Opinion
Palki Sharma's column: Will a strong "Muslim-NATO" on paper work in reality?
Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye took steps towards activating their "Mecca alliance" (or so-called "Muslim-NATO") on Monday (October 5). When the Houthi missiles fell on Saudi Arabia for the first time, the question arose whether Pakistan would come forward to protect Saudi Arabia? But for a month, Pakistan did not take any action. There were strong reasons for its hesitation. At least the lack of military capability cannot be the reason for this. Pakistan is ranked 14th in the Global Firepower Index. It has 6.60 lakh active and 5.50 lakh reserve soldiers. There are about 1400 aircraft in
Aarti Jerath's column: Congress's strategy in UP politics is now changing
The political chessboard of UP is now starting to take shape. In this sequence, the Congress has made an interesting move and appointed a Brahmin woman Aradhana Mishra 'Mona' as the state president. This decision is a bold move of the Congress – an attempt to connect the community with itself, which has been a strong supporter of the BJP since the political scenario of UP changed from the politics of Mandal-Kamandal. The Congress is trying to challenge the same by going to the BJP stronghold. In UP, the Congress is fighting for its survival. In the 2022 assembly elections, its vote share was
Kumar Rohit's column: The dream of a developed India will not be fulfilled without the development of Bihar.
When India is moving forward with the resolve of a "developed India" by the year 2047, the question becomes imperative as to what will be the role of Bihar, which has a population of 13 crores. The contribution of top states to India's GDP can be commendable, but unless the eastern heartland of the country becomes a center of economic production, innovation, and industrial renaissance at its full potential, the dream of a developed India cannot reach its culmination. Bihar's economic reality has come out of the old discourse of despair. In 2024-25, the state's GSDP growth rate was recorded at
Shekhar Gupta's column: Is India really a "soft-state"?
Has India been a 'soft state'? Did it allow its enemies to take a lot of advantage? Don't we think again and again that we wish we had followed the path of Patel, Netaji, Savarkar! It is said that Nehru's pacifist foreign policy gave Gandhian Ghutti a worse look. But facts and history tell the opposite. According to India's economic and military limitations, it has been able to do more than it can handle. The image of modern India may have been overshadowed by Gandhi, it has never been a Gandhian country. In fact, the first battle that India fought, it also had the support of Gandhi. Gandhi ta
Pt. Vijay Shankar Mehta's column: God's grace can be gathered only in the vessel of surrender
Seekers endowed with resources can easily get the grace of God. They are considered rare. Although the grace of God showers equally for everyone like rain, but if someone fills the vessel with rainwater properly, then it is collected. Similarly, the grace of God that is pouring out, we can collect it in the vessel of our dedication, otherwise it has to be swept away. Kakbhushundiji had told Garuda ji about his conversation with Shri Ram ji - Jogis Muni Prabhu Prasad Kou Pav. The devotion that Yogishwar Muni seeks, by the grace of God, it is rare to find it. Therefore, whatever we ask for from
N. Raghuraman's column: Debate on 'secondhand smoke' is emerging from train coaches to hotel lobbies
If you take a deep breath after cleaning the compartment of the housekeeping staff during the train journey, you may not get fragrances like sandalwood, leather, fennel, cardamom, violet or cider like high-end hotels. Instead, there may be a mild fragrance like floral, citrus or fresh aqua. Many of us must have experienced this. The Indian Railways' on-board housekeeping service (OBHS) policy guidelines mandate a cleaning process for AC coaches and executive class. It has a strict sequence for passenger comfort. This cleaning routine includes garbage cleaning, dry and wet wipes and deep-cleani
N. Raghuraman's column: Why teach children to read before watching?
Usually, when the younger generation of the family asks me for my opinion about a film on OTT channels, I advise them to read the book first and watch the movie later. The last such advice I gave was about Netflix's 2025 release 'The Woman in Cabin 10', which is based on Ruth Ware's psychological thriller novel of the same name in 2016. Earlier, similar films were made on the novel 'The Thursday Murder Club' by Richard Osman and 'The Housemaid' was based on the book by Frida McFadden. A youngster on the family WhatsApp group silenced me by writing that '... But the book will spoil the fun of t
N. Raghuraman's column: Some scenes are indelible in our memories, they are not filmed
There are some scenes in life that don't need to be filmed. They are just there and we see them. Yet they stay with us for years, sometimes even for the rest of our lives. That was one such scene. I will never forget her. It was the year 1995. I had just returned home from work when I saw my almost four-year-old daughter playing board games alone. She would jump from one end of the board to the other, sometimes playing on her side and sometimes on her imaginary partner's side. It was a scene I can never forget. My eyes filled with tears. Until recently, she used to have a partner to play with
Shivya Nath's column: The boundaries between the village and the city should be erased beautifully
After spending a month full of adventure in the Andes Mountains of Ecuador, I was enjoying spring in New York and preparing to return to India. My heart was restless for the Himalayas and the warm people of the villages there. I felt that it was finally time to make the 11-hour journey from Kathgodam to Sarmoli. Sarmoli is a beautiful village located in Munsiyari in Pithoragarh district, which has been voted the best tourist village in the country by the Government of India. I came to know about mountaineering enthusiast Malika Virdi and her work in starting a homestay in Sarmoli. So I asked h
N. Raghuraman's column: Are we getting myopic about the broader outlook on life?
Last week, the Khatal couple, who work in the Mumbai Police, had returned home after a long night shift, which lasted till around noon the next day. Tired, irritable and desperate to sleep, they reached their police quarters in Kalachowki. But another obstacle awaited them in their sleep. The four-year-old child of the neighbouring Sangle family was playing outside in the corridor, making noise. What happened next is not uncommon in a city where thousands of families live very close to each other. The argument over the child's noise turned into an argument between the neighbours. But instead o
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