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2024
04/04/2024

Why are they leaving their home?

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   By Vijay Darda | 04-03-2024 There is no greater sorrow than seeing your loved ones leaving you, worry is a distant thing!

People often ask me, when would I leave? Haven’t you jumped ship yet? I find this slightly amusing and can only reply that I have been hearing this for the past seven to eight years. I am still here. Tomorrow, God ...

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03/11/2024

Nita nurtured the tree of Dhirubhai’s values

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   By Vijay Darda | 11-03-2024 It is the power of character that protects one from the storms of time

It is so easy to lose humility when one acquires a small amount of wealth or gains a bit of fame. Such people strut around with a false sense of pride, a misplaced sense of achievement. They fail to appreciate the power of time and cannot ...

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02/26/2024

Two towering personalities in their own fields!

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   By Vijay Darda | 26-02-2024 Padma Vibhushan Fali S Nariman, renowned for his powerful advocacy and Padma Shri Ameen Sayani, known for his voice

Last week, we bid farewell to two remarkable personalities who made significant contributions in their respective fields. Fali S Nariman, a Padma Vibhushan recipient and a renowned constitutiona...

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02/19/2024

The lion’s roar is yet to come!

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   By Vijay Darda | 19-02-2024 Nawaz failed to secure a majority in Pakistan’s general elections despite army’s questionable actions

I have not come across any other instance in the democratic history of the world when a candidate has relinquished the seat after his victory saying that rigging was done to make him win! However, this ex...

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02/12/2024

Manmohan Singh, the ‘Ratna’ of India

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   By Vijay Darda | 12-02-2024 Stepping away from politics, Prime Minister Narendra Modi praises the former PM

Let me recall an incident that took place in August last year. The Rajya Sabha was scheduled to conduct a vote on amendments to the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill. Despite opposition from the Co...

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02/05/2024

𝐀 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐫!

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   By Vijay Darda | 05-02-2024 No sooner did Narendra Modi sit on the seashore in Lakshadweep than Muizzu's government in Maldives fell in danger

It is highly unlikely that in the history of diplomacy, a Prime Minister has ever sat in a relaxed posture on a chair on the seashore of his country, taken a dip in the serene waters, and caused ...

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01/29/2024

Now it is time for Ram Rajya

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   By Vijay Darda | 29-01-2023

The newly-built Ram Lalla temple in Ayodhya has undeniably transformed into a national temple

During the consecration ceremony of Lord Ram’s idol, skillfully crafted from the ancient Krishna Shila rock dating back to approximately 300 crore years, all eyes were fixed on Ayodhya, not only within India but acro...

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01/22/2024

Republic: What is our worth..?

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   By Vijay Darda | 22-01-2024

The world’s first republic was born 2.5K years ago in Vaishali, India, during the Licchavi rule

Recently, a news story regarding Kishore Kanyal -- an IAS officer stationed in Shajapur, Madhya Pradesh -- asking a trucker, kya aukaat hai tumhari? (What is your worth?) was widely circulated. This question was po...

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01/15/2024

Karvan guzar gaya, gubar dekhte rahe...

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   By Vijay Darda | 15-01-2024

Gopaldas Neeraj’s poems are a philosophy of life painted in the hues of love

Listening to that sleepy-eyed poet with profundity in his expression late at night was never enough. Had he just recited a little more... we would have listened a little more..! This was the wonder of that poet, ‘shayar’ and lyri...

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01/08/2024

Rahul’s yatra & alliance quagmire

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By Vijay Darda | 08-01-2024.

Will Congress be able to muster enough support to defeat BJP through its yatra from Mizoram to Mumbai?

Hectic activities are going on in the Opposition camp in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections this year. Two of these activities are more significant than the others. The first one is Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jod...

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01/01/2024

Come, let’s live in the New Year!

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   By Vijay Darda | 1-1-2024

Do ask yourself whether something new is born within you every day?

Vijay Darda

This time, I was in two minds -- whether to write about the Congress rally in Nagpur last week or about our personal life, where we are constantly sacrificing a lot in our quest to gain! The ones we want to get close to are slipping ...
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2023
12/25/2023

Parliament... without a bowler

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   By Vijay Darda | 25-12-2023

In a democratic process, it is difficult to imagine Parliament functioning without Opposition

Vijay Darda

When six crucial Bills were passed in the last week of the Winter Session of the Parliament in its new building, several Opposition MPs had been suspended from the House. Both the ruling party and the Oppo...
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12/18/2023

Time to settle PoK issue once & for all!

