Innholdsfortegnelse for 10 October 2022 i India Today

The 15 years it has been in existence have been a time of communally charged politics. And the Popular Front of India (PFI) has amassed a good amount of infamy on that front. The first time many would have heard of them was in 2010—in Kerala, their place of birth—when a bunch of their members chopped off the hands of a professor who had set a question to his students that they deemed insulting of the Prophet. If that Talibanesque act is what brought attention to a new-generation hardline Islamist outfit, their most recent outing was during the hijab controversy in Karnataka early this year. While questions of freedom remain debatable in that state’s ban on wearing the hijab in educational institutions, it did not go unnoticed that the PFI…

Call it a matter of missing guardianship. Even as Madhya Pradesh has emerged as one of the worst affected states in crimes against women, scheduled castes (SCs) and scheduled tribes (STs), statutory bodies meant to protect these vulnerable groups have remained in a limbo for over two years. The MP State Women’s Commission, the MP State SC Commission, the MP State ST commission and the State Backward Classes Commission have been functioning with limited capacity owing to the absence of members, as appointments to them are hostage to a political slugfest between the Congress and the ruling BJP. Consequently, the functioning of commissions that are meant to be first or simultaneous responders in complaints involving vulnerable groups is gravely affected, with cases piling up. The National Crime Records Bur eau’s…

After its demoralising setback in the 2021 assembly election, where chief minister Mamata Banerjee held on to her fortress through a massive siege and won a hard-fought battle hands down, the BJP in West Bengal has exhibited all signs of being in trauma ward. Its strategies backfired—142 Trinamool Congress imports it fielded lost in the election, and a reverse flow began. Mukul Roy, former TMC No. 2, did a ghar wapasi. Even star MP Babul Supriyo defected. The latter’s assembly bypoll win from Ballygunge this April, along with that of Shatrughan Sinha from the Asansol Lok Sabha seat, capped that period of pain. The feud between state unit chief Sukanta Majumdar and Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, another high-profile Trinamool import, only darkened the gloom. It’s this picture of disarray…

On September 25, when Rajiv Ranjan, alias Lalan Singh, national president of the Janata Dal (United), walked into Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar’s 6, K. Kamraj Lane, residence in Delhi, everyone noticed the brand new Bluetooth neckband earphone around his neck. Even the CM noticed the accessory and asked him about it. Singh said he had been getting a lot of calls and the wireless earphones were useful. With Nitish on a mission to unite the Opposition, the party chief too is getting his share of attention. Kaushik Deka with Romita Datta, Prashant Srivastava, Rahul Noronha, Amarnath K. Menon and Amitabh Srivastava…

A 49-year-old former state electricity board employee. A retired government college English lecturer. A septuagenarian former high school Arabic teacher. A 36-year-old PhD in Islamic studies. A popular tailor. At first glance, these five individuals from disparate socioeconomic backgrounds have hardly anything in common. What does bind them together is that they were members of the Popular Front of India (PFI), an organisation the Union government declared “unlawful” through a notification on September 28, alleging their involvement in violent, extremist activities with scant regard for constitutional authority. Hours after the announcement of a five-year ban on its activities, the front announced that it was disbanding itself. “As law-abiding citizens of our great country, the organisation accepts the decision of the ministry of home affairs…. All members of the PFI are…

↘ OVUNGAL ABDUL SALAM, 49 Chairman (arrested) Earlier employed with the Kerala State Electricity Board as a senior assistant, he was sacked by the government for travelling to Gulf countries (six times) without taking permission. A former SIMI member, he belongs to Pattarkulam near Manjeri in Malappuram district ↘ E.M. ABDUL RAHIMAN, 58 Vice-chairman (arrested) A science graduate who also holds a master’s degree in political science, he’s a former librarian and a fiery orator and writer ↘ PARAPPURATH KOYA, 72 Ideologue (arrested) Also known as Kaleem, he is known for his oratory, radical views and is well networked with global Islamic organisations. A former English professor, he also holds a law degree. Was a member of SIMI ↘ E. ABUBACKER, 72, Member, National Executive Council (arrested) founding member, Abubacker…

