Two Centuries of Hindi Journalism: Between Public Conscience and the Digital Republic*
From *Udant Martand* to independent digital platforms, the journey of Hindi journalism mirrors India’s democratic aspirations, political anxieties, and battles over truth and power The story of Hindi journalism begins with a modest but historic experiment. On 30 May 1826, Pandit Jugal Kishor Shukla published *Udant Martand* (The Rising Sun) from Calcutta (now Kolkata), becoming […]
When Cow Politics Meets Selective Piety
In a striking twist to India’s polarised cow politics, Muslim organisations have joined longstanding calls for stricter bovine protection. Members of the Muslim Vikas Parishad recently formed a human chain in Bhopal, demanding the cow be declared “Mother of the Nation.” Leaders linked to the Ajmer Dargah Sharif and the All India Muslim Jamaat have […]
Guha’s Critique of the Nehru-Gandhi Dynasty: Insights, Strengths and Limitations
In his May 30, 2026, column in The Telegraph (Kolkata), “Rahul Gandhi as PM | Modi’s Enablers,” historian Ramachandra Guha reprises a familiar refrain: the Congress remains a family firm, with Rahul Gandhi lacking the discipline, gravitas, and curriculum vitae to challenge Narendra Modi effectively. He portrays the Gandhis as unwitting or witting accomplices in […]
Rahul Gandhi: A Relentless Constitutional Voice Against India’s Authoritarian Drift
In a recent critique published in Scroll.in, noted historian Ramachandra Guha reduces Rahul Gandhi’s two decades in politics to a largely inconsequential journey punctuated only by the Bharat Jodo Yatra, while portraying his current interventions as little more than fleeting social media activity. Such an assessment not only underestimates Gandhi’s political evolution but also overlooks […]
Suman Kalyanpur, a Voice of Moonlit Melodies, Dies at 89 — The Golden Era Loses One of Its Last Greats
A luminous voice that threaded sorrow and yearning into unforgettable tunes has fallen silent. Suman Kalyanpur, whose simmering, honeyed soprano helped define Bollywood’s golden years, died on May 31, 2026, at her Mumbai home. She was 89. A life in song Born Suman Hemmady in Dhaka on January 28, 1937, she moved with her family […]
The Day India Became Orphaned: 27 May 1964
On the 62nd anniversary of his passing, we remember the leader who shaped modern India and whose absence left a nation in profound grief.It was around 2:00 PM on May 27, 1964, when telephones began ringing urgently in government offices across Delhi. Employees at All India Radio rushed to their studios as a sense of […]
Zindagi Kaisi Hai Paheli”: Remembering Yogesh, the Poet of Quiet Longings
On 29 May 2020, Hindi cinema lost one of its gentlest and most understated voices when lyricist-poet Yogesh Gaur passed away in Mumbai at the age of 77. His death did not generate the kind of national mourning that usually accompanies the passing of celebrated film personalities. There were no grand television retrospectives, no endless […]
The Digital Blindspot: How CBSE’s Flawed On-Screen Marking System Failed Class XII Students
The high-stakes world of Board examinations in India has long been a pressure cooker for millions of adolescents, but this year, the systemic failures of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) have turned it into an outright crisis. Following closely on the heels of national entrance exam debacles, the introduction of the digital On-Screen […]
The Last Lamp of the Ghazal Diminishes: Dr. Bashir Badr, the Towering Icon of Modern Urdu Poetry
Dr. Bashir Badr, the legendary Padma Shri recipient who ruled the horizon of Urdu literature and modern ghazals for over six decades with his velvety voice and effortlessly conversational verses, is no more. He breathed his last at the age of 91 on May 28, 2026, at his residence, ‘Bashir Manzil’, in the Fatehgarh area […]
A Life Lived with Zest: Ramakant Dayama, the Heartfelt Storyteller of Indian Screens, Bids Adieu
The Indian entertainment industry lost one of its most grounded and versatile talents on May 26, 2026, when veteran actor Ramakant Dayama passed away at the age of 69 following a prolonged illness. His departure leaves an indelible void, not just in cinema and theatre but in the hearts of those who cherished his authentic […]