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   By Vijay Darda | 18-12-2023

Considering challenges that terrorism pose, another lapse in the security of Parlt is a very serious issue

Vijay Darda

This time I wanted to write in this column about the newly appointed chief ministers in four states as well as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah’s unique strategy, whi...
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12/11/2023

Broken idols are not worshipped!

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   By Vijay Darda | 11-12-2023

Those crying foul over Mahua Moitra’s expulsion need to understand that Parliament is the temple of our democracy

Vijay Darda

Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra has been expelled from the Lok Sabha in connection with the ‘cash-for-query’ case. People making political statements about this issue should un...
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12/04/2023

Uncle Sam in war of Begums!

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   By Vijay Darda | 4-12-2023 Why is America interfering in Bangladesh elections and what has Russia objecting?

Vijay Darda

Elections are an internal matter of any country. The world keeps an eye on what the results of the elections will be because they affect foreign policy. However, if a country’s election becomes a source of contenti...

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11/27/2023

Menacing world of deepfakes!

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   By Vijay Darda | 27-11-2023 Looming threat of deepfake technology becoming a tool for crooks on the life-simplifying Internet

Vijay Darda

Deepfake has become a hot topic of discussion everywhere these days. Even our Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed concern on this issue. The anxiety is understandable because on the one hand, ...
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11/20/2023

A golden opportunity lost!

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   By Vijay Darda | 20-11-202 For us, cricket is not just a game but like a national religion

Vijay Darda

The Indian team’s determination was invincible and 140 crore Indians expected it to win the World Cup! In this background, it is difficult to digest the defeat of the Indian team, but that is the reality. All players in form, one wi...

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11/11/2023

Aao phir se diya jalayen..!

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   By Vijay Darda | 11-11-2023

Hum padaav ko samjhe manjil, lakshya hua ankhon se ojhal, vartaman ke mohjal mein, aane wala kal na bhulayen...

Vijay Darda

Bhari dupahari mein andhiyara, Suraj parchhai se hara, Antartam ka neh nichoden, Bujhi hui bati sulgayen, Aao phir se diya jayalen!  

You may have read or heard this poem compos...

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11/05/2023

Zoya & Zara's life drowned in agony!

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   By Vijay Darda | 05-11-2023

The retaliatory bombs killed over 4,000 children in Gaza; they had done nothing wrong!

It's Diwali next week, but a moving story from the Gaza Strip has left people terribly restless. A young girl was discovered by rescuers in the wreckage of a structure that had been hit by multiple bombs. Who was this girl, co...

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10/23/2023

Sahir: Rebel son of a rich father!

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   By Vijay Darda | 23-10-2023

It has been 43 years since Sahir Ludhianvi passed away but his songs are still ruling our hearts!

I first met Sahir while studying in college in Mumbai. Jaidev, the music director, lived beneath my house. At the time, he was composing music for the film Hum Dono's famous song Main zindagi ka saath nibhata chala...

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10/16/2023

Daydream of theocratic rule!

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   By Vijay Darda | 16-10-2023

The savage Hamas paraded women naked and beheaded children; it is imperative to exterminate these barbarians

What would that country do if a terrorist group fires hundreds of rockets at it, enters its borders, slaughters innocent people at a music festival, decapitates children, parades women naked and then kid...

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10/09/2023

Why don't they go to govt hospital?

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   By Vijay Darda | 09-10-2023

𝑴𝒂𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒈𝒐𝒗𝒕 𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒔 𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆'𝒔 𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍...

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10/02/2023

An inspiring story of leadership

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   By Vijay Darda | 02-10-2023

Sanjiv Mehta: Hindustan Unilever head who scripted a new chapter on corporate social responsibility

As a matter of fact, I almost never write about a specific person in this column. The External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval have been the only exceptions whose personalit...

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09/25/2023

Lest Canada become Pakistan!

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   By Vijay Darda | 25-09-2023

Justin Trudeau is repeating his father’s blunder: don’t make terrorists your sons-in-law

When Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau absurdly accuses India of executing Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, I am reminded of his father Pierre Trudeau and his dogmatism, vote-bank politics, and heinous st...

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09/18/2023

What if aliens come knocking?

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   By Vijay Darda | 18-09-2023

Two remains of aliens were displayed before Mexican Parliament; does US really know the secrets of aliens?

The presence of aliens, or mysterious creatures from another planet, is being debated once again. Discussions concerning aliens are rekindled whenever some UFO (unidentified flying object), also known as f...

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09/11/2023

India was born after Bharat

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   By Vijay Darda | 11-09-2023

Bharat is our pride but what is the harm if someone calls it India in English?