Indian mythology, Hanuman symbolises strength and absolute devotion to his master, Lord Rama. But he is also said to have been unaware of his own strength due to this unflinching loyalty. At a recent industry webinar, Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman evoked this analogy to ask Indian corporates why they weren’t investing enough in new projects despite the government lowering corporate taxes and incentivising production through a multi-lakh crore subsidy scheme. “When countries and industries abroad think this (India) is the place to be in… stock market is also so confident, Indian retail investor believes in them… is it, like Hanuman, you do not believe in your capacity, in your own strength, and there has to be somebody standing next [to you] and saying, ‘Hey, you are Hanuman, do it’.…

WHEN 17-YEAR-OLD SHREYA NANGIA (name changed), from Gurugram, graduated school earlier this year, she lied to her parents about attending a party at a farmhouse. Around 11 that night, when her parents believed her to be asleep at a friend’s house, Nangia called them up in utter panic. "I had had a few drinks and was feeling extremely weak. This had never happened to me before and my instinct said something was not right," she says. "A few days later, I discovered that some boys had mixed drugs into the drinks. I know two girls who said they did not remember a single thing that happened that night. Now, they live in perpetual fear that someone may have videotaped them or done something far worse." Cases of 'date rape' or…

Kamila Shamsie’s Best of Friends is not just a new novel from a much-awarded third-generation writer. British newspapers are already calling it the ‘Book of the Year’, and it is being orchestrated as a publishing event by Bloomsbury, with embargoes and coordinated release of reviews. But once we adjust our fanfare-cancelling headphones and actually sit down to read the book, we find a well-crafted, thought-provoking story about friendship—a human bond that is more complex than family ties, sex, or even politics. The friends in question are Maryam and Zahra, women who glide effortlessly from Karachi to London and back again, each becoming a formidable public figure in her adopted country. That border-hopping is not effortless for everyone, since the UK is ever perfecting its hostile environment, and the mildest transgression…

In early March, sitar maestro Purbayan Chatterjee and flautist Rakesh Chaurasia headed to a small studio in their hometown Mumbai to work on a new record. At the time, Chatterjee was riding high on the success of his 2021 album Unbounded (Abaad), a progressive jazz/rock/Hindustani classical extravaganza that packed in stellar performances by a star cast of global virtuosos, including Ustad Zakir Hussain, Béla Fleck, Michael League and Shankar Mahadevan. But now he and Chaurasia—accompanied by Satyajit Talwalkar and Ojas Adhiya on tabla—were on a slightly different mission. With the easy chemistry that only comes from decades of friendship and collaboration, the duo recorded seven tracks of free-flowing raga-based jugalbandi, nailing most of their takes in one go. The result of that freewheeling recording session is the new album, Saath…

Q. Seeing how you’ve played a ghost multiple times, do you believe in them yourself? I both believe and don’t believe. Everything we’ve heard about ghosts is probably what makes our minds play tricks on us. When I was much younger, I remember going to Matheran. I had to do the seven-kilometre uphill trek from the train station to the town on my own. At some point, I started hearing the sound of ghungroos; there was a scent in the air; and I also glimpsed a sari. All this, we are told, signals the presence of a bhoot, but I didn’t really see one. I wonder, though—why do ghosts only wear saris and not suits? Q. Your character in Atithi… is a romantic at heart. What’s your love language? I…

