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The rise of Islamic fundamentalism made almost all Muslims a suspect in the eyes of officials and even ordinary people. In airports across the world, especially in the West, someone with a name like Khan or Ahmed or Mohammed would be scanned far more closely than other immigrants. Hence, Shah Rukh Khan’s line in his film, My Name is Khan, that although he carries the name, Khan, he is not a terrorist.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It is being described as the most unabashed and shocking surrender by a state government to the liquor lobby, in post-Independence India.

First, it was Sadhvi Niranjan Joyti’s controversial remark— Ramzade versus Haramzade —then Sakshi Maharaj, praising assassin of Mahatma Gandhi, Nathu Ram Godse, followed by Hindu Mahasabha’s demand that Godse’s bust be installed at public places throughout the country. As if this was not enough, U.P. Governor, Ram Naik, a sober leader, raked up unnecessarily the issue of Ram Mandir, forgetting that he now is a Constitutional authority. Added to this, External Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj, kicked up yet another row by demanding that Geeta be declared a national treatise. Geeta is, after all, a 5000-year-old religious book like Koran and Bible. Its sermons are universally respected and to demand that it be declared as a national document is ridiculous. It is like demanding that ‘Hanumanji” be given Bharat Ratna.

President Putin has come and gone. President Obama is expected here as chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations. The emerging economic power, India, being strategically located has become a favoured choice for both Russia and US. Russia faces a compulsion in the global geopolitics after being expelled from G 8 over its action in annexing Crimea. Further the shooting down of the Malaysian airliner MH 17 allegedly by the rebels in eastern Ukraine further aggravated the situation with the Western bloc declaring sanctions against Russia. Though the situation does not seems to be an absolute return to the cold war era, but can be viewed as a step towards a soft realignment in the geopolitics.

LUCKNOW: Thanks to the tough stand taken by Akhilesh Yadav and the furore by the opposition parties in Parliament, RSS and its affiliated organisations have announced the postponement of re-conversion programmes in various parts of the state.

BHOPAL: Can you imagine a situation in which a leader of the RSS affiliated organisation criticise Prime Minister Narendra Modi, that too in the presence of the BJP Chief Minister?

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Two political explosions in quick succession over the last few days have left the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) Government gasping for survival. After many a false alarm, the stunning developments could well portend the beginning of the unravelling of the Utterly Demoralised Front.

The Jan Sangh-BJP has always had a token Muslim in its ranks to counter the belief that it is purely a party of the Hindus, just as Mohammed Ali Jinnah included a scheduled caste member, Jogendra Nath Mandal, from the then East Pakistan in his party to show that the Muslim League was not a party of Muslims alone.

It’s fashionable in some circles to claim that discrimination based on caste has steadily decreased in India, as it’s bound to, thanks to modernisation, urbanisation and industrialisation. The character of caste is itself changing from a system of social hierarchy based on birth and ritual purity, to a political phenomenon. As India evolves into a “merit-based” society, the argument goes, there can be no place for untouchability vis-à-vis Dalits (Scheduled Castes) in it.

The Modi Government is caught up in a whirlpool, with its saffron outfits igniting endless social unrest, which is derailing Parliament and helping a determined opposition to block key legislation, intended to show up its “reform credentials”.