The ideological churning within CPI (M): Will the Prakash Karat led party finally toe a pragmatic line?

On Alimuddin street, where the CPI (M) headquarters in Kolkata is located, comrades have a love-hate relationship with the party’s general secretary Prakash Karat. While many deem his various miscalculations during the last 10 years as the principle reason behind the party’s loss of clout, they are also deeply respectful of Karat’s understanding of Left politics. 

So the party central committee’s rejection of Karat’s official draft resolution on tactical consensus is hailed as a victory, but nobody is celebrating. The dominant feeling is the sense of uncertainty with a glimmer of hope for course correction.

In the last decade, the CPI (M) has gone from being one of the fulcrums of Delhi’s power equations to an almost marginal force, reduced to just a perfunctory sound-bite presence. Gone are the days when EMS Namboodiripad, Harkishan Singh Surjeet or Jyoti Basu played a critical role in framing India's polity. For Karat, this entire fall in fortune has directly coincided with his tenure as the general secretary. 

Exclusive: Loyal Congressman GK Vasan quits party after 14 years: Here's why Gandhis should be worried?

The first major fissure in the Congress has surfaced, with former minister GK Vasan all set to break away from the party to revive his father’s legacy and outfit, the Tamil Maanila Congress in Tamil Nadu. Vasan’s move may have its roots in the conviction of AIADMK leader J Jayalalithaa who had to step down as chief minister thereby creating a politically fluid situation in which both the ruling party as well as the opposition DMK are in a state of flux.

"This has raised hopes in other parties and leaders who think they can create space for themselves in the state which was dominated by either the AIADMK or the DMK for close to half a century. This is the best opportunity to come their way. And this includes the BJP which is stands benefit the most from the situation in the state where it wants to set up its footprint," said a Congress leader.

Kargil Hero Vikram Mother Calls Modi A 'Pseudo-Patriot'

By Aniket Sahni | Delhi

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate and mother of martyred captain Vikram Batra labelled BJP's prime minsiterial candidate Narendra Modi as 'pseudo-patriot'.

Kamal Kanta Batra, who is in the fray for the first time as an Aam Aadmi Party candidate from the Hamirpur seat, made the statement after Modi used her son Vikram Batra's off-quoted phrase 'Yeh Dil Maange More' in his three rallies in Himachal Pradesh to stir up the sentiments of the people of the hill state.

Will This Election See Higher Turnout After 'Poll Tamasha'?

By M H Ahssan | INNLIVE

ANALYSIS While an increased turnout in Assembly elections is not an indicator of the same in Lok Sabha elections, aggressive campaigning points toward a higher turnout in this poll.

If the pattern of turnout in the Assembly elections held over the last couple of years are of any indication, the turnout in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections should significantly increase. Almost all the Assembly elections held in different States between 2012-13 witnessed a higher turnout compared to those held in previous years. 

Netas' Sons, Daughters Contesting Above 50 Seat In India

By M H Ahssan | INNLIVE

ELECTIONS 2014 At least 50 parliamentary constituencies will be contested by 'sons and daughters' of politicians. From President Pranab Mukherjee’s son Abhijit to Rahul and Varun Gandhi, at least 50 parliamentary constituencies will be contested by ‘sons and daughters’ of politicians of various parties during the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Of these, a majority of candidates have been fielded from the ruling Congress party.

Abhijit Mukherjee, a sitting MP, is contesting on a Congress ticket from his present Jangipur (West Bengal) constituency while Rahul Gandhi and Varun Gandhi are fighting from Amethi and Pilibhit constituencies in Uttar Pradesh, respectively.

OpEd: Can 'Aam Aadmi Party' Become A National Force?

By Hartosh Singh Bal (Guest Writer)

PRESPECTIVE When the Delhi assembly, amidst the expected uproar, voted 42 to 27 to block the introduction of the Jan Lokpal Bill on 14 February, it signalled the end of the Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal’s volatile seven weeks as chief minister. 

In a characteristic act of showmanship, Kejriwal tried to project the failure as the result of a united effort by the Congress and the BJP to scuttle the AAP’s cherished anti-corruption legislation, and not of his government’s attempt to sidestep constitutional procedure by bringing the bill to the floor without the approval of the central government. 