STORY OF THE DAY How the Indian Army is reviewing British-era practices By Pradip R. Sagar The review will cover wide-ranging areas such as honorary commissions, funerals and ceremonies like Beating Retreat. Retired officers share their views https://bit.ly/3UIb9Gi FROM THE STATES: SETBACK FOR JAGAN REDDY Why YSRC did a U-turn after electing Jagan Reddy as lifetime president By Amarnath K. Menon The Election Commission of India directed the YSRC to make a public announcement contradicting reports that the Andhra Pradesh chief minister had been made the party’s lifetime president https://bit.ly/3DW7bnz HEALTH: CANCER Why women should take the cervical cancer vaccine By Sonali Acharjee Dr Aparna Gawdi, obstetrician and gynecologist at Apollo Hospitals, Navi Mumbai, speaks about cervical cancer, its spread, and the need for vaccination https://bit.ly/3RiwjYv EDUCATION: MENTAL HEALTH How…

2010 PFI men chop off a hand of T.J. Joseph, a Malayalam teacher at Newman College, Thodupuzha, Kerala, for an alleged insult to Prophet Mohammed in an internal question paper set by him; 12 PFI members convicted in 2015 2012 Kerala government tells the high court that PFI members were involved in 27 murders of CPI(M) and RSS cadres, 86 attempt to murder cases and over 125 cases of whipping up communal passions 2013 Police recover weapons, bombs and foreign cash from a PFI training camp in Kannur, Kerala. In 2016, a special NIA court convicts 21 PFI cadres arrested during the raid, though the high court later sets aside the convictions 2016 PFI cadres allegedly involved in the murder of RSS worker Rudresh (Karnataka). They were later accused of…

The Russian “special military operation” in Ukraine has now completed its seventh month. The pithiest comment to capture the mood in the “rest” of the world is the one made by Dr S. Jaishankar when he said recently, echoing Nehru: “Europe has to get over its belief that its problems are the world’s problems, but the world’s problems are not its.” Sitting a few thousand miles away, India, like the majority of the world, is watching the power struggle under way in Europe, with grave consequences to its economy. After seven months of tactical feints, localised battles and significant military losses, the areas of Russian interest in Ukraine have become clearer. These are the eastern periphery of Ukraine bordering Russia, the core being the Donets Basin, or Donbass for short,…

When IAS officer Navneet Sehgal, once Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s chief troubleshooter, was transferred from high-profile departments such as information and public relations and MSMEs to the low-key sports department, many saw it as a demotion. But Sehgal is determined to leave a mark on his new assignment. He has given officials instructions to make presentations for two more international-level stadiums—one in Purvanchal and another in western UP. He hopes to organise top-league tennis tournaments such as the Davis Cup in UP. A sports lover himself and president of the state badminton association, Sehgal wants to make UP a sports-friendly state. It may help him get back into Yogi’s inner circle too.…

Chhindwara mayor Vikram Ahakey, 31, the youngest ever in Madhya Pradesh to get that position, recently took the stage, but not to deliver any rousing speech. The Congressman, who featured in the party’s mayoral victory in Chhindwara after two decades, was playing one of the kings attending Sita’s swayamvar in the 134-year-old Chhindwara Ramleela. Asked about his dramatic turn, Ahakey said it was his contribution to keeping religion and culture alive. But we thought that was a BJP preserve.…

↘ ORIGINS: The PFI was set up in 2006 ↘ MEMBERS: 400,000 across 23 states (claimed) ↘ CONSTITUTION: Drafted in 2010, it sets out an 18-point agenda including promoting national integration and social harmony, upholding the country’s democratic and secular order, working for peace, advancing the cause of minorities, protecting civil and political rights and speaking out against human rights violations ↘ THE ORGANISATION: The local unit has 20 members; 3-10 units form an area, 3-10 areas form a division, 3-10 divisions form a district, and more than two districts form a zone. Each state has a general assembly and executive council. State representatives convene to form the national general assembly and executive council ↘ UNIFORM: PFI members wear a blue uniform at meetings and events, with stars and emblems…

