As India awoke to independence in August 1947, the fate of Jammu and Kashmir remained uncertain. A Muslim-majority state ruled by a Hindu monarch, its geostrategic importance and demographic complexity made it a flashpoint even before Pakistan-backed tribal militias invaded in October. How India responded to that invasion—and who shaped that response—remains the subject of…
DEHRADUN: A book fair scheduled for Feb 15-16 at Uttarakhand’s HNB Garhwal University, the state’s only central university situated in Srinagar (Pauri Garwhal), has been cancelled, with organisers alleging pressure from right-wing groups for the cancellation. The event, titled ‘Kitab Kauthik’, a popular platform for book lovers which is annually organised by the group Creative…
During his reply to the Motion of Thanks during the Budget Session, PM Modi made several interesting cultural references. The first involved a famous TOI cartoon by R.K. Laxman, which showed the ubiquitous “common man” dragging a float with an aeroplane carrying a group of politicians, where the pilot closely resembles former Prime Minister Rajiv…
NEW DELHI: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Manohar Lal Khattar on Sunday called Jawahal Lal Nehru’s appointment as the first Prime Minister of India “accidental”, prompting criticism from Congress. “I want to say that Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru became a prime minister by accident. In his place, someone who deserved it (to become India’s first…
NEW DELHI: As various dictionaries selected their ‘word of the year’, political leaders in India drew upon several historical figures as fuel for their political narratives in 2024. Whether these personalities are aware of their newfound fame or not, they have undeniably influenced Indian politics, including the Lok Sabha elections, assembly polls, and parliamentary sessions.While…
NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday targeted Congress over the alleged withdrawal of Jawaharlal Nehru’s letters on Sonia Gandhi’s orders from the Prime Minister’s Memorial & Library (PMML) in 2008, questioning its contents. The party has demanded that the letters, written by the first Indian prime minister to Edwina Mountbatten, Jayprakash Narayan, among others…
After a BJP MP sought the opinion of Rahul Gandhi‘s grandmother and former prime minister Indira Gandhi on Savarkar, Rahul said she told him that Savarkar had compromised with the British. “I had asked her once when I was small. She said Savarkar wrote a letter to the British and asked for forgiveness from the…