The only question on everyone's mind at the moment is would India henceforth be referred to only as Bharat? Our Constitution currently states, 'India, that is Bharat’. This has given rise to two streams of discussion: one supportin...

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09/04/2023

Why oppose simultaneous polls?

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   By Vijay Darda | 04-09-2023

India began its democratic journey with simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabhas!

Imagine going to the polling booth on election day and electing your MLA and MP simultaneously! At present, we have to vote separately for the Lok Sabha and the State Legislative Assemblies. But it is crucial for ...

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08/28/2023

Tujhe salaam!

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   By Vijay Darda | 28-08-2023

A big salute to scientists who enhanced the glory and prestige of tricolour the world over!

As the time for the landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon was approaching, the heartbeat of every Indian was increasing. Meanwhile, when the news broke that Russia’s famed spacecraft Luna-25 had crashed, the beats got e...

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08/21/2023

Why did question of new statute arise?

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   By Vijay Darda | 21-08-2023 What are the implications of personal opinion of Bibek Debroy, chairman of  Economic Advisory Council to PM?

If someone asks you if there is any need to change the Constitution of India, most of you will, no doubt, look with astonishment at the person asking such a question. I was also taken aback when Bibek...

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08/14/2023

Why did India become a slave?

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   By Vijay Darda | 14-08-2023

Amid celebration of independence, it is imperative to consider this question so that no one casts an evil eye on us again

Former Prime Minister and eminent leader of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee would always tell an anecdote. When he went to Afghanistan as a foreign minister, he told his Afghan counterpart that h...

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08/07/2023

Will Rahul add a new hue to politics?

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   By Vijay Darda | 07-08-2023

Supreme Court has stayed the sentence of Rahul Gandhi; will his comeback give a new twist to politics?

The implications of the Supreme Court staying Rahul Gandhi’s sentence are unquestionably wider. This will undoubtedly have an impact on Indian politics. This issue will definitely come up in the forthcoming ...

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07/31/2023

Where has Qin Gang vanished?

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   By Vijay Darda | 31-07-2023

China has become a scourge for the entire world, causing numerous challenges which India is firmly dealing with

 

The latest news from China is that the country’s foreign minister Qin Gang, who was gaining popularity throughout the world, has mysteriously vanished. He has been missing for more than a month n...

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07/24/2023

Why is there no sense of shame & anguish?

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   By Vijay Darda | 24-07-2023

Over 150 deaths in two-and-a-half months and 60,000 people rendered homeless; rioters turned rape into a weapon in Manipur!

This is my third article on the violence in Manipur in two and a half months, but the incident of two women being paraded naked on the streets and gangraped has torn my heart out. My mind ...

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07/17/2023

‘Golden bird’ will adorn this branch again!

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   By Vijay Darda | 17-07-2023

The day is not far when there will be no better place to live than India

‘Jahan daal daal par sone ki chidiya karti hai basera, wo Bharat desh hai mera!’ We all occasionally sing this song from the film Sikandar E Azam, released some 58 years ago. Written by lyricist Rajendra Krishan, this song is played es...
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07/10/2023

Why is France burning so badly?

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   By Vijay Darda | 10-07-2023

Those who were granted asylum on French soil in the name of human rights became enemies

You must be wondering why France, known for its magnificent culture, excellent artistry, amazing artworks and wonderful literature, is so enraged over the death of a youth? Why are there so many incidents of arson in French ...

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07/03/2023

Twists & turns behind Wagner rebellion..!

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   By Vijay Darda |03-07-2023 Why did Yevgeny, the private army chief who is called ‘Putin’s chef’, suddenly revolt?

Why did the private army, which had been fighting for Russia all over the world for years, suddenly direct its weapons and tanks against Moscow? Why did they shoot down Russian combat aircraft and helicopters? Events l...

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06/26/2023

Adipurush: Why use such a language?

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   By Vijay Darda | 26-06-2023

A grave and crucial question amid uproar over distasteful & controversial dialogues

Vijay Darda

A barrage of protests is raging around the dialogues from the film Adipurush. This tempestuous reaction is justified as the issue revolves around the language, for language is more than just a means of communication...

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06/19/2023

China behind Manipur violence!

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   By Vijay Darda | 19-06-2023

How did ultras loot weapons from police stations so easily? Where are they getting sophisticated rifles from?

Vijay Darda

At the moment, the country’s main worry is Manipur. The violence that broke out last month shows no signs of abating. Over 130 people have died. Village after village has been set ablaze....

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06/12/2023

Bestiality masked as love!

