RAMADAN IN INDIA FROM FEB 19
NEW DELHI: Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar, is observed by millions of Muslims across India and the world through fasting, prayer, and charity. Many are already looking for clarity on when Ramadan will begin in India and when Eid-ul-Fitr is likely to be celebrated. Ramadan 2026 start date in India Ramadan follows […]
The Eternal Timelessness of Mirza Ghalib
February 15 marked the 157th death anniversary of Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib (1797–1869), the crowning jewel of Urdu and Persian literature. A nobleman of the fading Mughal court and a witness to the seismic shifts of 1857, Ghalib was more than a poet; he was a philosopher of the human condition whose relevance has only […]
*Pahle naav Ganesh ka, lijiye sees nawae*The Syncretic Echoes of Nazeer’s Mahashivaratri
In the hush of midnight vigils on Mahashivratri, as devotees fast and chant through the lengthening shadows of February, Nazeer Akbarabadi’s verses transport us to a time when faith flowed unbound by rigid divides. This 18th-century Muslim poet, revered as the “People’s Poet,” opens his nazm *Mahadev-ji ka Byaah* with an invocation to Ganesha, seeking […]
The Eternal Valentine: Remembering Madhubala, the Venus of Indian Cinema
On February 14, while the world celebrates the ephemeral nature of modern romance, cinema lovers pause to honor a more enduring flame. Today marks the 93rd birth anniversary of Mumtaz Jehan Begum Dehlavi, known to the world as Madhubala. That she was born on Valentine’s Day is no mere coincidence of the calendar; it feels, […]
Parliament’s Sovereign Space: Modi’s Abdication of Duty A Prime Minister Too ‘Unsafe’ for His Own House
In a parliamentary democracy, the floor of the House is not merely a stage for rhetoric; it is the altar of accountability. The Prime Minister is not a sovereign ruler but the first among equals, tethered to the legislature by an umbilical cord of constitutional responsibility. When that bond is frayed by absenteeism or bypassed […]
Controversy Over Retired General M.M. Naravane’s Book & Its Political Fallout
Has a General Been Silenced to Shield the Prime Minister?The Real Scandal Lies Beyond the BookHussain Naqvi The controversy surrounding General M.M. Naravane’s unpublished memoir is not about whether a book should see the light of day. It is about the Modi government’s palpable alarm at the mere emergence of its excerpts—and the general’s conspicuous refusal […]
Nida Fazli Poets Of His Stature Do Not Disappear Into Memory
Safar mein dhoop to hogi jo chal sako to chalo* (The sun will scorch the journey—walk on, if you have the courage to walk.) On his tenth death anniversary, 8 February, Nida Fazli’s voice continues to move through our fractured times like a stubborn beam of light. A poet who chose to stay back when […]
The Erosion of Pluralism: India’s Descent into State-Sanctioned Majoritarianism
The foundational promise of the Indian Republic—a pluralistic sanctuary for all faiths—is currently weathering its most severe storm since Independence. What was once a series of isolated communal skirmishes has evolved into a systematic, widespread campaign of intimidation against religious minorities. As the world watches, the “world’s largest democracy” is increasingly being defined not by […]
Blood on Friday Prayers: The Islamabad Mosque Massacre
Blood on Friday Prayers: The Islamabad Mosque Massacre Another Chapter in Pakistan’s Sectarian Shame In the shadow of Pakistan’s gleaming capital, where diplomats convene and power brokers plot, a suicide bomber shattered the sanctity of Friday prayers on February 6, 2026. The blast at Khadijah al Kubra mosque-cum-Imambargah in Islamabad’s Tarlai area claimed at least 31 […]
The Erosion of Pluralism: India’s Descent into State-Sanctioned Majoritarianism
The foundational promise of the Indian Republic—a pluralistic sanctuary for all faiths—is currently weathering its most severe storm since Independence. What was once a series of isolated communal skirmishes has evolved into a systematic, widespread campaign of intimidation against religious minorities. As the world watches, the “world’s largest democracy” is increasingly being defined not by […]