Son of a professional magician, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot had learnt a few magic tricks from his father Laxman Singh Gehlot. The law graduate would even perform them on stage with Gehlot Sr before he joined politics full-time. And if his friendss and detractors are to be believed, he lost none of his magic touch after coming into the political arena, using it to navigate the various challenges in his career and emerging out of even the most hopeless situations. This time, however, the 71-year-old veteran may have gone too far. On September 29, a day before the deadline to file nominations for the post of the Congress president was to come to an end, Gehlot announced that he will not be contesting as the Congress president, putting a…

THE ISSUES ↘ GLOBAL UNCERTAINTY caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in late February first led to commodity prices peaking, then to the threat of an impending recession ↘ ALTHOUGH URBAN demand improved as contact-intensive services restarted, unemployment, insecurity on the job front and subdued demand from the rural areas are still concerns ↘ THREAT OF INFLATION continues, with August showing retail inflation remaining sticky at 7 per cent despite a series of interest rate hikes by the RBI. Higher interest rates also dampen investment ↘ CAPACITY UTILISATION dropped to less than 50 per cent during the worst period of the pandemic. Although this has picked up to 70 per cent, it needs to improve to around 80 per cent THE REMEDY ↘ REVIVE A SUSTAINED DEMAND that can lead…

The Booker-winning author and teacher George Saunders once said, “Short stories are the deep, encoded crystallisations of all human knowledge. They are rarefied, dense meaning machines, shedding light on the most pressing of life’s dilemmas. By reading a thoughtfully selected set of them, an alien (visiting our planet) could, in a few hours, learn everything he needs to know about the way we live.” Whether or not an alien landing in India will understand how we live by reading A Case of Indian Marvels, he will certainly get an inkling to how we would like to live, and why we do not yet live in that manner. The gap is one through which creativity flows. It has been clear for some time now that it is not journalism that is…

AROOJ AFTAB Vulture Prince One of 2021’s best albums, Aftab’s Vulture Prince is based almost entirely on ragas and old ghazals. Though she won a Grammy in the Best Global Performance category, her nomination for the Best New Artist award has become a high watermark for musicians working with Hindustani classical and folk music. ARUSHI JAIN Under the Lilac Sky Initially composed for a sunset performance at the Magnetic Fields festival in Rajasthan, Under the Lilac Sky, a six-track suite, reinterprets four evening ragas—Des, Khamaj, Kafi and Durga—for modular synthesis, elegantly weaving together ancient tradition and new-age experimentation. JAUBI Nafs at Peace Lahore quartet Jaubi team up with UK multi-instrumentalist Ed “Tenderlonious” Cawthorne and Polish composer Marek “Latarnik” Pędziwiatr to create this exquisite collection of instrumental pieces that bring ragas…

The night before Kalki Koechlin was to begin filming for Pushan Kripalani’s film Goldfish, her then one-year-old daughter, Sappho, would not stop crying. The three-week shoot in London last July was the actor’s first film shoot after her maternity break. “So, it was already hard and it did not help that neither my husband (Isreali musician Guy Hershberg) nor Sappho’s nanny would travel with me. We found an English nanny but Sappho was not bonding with her,” she says. The actress finally broke down and spoke to Sappho like she would to an adult, saying: “I have not worked since before the lockdown and I really want to make this film; it’s precious to me. I promise I will be here every morning to wake you up, and in the…

Netflix recently released the trailer for its upcoming fantasy film The School for Good and Evil, directed by Paul Feig. In it, we see Sofia Wylie and Sophia Ann Caruso star as Agatha and Sophie, best friends who are whisked away to the titular school for a series of magical adventures. The two young actresses are backed up by several A-listers: Laurence Fishburne, Michelle Yeoh, Charlize Theron, Ben Kingsley et al. The film is based on the eponymous 2013 novel by American author Soman Chainani, 43, which sold millions of copies and spawned five sequels (and a prequel earlier this year). These books were written in part as a response to the fairytales (and their Disney versions) that Chainani read while growing up, narratives he felt were far more ‘squeaky-clean’…