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   By Vijay Darda | 12-06-2023

The purpose of live-in relationship in Western countries is to understand each other, whereas it’s a disguise to satisfy lust in our country

Vijay Darda

I’m terribly upset. The headline of the news is distressing: ‘A man in live-in relationship kills his spouse... cuts her into pieces... cooks the body p...

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06/05/2023

Wreaking havoc from ground to sky!

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   By Vijay Darda | 05-06-2023

Celebrating World Environment Day only on a day and turning a blind eye for the rest of the days is our biggest mistake

Vijay Darda

The monster that is destroying the environment today was created long before the world formally and unitedly expressed concern for the environment for the first time in the form o...

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05/29/2023

Files paint rosy picture of villages!

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   By Vijay Darda | 29-05-2023

You can never understand farmers’ problems by sitting in air-conditioned rooms; you must go to the farm!

Vijay Darda

Ho jaye achhi bhi fasal, Par laabh krushakon ko kahan, Khate, khavaai, beej, Rinn se hain range rakkhe jahan.   Aata mahajan ke yahan, Vah anna sara ant mein, Adhpet kha...
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05/22/2023

What if Pak really disintegrates?

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   By Vijay Darda | 22-05-2023

Imran Khan has warned of the repeat of 1971; it is critical to comprehend the significance of this warning!

Vijay Darda

You are all aware of what is going on and what the situation is in Pakistan at the moment. Imran Khan and the army are at daggers drawn. The short history of the country attests to the fact that ...

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05/15/2023

SC verdicts & turmoil in Pakistan!

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   By Vijay Darda | 08-05-2023

Apex court rulings have put an end to confusion in Maharashtra, provided relief to Delhi govt

Vijay Darda

I usually express my point of view on a specific topic and analyse it in this column. However, the Supreme Court last week pronounced two significant judgments that may have far-reaching effects. Moreove...

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05/08/2023

Why is Manipur in flames?

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   By Vijay Darda | 08-05-2023

Bring development and crack down on drug trade for peace

Vijay Darda

The valleys of Northeast India are breathtakingly beautiful. They are so enchanting that you’ll fall in their love at first sight! This region is remarkable due to the hundreds of rivers that flow in the lap of steep mountains and dense f...

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05/01/2023

How did a killer get political favours?

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   By Vijay Darda | 01-05-2023

Bihar jail manual itself was changed in order to release Anand Mohan, who murdered a district collector!

Vijay Darda

That awful day of December 5, 1994, flashed before my eyes as soon as news of the release of Bihar's ‘Bahubali’ leader Anand Mohan Singh trickled in. On that fateful day, Gopalganj collect...

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04/24/2023

How to check storm of rumours?

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   By Vijay Darda | 24-04-2023

Serious questions have resurfaced after a fake video of Aaradhya went viral on social media!

Vijay Darda Jhooth ka khaufnaak manzar,  Afvaaho ka ye samandar, Kiski baaton par aitbaar karoon,  Yahan toh har or hai, Hawaon mein udta khanjar wanjar!

When I sat down to write my column this week, these...

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04/17/2023

We will neither be afraid nor bow down...

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   By Vijay Darda | 14-04-2023

We will neither be afraid nor bow down... Vibrant Village programme begins at Kibithu in Arunachal Pradesh, close to Chinese border

Vijay Darda

In India's internal politics, the government has always been accused of not being as strong in its response to China's assertive policy as it is against Pakistan. No m...

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04/10/2023

Criticism is the soul of democracy

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   By Vijay Darda | 10-04-2023

Supreme Court’s observation is significant that critical opinions cannot be dubbed as anti-establishment

Vijay Darda

What is the difference between India, the USA, China, Russia or Gulf nations or many other such countries? There are numerous perspectives to see the difference. They can be defined by their e...

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04/03/2023

How do bureaucrats make moolah?

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   By Vijay Darda | 03-04-2023

Enact such a law and implement it in such a way that there is no room for corruption in the entire system

Vijay Darda

A Central government directive has recently sparked a debate in the administrative circles. The common man is likewise keeping an eye on this directive and is curious to know what it means and ...

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03/27/2023

Javed, Lata, Shabana & Pakistan!

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   By Vijay Darda | 27-02-2023

At Faiz Festival in Lahore, Javed Akhtar showed everyone the mirror in his sharp characteristic style

Vijay Darda

Jidhar jate hai sab jana udhar achha nahi lagata, Mujhe pamaal raaston ka safar achha nahin lagta. Galat baaton ko khamosi se sunana haami bhar lena, Bahut hai fayade is mein magar achha nahi la...
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03/27/2023

Rahul Gandhi’s language & others’ bluff!

