By M H AHSSAN | INNLIVE Durga pandals appear all set to play a big role in Bihar elections. When Indira Gandhi helped to liberate Bangladesh, she was hailed in India as the warrior goddess Durga, and images of the deity in puja pandals in what was then Calcutta bore a striking resemblance to the Congress leader, emblematic silver streak in the hair and all. Once again what might be called the politics of puja or should that be the puja of politics? is all set to stage a comeback in pollbound Bihar where the assembly elections are widely expected to have national repercussions. The high drama of Battleground Bihar will be heightened as the five-phase elections will coincide roughly with Durga puja season.
By SHEENA SHAFIA | INNLIVE It's not just onion prices that are skyrocketing. Prices of other essential commodities such as red gram, green gram, Bengal gram and even chillies are also on the rise in the state. According to official estimates, the range of price rise of various commodities is between 6% and 114% (state average) compared to last year's prices at the same time. Prices of commodities also increased in the last one month, especially of red gram and onions. For instance, red gram, which can give onions a tear or two, saw its price skyrocketing by 84% compared to last year same period. The price of red gram (grade II) is Rs 129 per kg now, which was just Rs 70 in 2014.
By SYED AMIN JAFRI | INNLIVE The decision of All India Majlis-e Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) to enter the Assembly poll fray in Bihar, albeit on a limited scale, has stirred up the hornet's nest. More than the political parties, the media appears to be perturbed and upset by AIMIM's move. TV channels and print media unleashed the propaganda that AIMIM's entry would help BJP at the cost of the Grand Alliance of “secular parties."
By NEWSCOP | INNLIVE Hackers are worming their way into databases and demanding money to give back access. When a managing director of a popular ice cream manufacturing company in the city opened his computer recently to access his company's database, he saw a message that startled him. “Pay $1,000 to get your data back and do the payment in Bitcoins." The perplexed MD tried to refresh and restart the machine, but the message kept repeating. Most of the company data had been encrypted cutting off his access to it.
By LIKHA VEER | INNLIVE Jagmohan Dalmiya died doing what he loved best: Running Indian cricket. The canny cricket administrator, who was re-elected president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in March 2015, passed away in Kolkata on Sept. 20, following a heart attack. The former wicketkeeper began his innings at the BCCI in 1979, before taking office as its treasurer in 1983. Under his leadership, the BCCI became the game’s richest sporting body.
By ROHIT GHOSH | INNLIVE Ramesh Kumar Bhantu is in his sixties. He looks like the archetypal school teacher - he wears thick glasses and talks deliberately and didactically. But he was never a school teacher. For decades, he worked at Kanpur's ordnance factory, which made parachutes for the Indian military. Bhantu's personality and professional background defies his address. He was born, grew up and still lives in the Criminal Tribe Settlement, or CTS Basti, a colony meant for criminals, in the Kalyanpur neighbourhood of Kanpur.
Legends say that Lord Ganesha - the harbinger of success a`nd the remover of obstacles, will take a new avataar to save our nature from a deadly rakshas called pollution. He will take the form of a tree to prevent the earth from massive destruction and bless humans with the wisdom to protectour nature. His devotees will pray him in the form of Tree Ganesha – The Lord of Nature. Anyone who worships him will be blessed with good health and prosperity.
In the Western Ghats, a bunch of intrepid researchers are climbing up trees to peek into an unexplored world. Walking into a forest is probably one of the most immersive ecological experiences. It isn’t like walking into any other landscape like a mountain or a desert, both of which introduce their marvels at a deliberate pace. When you step into a forest, it is almost as if the edge zips shut behind you. The trees sieve the bright sunlight into twinkling stars, the soggy ground softens your step and the foliage pushes against the world outside.
