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It may seem a bit paradoxical but in the ensuing Presidential elections campaign in the United States of America, the US Communist Party and the leftists under the banner of the Democratic presidential contestant Bernie Sanders, are the most committed sections of the US people who are determined to defeat the Republican candidate Donald Trump to ensure the victory of the Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. Hillary is known for her close connections with the Wall Street and she is among the neo liberals in the Democratic Party leadership who till the beginning of the present election campaign, stuck to her old views on the social and economic issues which were in opposition to the left.

The lack of ambition in both the Shiv Sena and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) is curious. Ever since their patriarch, Bal Thackeray, chose parochialism as the road to political power, they have stuck to this insular, divisive mantra, which keeps them confined to their home state of Maharashtra.

It may be time for the government to review the performance of the country’s industrial sector, which has nearly stopped growing. The only exceptions are middle class housing, cars and motorbikes and, of course, cellphones that are mostly imported or assembled. Behind the stagnating industrial growth is massive import of such products mostly from China, for which there exists a substantial domestic capacity. Random import of goods, manufactured by the large, medium and small scale units, has, to an extent, depressed domestic production. To give an example, the value of imports from China, this year, could exceed a whopping Rs. 5,60,000 crore. Not all imports from China enter through the channel requiring formal customs clearance. Many are simply smuggled through Nepal and north-eastern states bordering China, Myanmar and Bangladesh. Smuggled imports hit domestic medium and small industries while regular large imports choke the production of the country’s organised sector.

A few weeks before the brutal cross-border terrorist attack on Uri, Prime Minister Modi had sensibly warned that India's defence spending may have to be raised, keeping in view the need to safeguard national security in a growingly hostile neighbourhood.

The proposed sealing of 3,323-km India-Pakistan land border and 740-km LoC by 2018 as announced by Home Minister Rajnath Singh soon after the surgical strike at Pakistani terrorist launch pads across the line of control, has an element of politics. All governments in the last three decades and more have spoken of sealing the border with Pakistan.

At the end of the third debate between the presidential candidates in the US, what is becoming increasingly clear is that the race might go in favour of Hillary Clinton and the financial markets are pricing in latter’s victory in their calculations. What does that mean?

For a very long time, the ‘kickers’ of the RSS have been ridiculed. Now the blooming shorts have been replaced by khaki pants. For a long time, knickers have had an intriguing hold over the media. A few years ago, there was chatter that blooming shorts would be replaced which has been done now. It was conjectured that the organization was planning to update its look to appeal to the young. The routine criticism of khaki shorts has had little influence over members of the RSS. Queries of change of attires have always been met with bemusement. It would surprise RSS baiters that sartorial ridicule elicit mirth and not self-censure.

BHOPAL: Arbitrary punishment inflicted on more than a dozen police officers, including the rank of IPS has created a situation of confrontation between the police force and the Madhya Pradesh government. Most of the policemen are angry because the punishment has been given at the instance of the RSS.

LUCKNOW: Ever since chief minister Akhilesh Yadav announced his programme to launch the campaign for Mission 2017 without the approval of the party leadership, he has given the impression that there could be vertical split in the party.

The recent BRICS summit at Goa has taken several far-reaching decisions to boost economic cooperation among the five-nation grouping but has gone largely unnoticed because of the obsession in the media on the issue of terrorism. Combating terrorism is critical to economic well being but tackling it alone will not lead to progress and prosperity.