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   By Vijay Darda | 27-03-2023

The sentencing of Rahul Gandhi has once again brought the critical issue of propriety of language to spotlight

Vijay Darda

I had read a couplet somewhere which I am recalling now: Is zubaan mein haddiyan nahin hoti, Par isi zubaan se haddiyan tudvayi jaa sakti hain!

The context is, of course, Rahul G...

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03/20/2023

Two priceless gems of India!

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   By Vijay Darda | 20-02-2023

Both minister of external affairs S Jaishankar and NSA Ajit Doval are playing amazing roles

Vijay Darda

Even as External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar used the words “old, rich opinionated, and dangerous person” for America’s veteran businessman George Soros, his sharp and savage replies have become the ...

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03/20/2023

Confronting Taliban with music!

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   By Vijay Darda | 20-03-2023

Afghan singers, instrumentalists and musicians who took refuge in Portugal wield weapons of their art

Vijay Darda

Just imagine how boring life would be if there was no music in human life. So, imagine what those folks whose lives have been robbed of music must be going through. Life must have been horrible wit...

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03/18/2023

Fifty years of swimming against the tide

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   By Vijay Darda | 18-02-2023

Keep going, keep going! With faith, confidence, and mutual trust!

Vijay Darda

The first issue of the Nagpur edition of Lokmat was published on December 15, 1971. Explaining the stand in a special article in this first issue, my father and guide Jawaharlalji Darda alias Babuji, quoted a line from an eminent Mar...

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03/13/2023

Xi’s coronation portends ill for us

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   By Vijay Darda | 13-03-2023

Is there anyone to tighten the screws on this uncrowned king and clever dictator?

Vijay Darda

Do you know that the Communist Party of China, which has been captured by country’s supreme leader Xi Jinping, who has emerged very rapidly in the economic and military fields of the world, was the same party that h...

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03/06/2023

Who is aiding Nithyananda, after all?

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   By Vijay Darda | 06-03-2023

Rape accused Nithyananda not only created a new island country but also ensured that his lover Vijayapriya attended UN meeting!

Vijay Darda

A youth studies mechanical engineering. Slowly he pretends to mould himself as a saint and one day declares himself God! Suddenly, his devotees surface in thousands and st...

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02/13/2023

Quakes: How prepared are we?

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By Vijay Darda | 13-02-2023

The multi-storey buildings in Turkey were not earthquake resistant, causing massive destruction to life and property

Vijay Darda

Scenes of thousands of buildings reduced to rubble in Turkey’s devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake have forced the whole world to think as to how prepared we are to deal with the unpr...

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02/06/2023

Do Pakistanis want to forget Kashmir?

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By Vijay Darda | 06-02-2023

New generation of Pakistan is fearlessly asking on social media, what did we get by insisting on Kashmir?

Vijay Darda

You will be astonished to know that a totally different kind of campaign is going on in Pakistani social media these days. Being in India, we may feel that the entire population of Pakistan is eage...

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01/30/2023

Why quibble when border is tense?

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   By Vijay Darda | 30-01-2023

Let’s learn lessons from past incidents but remaining stuck in them will do no good

Vijay Darda

The BBC documentary ‘India: The Modi Question’ has created an uproar in several parts of the country over the last few days. This documentary is based on the 2002 riots in Gujarat. Although it has been block...

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01/23/2023

Playing with honour of sportswomen!

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   By Vijay Darda | 23-01-2023

Are women unsafe even among wrestlers? There have been allegations of sexual harassment in the world of sports too

Vijay Darda

The daughters of our country are leaving no stone unturned to touch the sky in every field of life, but it is unfortunate that the eyes of the hungry wolves are fixed on them. Right ...

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01/16/2023

Hatred being incited in guise of news

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   By Vijay Darda | 16-01-2023

Hate speeches and vitriolic debates on TV channels are causing serious damage to the social fabric of the country

Vijay Darda

Last week, the Supreme Court made a very serious remark on the news channels. Justice K M Joseph and Justice B V Nagarathna categorically stated that hate speeches have become a major...

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01/09/2023

Why trifle with anyone’s feelings?

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   By Vijay Darda | 09-01-2023

The core issue regarding Shri Sammed Shikharji concerns neither religion nor faith; it is a matter of safeguarding culture

Vijay Darda

In the aftermath of the strong nationwide protest by the Jain community members, the Central government has banned the sale of liquor, meat and loud music in the Shri Sammed Sh...
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01/02/2023

What if Taliban takes over Pak?

