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It was not a coincidence instead a well-designed subterfuge to polarise the Hindu voters just a year ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election. While on April 1, the day people usually celebrate the Fools’ Day, Narendra Modi cracked a vicious and spiteful joke in Bhopal, the cite of Hindu rule, that some people have given a "supari" (contract) to sully his image, the two politically sensitive states, Bihar and Bengal, were witnessing communal disturbances over Ramnavami celebrations.

During the tenure of the Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government, India’s diplomatic influence and outreach have noticeably declined within its immediate South Asian neighbourhood. After the wake-up call on the Doklam stand-off from Bhutan, now comes news that temples and ancient cultural/traditional holy sites of Hindu-Indian origin are being systematically demolished in Sri Lanka.

US President Joe Biden, on Tuesday, March 28, came down heavily on a Russian plan to deploy nuclear weapons in neighbouring Belarus, terming it “dangerous” talk. Russian President Vladimir Putin had announced last week that Russia planned to deploy in the neighbouring state tactical, small-yield N-arms that would traverse a short range, although he was not specific about how many nuclear weapons his country would deploy in Belarus.

Ten years is a long time in politics. Ahead of the watershed 2014 general elections, the two main players in the reckoning were Gujarat-model famous Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi whose sole claim to political relevance was dynasty. Also trying to edge in sideways, thanks to a ‘revolution’ against corruption, was Arvind Kejriwal of the newly minted political outfit, the common man’s ‘Aam Aadmi Party’.

The growing presence of Chinese industrial investors in India despite the so-called government restrictions is more alarming than Chinese spy balloons over the Indian sky (detected by the US) and spy ships close to its territorial water. These Chinese industrial investors pose a big threat to the nation’s financial and strategic stability. With the economies of Pakistan and Afghanistan in tatters, China seems to be desperate to strengthen its presence in India, a growing source of its exports and financial repatriation. The annual repatriation of profits and other proceeds from India is growing rapidly. Several Chinese companies in India are allegedly breaking local rules and regulations at will while Indian investors find it extremely tough to establish a foothold in China.

At a time, when common people’s predicaments in accessing healthcare are being made worse, the passage of the Right to Health Bill on March 21 in the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly on March 21, 2023 was a most human and progressive step that made a history in India. However, the regressive politics came immediately into action to force withdrawal of this legislation, and most shockingly the people saw the very doctors agitating against the patient’s right to health, who are ethically bound by an oath to console, alleviate, cure and protect human health.

Mysuru: Mukund Sasikumar and Vishnu Vardhan overpowered B Ritvick Choudary and Nikki Poonacha in straight sets to win the doubles titles while the Indian challenge ended in the singles category of the Cycle Pure Agarbathi ITF Mysuru Open here on Saturday.

The recently held Annual Development Partners meeting of the ILO’s Global Flagship Programme on Building Social Protection Floors for all has reiterated that the human right to social security is still not a reality for more than 4 billion people of the world who are left totally unprotected without access to any social protection benefit.

Chanakya of BJP, Amit Shah has come out with the implicit advice to Rahul Gandhi to go to a higher court and challenge the verdict of the Surat court. This unsolicited advice coming from the iron man of the BJP has given rise to numerous conjecture in the political circle. What compelled him to come out with this advice? Does he think that Rahul would not move court? Rahul is aware of the legal procedure and he knows he has to challenge his conviction in a higher court. There is no ambiguity. But what made Amit Shah to offer unsolicited idea is really intriguing.

As we head into another massive electoral season, starting with Karnataka assembly polls on May 10 and ending with the Lok Sabha 12 months later; two parallel political processes are at work.