose interiors, it chose me,” he said in one of his interviews. You might know interior designer Ravi Vazirani as the creative genius behind celebrity homes such as Rhea Kapoor and Karan Johar, but what most don’t know is that he never studied design, used to be the Associate Style Editor with Living Etc., UK, has an amazing furniture line and his dog Yoda is a bigger celebrity than him. We reckon his home is one of the most featured spaces on the internet. Why? It has that certain je ne sais quoi, a little something called flair—which either you have it or don’t; and Vazirani has plenty. He started Ravi Vazirani Design Studio in 2010, an award winning, Mumbai-based design practice. We got him to talk about design,…

Maharashtra tourism minister Aaditya Thackeray recently drove deputy CM and state finance minister Ajit Pawar around his South Mumbai constituency, Worli. Thackeray Jr showed Pawar how the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had redone roads and beautified Worli. At a virtual meeting that same evening, senior Sena leaders complained to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray that Pawar was partisan in allocating funds. NCP-run ministries were allocated 49 per cent of the state budget but Sena ministries got only 19 per cent. Was the photo-op then Thackeray’s way of telling Pawar that Sena doesn’t need his money, it already controls the cash-rich BMC?…

PURUSHOTTAM AGRAWAL The author is a historian of ideas and scholar of Hinduism. His latest book is Kabir-Kabir. He is currently working on a book about Hinduism The most interesting, rather instructive, aspect of the Udupi ‘hijab controversy’ has been the way young Hindus chose to register their protest by underlining their own religious identity. “If you are allowed to don the hijab, then we must be allowed our saffron,” they said, through word or action. This way, they—rather, their instructors and mentors—managed to direct public imagination to the larger issue of perceived ‘Muslim appeasement’. The hijab would be seen as yet another ‘undeserved concession’ to Muslims, which must be nipped in the bud. The controversy became a timely vehicle for the BJP to put across its ‘anti-appeasement’ message in…

CM contenders: N. Biren Singh, 61; Govindas Konthoujam Singh, 58; Thongam Biswajit Singh, 47 Alliance partner: Naga People’s Front (NPF), but both are contesting separately STRENGTHS ↘ Peace in Manipur in the past five years ↘ CM Biren Singh’s outreach programme to bridge the gap between hills and valley ↘ Organisational and financial strength of the party CHALLENGES ↘ Public discontent over poor infrastructure, unemployment. ↘ Disgruntled ticket-seekers may sabotage chances of BJP candidates ↘ Infighting over CM’s post…

They are everywhere—on the streets, blocking traffic, and in the fields, wreaking havoc on men and crops. Stray cattle, or awara pashu, as they are called in local parlance, have become enough of an issue in the cow belt state of Uttar Pradesh to influence—if not decide—the electoral outcome in many seats. “I am so angry,” says Rajwati, a resident of Gulab Kheda village in the state’s Unnao district, which goes to polls on February 23. “I will not vote for any party because none of them is raising this serious issue. Our men have to be on guard in the fields at night because of the stray cattle. Due to this, my husband is unable to give enough time to his family.” Another farmer from Amroha, Lal Kumar Singh,…

S. SRIVIDYA, 19, A COMMERCE STUDENT IN HYDERABAD, became an online gaming enthusiast during the pandemic since all her usual social interactions with her friends had come to a halt. Her choice was Valorant, a first-person tactical shooter game developed by US-based Riot Games, and made available in India in 2020. Since the game can be played only on a personal computer, she upgraded to a more expensive laptop with a gaming keyboard that has games-specific control keys highlighted. Since Valorant is played in teams of five, she invites four of her friends to join in as they battle with another team. The game’s excellent graphics and dynamic characterisation got her hooked. “I like to play the girl character Jett, who uses wind, clouds and knives to take on her enemies,”…

In 2012, Shiven entered his first mountain biking race in Shimla. Though he finished third, he was disqualified for not wearing a helmet. It was a harsh lesson for Shiven, a teenager at the time, but it only strengthened his resolve. Wanting to explore his options as a professional cyclist, he moved to Manali four years ago. He also started working with a sports scientist in South Africa. His lone, single-minded battle has paid off. Shiven, 24, is today the reigning MTB (mountain biking) national champion and one of India’s top cyclists. “It was an individual effort, but a lot has happened for the sport in the recent past,” he says. In July 2019, the Cycling Federation of India (CFI) sent the first Indian team to compete at the Asian…

BY THE TIME HE WAS 30, Sunil Janah (1918-2012) had already done the work for which he would be best remembered. In 1943, as a 25-year-old photography enthusiast, he was sent by Communist leader P.C. Joshi to document the famine ravaging Bengal’s rural districts. Janah undertook most of these journeys in partnership with Chittaprosad, a painter and print-maker. Together, Janah and Chitto created an incredible and indelible visual record of mass tragedy and struggle. Printed in Joshi’s Communist newspaper People’s War, Chittaprosad’s drawings and etchings and Janah’s stark photographs gave us images of a Bengal caught in the historic pincer between the end of a bloody Empire and the fallout of a global conflict. By the time Independence came around, Janah had not only photographed the famine but also taken…

As someone who lives in Delhi, I’ve gone through my share of air purifiers of different sizes, filters, shapes and styles. Then I got a chance to try out the Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool. Even before switching it on, the futuristic shape had me sold. Add the fact that it can blow hot or cool air, and you know you have a winner. This one has a fully sealed HEPA 13 standard filtration. In lay terms it means that not only does the device ensure that no air bypasses the filter, but it blocks any potential leak points through which unclean air might enter the airflow. The company claims that this leads to removal of 99.95 per cent of particles as small as 0.1 microns such as allergens, bacteria, virus, pollen…