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I went through most toy shops in main markets in Delhi in 2013 to get a toy Indian Lion to aid my narration of Indian folklores to my three year old grand-daughter Meher. She used to snuggle in my company every night as she was fond of my dramatic narration of stories for tiny tots. I could not get what I wanted. Every toy shop keeper confirmed that only China made toys were available, as they were less than a third of price compared to India made toys, they said I would not get India made lion. All shops offered a toy that was patterned on the African lion, designed in America and made in China.

The word “bail” is derived from the old French verb baillier, which means to give or deliver. The word is also related to the Latin word bajulare meaning to bear a burden. The concept of bail can be traced back to 399 BC, when Plato tried to create a bond for the release of Socrates. The modern bail system evolved from a series of laws originating in the middle ages in England. In medieval England, the custom grew out of the need to free untied prisoners from disease-ridden jails while they were waiting for their delayed trials to be conducted.

BHOPAL: On the eve of biennial election to the Rajya Sabha, war of nerves has started between Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and former Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh. In an unprecedented move, an FIR has been filed against Digvijaya Singh. FIR has been filed by BJP leader and former Home Minister Uma Shankar Gupta. In retaliation against the BJP move, Digvijaya Singh has also announced his intention to file an FIR against Chief Minister Chouhan.

Nitish Kumar is certainly not indispensable. In fact the opposition should be credited with creating this perception amongst the people. Often the opposition leaders are heard criticising the NDA and describing the BJP as a fascist party which is opposed to poor, but they are never seen to fight unitedly against the BJP. The fact of the matter is the opposition leaders have never been critical of the political actions and policies of Nitish.

It is high time the government’s decontrol of petroleum products is challenged in the court. The decontrol, which has its declared intention of leaving the prices to market forces rather than be regulated by government, has in effect meant full control for the government while the customers have no control of what they would be asked to dish out for their fuel the next day.

Trump lies. Habitual dishonesty, whether it is masking the jobs crisis, the pandemic, or downplaying racism, is his signature feature. It has cost lives and threatens democracy.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The crisis bedevilling the Kerala Congress(M), an important constituent of the Congress-led United Democratic Front(UDF), has deepened with both the factions refusing to craft a compromise.

What is happening to the opposition parties, especially the Congress which is the only national party in the anti-BJP block to challenge the BJP led National Democratic Alliance at the centre? The next crucial assembly elections, are due to take place in Bihar in November this year, but taking into account the response of the contending parties in the anti-NDA camp in Bihar, it seems that there is no hurry in them to start discussions for working out a viable strategy for fighting the NDA in the state led by BJP and the JD(U) of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Political slugfest is going on in the big state of Maharashtra, even as the Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray-led government is trying to face the pandemic outbreak. While the BJP is yet to reconcile to the ascendency of Thackeray, it is becoming aggressive and aspires for power. The state BJP leaders are demanding the imposition of President’s rule claiming that the chief minister has failed to check the pandemic. According to insiders, the BJP is not willing to stake claim at this point of time and only want to get rid of the Uddhav government and rule the state through the Centre.

Yogesh Sharma, former editor of the fortnight Onlooker and now successful publisher of 167 international publications, has penned the heart rending narration of the harrowing experience of vacuum in life caused by the three month long Lockdown. Silence around his office edifice as he was attempting to pick up the tangled threads of normal life in first week to return to normality after relaxation in several restrictions on normal life activities tells the story of insurmountable difficulties for normalcy to come back. It is virtually exercise of the resumption of evolution process. Every artificially forced vacuum leaves undeniable mark. He has large staff but only two were able to help him to pick up the scattered threads. Others were still stranded in villages due to unavailability of transport. It remains suspended even now. Even restoration of internet link was the harrowing experience.