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   By Vijay Darda | 02-01-2023

Supported by Afghan Taliban, Tehreek-e-Taliban's growth is terrifying

Vijay Darda

At a time when we all are welcoming the New Year with great enthusiasm and new vigour, I am discussing a topic that is not only a matter of grave concern but also points towards a dreadful tomorrow. Before discussing those who di...

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2022
12/26/2022

Football-like kick in world politics!

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   By Vijay Darda | 26-12-2022

Big and powerful countries are treating small and weak countries like a football

Vijay Darda

Argentina's superstar Lionel Messi and France's star striker Kylian Mbappe were having a heart-pounding fight at the Lusail Stadium in Qatar... I was also watching this wonderful football match with great delight. The ...

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12/19/2022

Mind your tongue, Bilawal!

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   By Vijay Darda | 19-12-2022

Pakistan foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto’s uncivilised outburst against PM Narendra Modi is height of meanness

Vijay Darda

The statement made by Pakistan’s foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto against our Prime Minister Narendra Modi is so vile, shameful and indecent that I don’t want to mention it in this co...

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12/12/2022

All is fair in love and war!

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   By Vijay Darda | 12-12-2022

The thinking of BJP strategists is like a chess move, whichever the election may be, the party gathers with full force

Vijay Darda

Though loyal supporters of the BJP were praying for a big victory, hardly anyone would have expected this bumper victory in Gujarat! Political veterans had assumed that the BJP wou...

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12/05/2022

Will uprising topple dictators?

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   By Vijay Darda | 05-12-2021

The desire for freedom from the whims of rulers is the real trigger behind rebellion in China and Iran

Vijay Darda

Have you ever heard of a nation’s sporting team losing an international game, resulting in being eliminated from the tournament, and having its humiliation hailed in their own nation? Iran recen...
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11/28/2022

How Munir became Pak army chief?

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   By Vijay Darda | 28-11-2022

Munir was ISI chief at the time of Pulwama attack, angry Imran had removed him from the post within a few days

Vijay Darda

India cannot expect anything better from whoever becomes the army chief in Pakistan. But Syed Asim Munir Shah, the mastermind of the gruesome Pulwama attack, becoming the army chief of Pak...

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11/21/2022

US salutes India on global stage

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   By Vijay Darda | 21-11-2022

Prime Minister Modi held Indian flag high with his diplomacy and no-nonsense approach at  G20 summit

Vijay Darda

The picture of the US President Joe Biden saluting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 17th summit of G20, a group of 20 powerful and influential countries of the world, is going viral. In f...

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11/14/2022

A giant leap for women biz leaders!

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   By Vijay Darda | 14-11-2022

Inclusion of three Indian women in Forbes’ Asia list is certainly a matter of great pride

Vijay Darda

Forbes, a prestigious American business magazine, has included three Indian women in the list of 20 Asia’s Power Businesswomen in its latest issue. It is a matter of pride for anyone to figure in any list ...

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11/07/2022

Why has Putin become Modiji's fan?

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   By Vijay Darda | 07-11-2022

Russian President Vladimir Putin has given a message to the world by praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Vijay Darda

The whole world knows that Russian President Vladimir Putin does not talk without any rhyme or reason. He always sticks to his guns. He always uses his words carefully because he knows how muc...

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10/31/2022

Churchill’s soul must be restless...!

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Lokmat   By Vijay Darda | 31-10-2022

First an Indian took over East India Company and now a person of Indian origin has occupied UK PM’s chair

Vijay Darda

I’m sure you’re wondering why I suddenly remembered Winston Churchill. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill had held office from 1940 to 1945 and from 1951 to 1955. Now Indian-o...

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10/25/2022

New challenges before Congress!

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By Vijay Darda | 25-10-2022

Mallikarjun Kharge is a capable leader but it is not easy to heal the ailing Congress

Vijay Darda

Of course, the election in Congress is a big political development and undoubtedly, all credit goes to the G-23 leaders. Had they not raised the issue, not spoken harshly, not discussed it and not expressed displeasur...

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10/17/2022

Do we have any value as voters?

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By Vijay Darda | 17-10-2022

During Maharashtrian of The Year awards ceremony, Nana Patekar asked a very serious question to CM & Dy CM

Vijay Darda

Renowned actor and activist Nana Patekar’s style is unique, but when he delivers dialogues about the questions troubling common man, it leaves people simply awestruck. His style is visible in fi...

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10/10/2022

It's dangerous suppression, not depression!

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   By Vijay Darda | 10-10-2022

From Bollywood stars to the common man, no one is able to escape from stress and depression.

Vijay Darda

As Deepika Padukone talked about her depression on the sets of Amitabh Bachchan's programme Kaun Banega Crorepati, everyone lauded her courage. Actors Tiger Shroff, Anushka Sharma and Varun Dhawan were al...