Sikkim Turning Hotspot For Paragliding, Adventure Travel

By Kushal Mahapatro | INN Live

Sikkim is emerging as a hot spot for paragliding, as increasing numbers of adventure lovers from different parts of the world are visiting the state for a thrilling experience in the Himalayan foothills.

In recent months, increasing numbers of foreign visitors are flocking to the state to enjoy the thrill of a "flying" holiday.

According to Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling, around 100 local youths are associated with paragliding in the state that generates economic activities of over Rs.1 crore. Chamling said the state government targets to increase the number of local people actively involved in paragliding to 500.

'Rahul's Blurring Lines Between Novice And Politician'

By Aniket Sharma | INN Live

ANALYSIS There are occasions when the dividing line between the real and the fictional blurs. Yesterday’s interview of Rahul Gandhi, conducted by Arnab Goswami of Times Now was one of them. On screen was one of the few Indian politicians with movie star looks and his answers seemed to be out of one of those half-baked, incoherent and painfully unrealistic films that Bollywood regularly churns out in an effort to make some money off the nation's interest in political figures. 

Opinion Polls Predict Congress May Loose In South & Northen States While BJP's May Win In 2014 Elections?

By Likha Veer | INN Live

The Bharatiya Janata Party under the leadership of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi seems to have impressed rural voters throughout the country as the BJP is emerging as the most favoured party in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

According to the poll survey conducted by CVoter, the BJP is likely to bag highest ever seats crossing all its previous tallies. The survey predicts that BJP would emerge as the single largest party by winning 188 seats while the final results of NDA is likely to be close to 220 seats. The saffron party had bagged 116 seats in the 2009 general elections.

Opinion: Why Indian 'System' May Completely Change?

By Rajinder Puri | Delhi

Not too long ago BJP leader  Narendra Modi addressing a public rally in Jammu said that Article 370 imposed in the state needed to be debated. The reactions this evoked were amusing. The BJP went on a panic drive to assert that there was no change in the party’s policy towards Kashmir and it continued to oppose Article 370. J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah retorted that Article 370 was permanent because Kashmir acceded to India by reference to the state’s Instrument of Accession which mentioned Article 370.  Modi responded by stating that a debate on all issues related to J&K was desirable. Upon that this writer urged a debate on the entire Indian political system.

The 'Harvest Festival' With Many Moods Of Indian Culture

By Seema Singh | INN Live

Makara Sankranti is one of the most auspicious occasions for the Hindus, and is celebrated in almost all parts of India and Nepal in myriad cultural forms, with great devotion, fervour, and gaiety. It is a harvest festival. It is perhaps the only Indian festival whose date which most often falls on the same day every year. 

The festival is also believed to mark the arrival of spring in India. Makara Sankranti is the day when the Sun begins its movement away from the Tropic of Capricorn and heads towards the northern-hemisphere and thus it signifies an event wherein the Sun-God seems to remind their children that 'Tamaso Ma Jyotirgamaya'—may you go higher and higher, to more and more Light and never to Darkness. It is highly regarded by the Hindus. 

A Slap On Democracy: A Sheer Undemocratic 'Celebration' With Riot Victims, Poor, Homeless And Needy In UP

By M H Ahssan | INN Live

EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE The Muzaffarnagar riot victims have been left to fend for themselves while leaders of the ruling Samajwadi Party enjoy lavish celebrations and foreign jaunts. 

Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav can certainly brave the chill of the January nights. On the night of 8 January, he was at the annual Saifai Mahotsav in his native district of Etawah, along with his son, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav. The father-son duo looked absolutely comfortable enjoying the “Bollywood Night” as actors Salman Khan and Madhuri Dixit, among others, shook their legs to various dance numbers.

'10% Students Have Access To Higher Education in India'

By Dr.Shelly Ahmed (Star Guest Writer)

Access to education beyond higher secondary schooling is a mere 10% among the university-age population in India. This is the finding of a report “Intergenerational and Regional Differentials in Higher Education in India” authored by development economist, Abusaleh Shariff of the Delhi-based Centre for Research and Debates in Development Policy and Amit Sharma, research analyst of the National Council of Applied Economic Research.