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10/03/2022

Bapu! Why don’t you come back again?

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   By Vijay Darda | 03-10-2022

Not only India but the whole world celebrated Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday, which made me think....

Vijay Darda Dear Bapu!

Let me say sorry to you. Your birthday was celebrated yesterday, October 2. It has become a tradition to write something on your birthday, just as there is a tradition of garlanding yo...

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09/26/2022

An attempt to unite Imams and Pandits

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   By Vijay Darda | 26-09-2022

RSS’ meetings with Muslim intellectuals are being held since the time of the fifth chief of the RSS, K S Sudarshan.

Vijay Darda

Everybody was in the dark about RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s outreach meeting with prominent Muslim intellectuals in Delhi’s Jhandewalan area last month until it became known rec...

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09/19/2022

Jinping wanted Modiji’s smile..!

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   By Vijay Darda | 19-09-2022

PM did not meet Xi Jinping and Shahbaz Sharif at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting, and did not hug Putin either

Vijay Darda

China had deployed a cunning strategy to outwit India but it could not succeed. The masters of Indian diplomacy did not allow his wish to be fulfilled. You will be surprised ...

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09/12/2022

Will Rahul Gandhi’s yatra pay off?

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   By Vijay Darda | 12-09-2022

‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ has raised expectations, but will this pan-India yatra provide the much-needed ‘Sanjeevani’ to Congress?

Vijay Darda

Congress’ ambitious ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ covering 12 states and two Union Territories has got off to a flying start. Rahul Gandhi is on a padyatra and will cover...

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09/05/2022

There, the minister resigns... and here?

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   By Vijay Darda | 05-09-2022 The death of an Indian woman tourist in Portugal due to lack of treatment caused an earthquake, shaking the government there

Vijay Darda

Actually, the incident was very commonplace. A pregnant Indian woman had visited Portugal. The 34-year-old woman was 31 weeks pregnant. Her health suddenly deteriorated in ...
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08/29/2022

Don’t freak out, face the truth!

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   By Vijay Darda | 29-08-2022

If Congress is to be saved, Ghulam Nabi Azad’s allegations need to be seriously considered

Vijay Darda

Ghulam Nabi Azad's strongly-worded letter has led to a barrage of furious reactions within the Congress. People who 'control' the high command are slandering Azad. Some are saying that Azad left the party b...
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08/22/2022

O, Lord Krishna! Why don’t you descend on Earth again?

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   By Vijay Darda | 22-08-2022

A splendid message of the art of living is hidden in every divine act or play of Yogeshwar Shri Krishna

Vijay Darda

It was around twelve o’clock midnight. I was awake. My eyes were fixed on the child form of Lord Shri Krishna. The flow of thoughts in my mind refused to cease... so many forms of Lord Krishna....
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08/15/2022

Citizens of 83 countries are still slaves!

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   By Vijay Darda | 15-08-2022

We are lucky to be born in a free country. Ask about the value of freedom to the people living under dictatorship

Vijay Darda

I hope we haven't forgotten China's business mogul Jack Ma, who until a year and a half back was a big name in the world. At the time, his fortune was estimated at around USD 2,370 cror...
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08/08/2022

In China-US war, we will be scorched too!

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   By Vijay Darda | 08-08-2022

China may be giving empty threats on Taiwan issue but if the situation worsens, it will not be good for anyone

Vijay Darda

China is furious following the US House speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan. Someone asked me whether there will be a war between China and the US on the issue of Taiwan. I said I do ...
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08/01/2022

Gasping for breath on scary highway!

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   By Vijay Darda | 01-08-2022

You cannot even imagine how difficult the life of soldiers is on the snowy peaks!

Vijay Darda

There is deep gorge on one side! So deep that if your vehicle slips even slightly, there is no chance of survival. And on the other, there are tall mountains which pose the danger of stones rolling down every moment. ...

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07/25/2022

Modiji’s peerless manoeuvre stumps Opposition

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   By Vijay Darda | 25-07-2022

Droupadi Murmu’s elevation to the post of President is an unparalleled social engineering of Team Modi, leaving the Opposition in disarray

Vijay Darda

Droupadi Murmu, belonging to the Santhal tribe from a backward district in Odisha, is going to occupy the post of President of India today. Murmu’s elevatio...

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07/18/2022

Word is Brahma… How can it be unparliamentary?

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   By Vijay Darda | 18-07-2022

Why is some word blamed for being unparliamentary? Is this justified?