The Aadhaar Trap: Why Should Be Very Careful To Use?

By M H Ahssan | INN Live

SPECIAL REPORT INN Live argues the case against the Aadhaar biometrics project and is also a petitioner in the case. Aadhaar can seriously damage the citizen’s right to privacy and change the balance of power between citizen and state to the former’s disadvantage. 

The Aadhaar project, with its enormous potential of surveillance, alters the relationship between citizen and state. It tilts the balance so steeply in favour of government that a citizen whose biometrics are controlled by the state is permanently condemned to submission.

Veteran Actor Farookh Shaikh Dies Of Hear Attack In Dubai

By M H Ahssan | INN Live

Renowned Veteran film actor Farooq Sheikh passed away after massive sudden heart attack. Born on 25 March 1948, he died at the age of 65. His body will be brought to Mumbai later in the day after completing the formalities in Dubai. He was on a holiday in Dubai with his family.

From Satyajit Ray to Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Farooque Shaikh worked with some of the best directors of Bollywood of his era, leaving behind a body of work stands out for sheer quality. In a career spanning over three decades, Shaikh was last seen in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani but will be remembered more for classics such as Shatranj Ke Khiladi, Garam Hawa, Katha, Noorie and Umrao Jaan.

Analysis: BJP, Congress Political 'Mirror Masks' Unveiled

By M H Ahssan | INN Live

Economic policies. Corruption. Civil liberties. Public Discourse. There is nothing to distinguish the two national parties. Growth junkies. US-friendly. Anti-labour and pro-business. Anti-poor but pro-subsidy. Is there a choice between the economic policies of the Congress and the BJP?

The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance’s Rs 100-crore Bharat Nirman campaign ran into trouble this September. One of its print advertisements featured the same women models in an almost identical frame that was used in the Antyodaya Yojana campaign launched by the BJP-led NDA back in 2000. The two parties apparently hired the same agency. But then, fittingly, the NDA’s Antyodaya scheme was the precursor to the UPA’s Food Security Act too.

Focus: Do Shrinking Crowds Point To Modi Fatigue In MP?

By Sufia Rafat | Bhopal

The novelty has worn off Narendra Modi’s shows in Madhya Pradesh, but he continues to stay afloat on media hype and pungent anti-Congress rhetoric. There are signs that the returns from sorties to the state are diminishing for the BJP’s top crowd-puller. 

Modi, who drew a crowd of several lakh people in an unprecedented show of the party at the Jamboree ground just six weeks ago, was forced to address a much smaller crowd at a much smaller ground on Monday.

'This Is Our First Expereince Of Viewing Films In Theatre'

By Swati Reddy | Hyderabad

Wearing colourful caps and excited smiles, four children stood out amid the crowd of eager kids who came to watch films at the Prasad’s Imax theatre in Hyderabad, the main venue for the 18th International Children’s Film Festival. The wonder in their eyes was evident, because unlike most other children, the foursome from Himachal Pradesh was watching cinema on the big screen for the first time. 

Insight: Drug Industry 'Making Rich At The Cost Of Sick'

By Narayan Lakshman (Guest Writer)

Unless a deeper, institutional change is ushered in to break the nexus between drug companies and the regulatory regime, Indians consuming drugs may be exposing themselves to serious risks.

Even before I walked into the Mayflower Hotel in the heart of Washington on a crisp autumn afternoon to meet Dinesh Thakur, whistle-blower and former director of India-based pharmaceutical giant Ranbaxy, I had a hunch that this conversation would spark some troubling questions on India’s malfunctioning drug industry.

Spiti Valley In Himachal: It's Still A World Within A World

By Hari Singh / Shimla

A century ago Rudyard Kipling in his novel "Kim" described Spiti as "a world within a world" and a "place where the god lives". Things have hardly changed there.

A part of the remote but picturesque Lahaul-Spiti district in Himachal Pradesh, the Spiti Valley, a cold desert dotted by tiny helmets spread over the Himalayan peaks, adjoining Tibet, takes you to a land of Buddhism and virgin nature.