Vijay Darda

The list of unparliamentary words comes out every year but the list declared this year has led to a furore. The opposition parties have reacted strongly to the list alleging that the government was trying to suppress their voice....

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07/11/2022

Starvation causes fall of sultanate!

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   By Vijay Darda | 11-07-2021

Terrible sufferings of people of Sri Lanka and brazen lavishness of the dynasts

Vijay Darda

VWhen an administrator or a democratically elected people's representative becomes an autocrat, is neck-deep in corruption, deceives the youth, betrays the people and leaves them to starve, the people revolt. This is wh...

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07/04/2022

Will Shiv Sena be able to stop Shinde’s arrow?

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P   By Vijay Darda | 04-07-2022

Political upheaval should not impede development; it is very important to pay special attention towards farmers

Vijay Darda

Last week, I aired my anguish over the turn of events in the politics of Maharashtra through this column. My distress was not about any particular political party at all. My approach has...

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06/27/2022

I'm feeling suffocated by this turn of events

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   By Vijay Darda | 27-06-2022

The soul of the democracy should remain alive, irrespective of who wins or loses the political tug of war in Maharashtra!

Vijay Darda

The political upheaval in Maharashtra has caught the attention of the entire nation. My colleagues from the other states are asking me "since when have you people started behavi...

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06/20/2022

Take everyone into confidence before taking any decision

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   By Vijay Darda | 20-06-2022

Damaging government property while protesting against Agnipath scheme should not be tolerated under any circumstances; clarity is necessary before announcing any scheme

Vijay Darda

There is a storm-like situation in several parts of the country following violent protests against the proposed Agnipath scheme wh...

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06/13/2022

A parade of sycophants, bear it if you can!

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   By Vijay Darda | 13-06-2022

Sycophants dominated Congress during the Rajya Sabha polls while outsiders hijacked the rights of the state leaders.

Vijay Darda

Well, the Rajya Sabha elections are over. Most of the candidates had already been elected unopposed. Thanks to political manoeuvring, voting was held to elect 16 members to Rajya Sab...

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06/06/2022

Why should Jumman’s house burn for Babur’s transgressions!

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   By Vijay Darda | 06-06-2022

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has aptly stated that trying to find Shivling in every mosque is not right

Even as the country found itself in the maelstrom of controversy surrounding Gyanvapi, the people feared the likely escalation of some more mosque-temple disputes along with it. Some people started flipping the di...
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05/31/2022

File approved as minister has accepted bribe!

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   By Vijay Darda | 31-05-2022

Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann has added a page of honesty to politics by sacking minister Singla

When Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann sacked and handed over his health minister Vijay Singla to police on corruption charges, it reminded me of an interesting 55-year-old incident of corruption. No doubt B...
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05/23/2022

More than Chintan, it’s time to worry!

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   By Vijay Darda | 23-05-2022

A strong Opposition is necessary to protect democracy; will Congress be able to stand this test?

Vijay Darda

The day Congress' three-day Nav Sankalp Chintan Shivir concluded in Udaipur, the BJP's two-day Chintan Shivir began in Ahmedabad. A discussion over these two camps is quite natural. Every person who bel...

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05/16/2022

But for gold, India would have become Sri Lanka

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   By Vijay Darda | 16-05-2022

India had also faced a Sri Lanka-like crisis three decades back, but the leadership saved the country

Vijay Darda

During the rule of demon king Ravana, his palace in Sri Lanka was made of gold. But today there is not an ounce of gold in Sri Lanka’s treasury to save it from bankruptcy! But quite amazingly, wh...

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05/09/2022

Don’t crush love in the name of religion

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   By Vijay Darda | 09-05-2022

Lord Shiva drank poison to save the universe, but today poison is being spread in the name of religion

Vijay Darda

I am deeply perplexed over two incidents. One incident is from Hyderabad where a Hindu boy Nagaraju married his best friend Sultana. The girl’s family and community could not tolerate this and N...

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05/03/2022

Who set petrol, diesel prices on fire?

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   By Vijay Darda | 03-05-2022

The common man is least bothered about the Central and states’ share in the tax, he just wants relief

Vijay Darda

Indian state fuel retailers have increased petrol prices almost daily since the curtains fell on key Assembly elections including that in Uttar Pradesh and there is no abatement in the prices whi...
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04/25/2022

Boris Johnson, Narendra Modi & India

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   By Vijay Darda | 25-04-2022

India has been successful in maintaining an independent and strong image in the world, no one can dare ignore us

Vijay Darda

Just see how the world changes and how fast it does! Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister of Britain, which ruled our country until 75 years ago, comes to India on a two-day visit with grea...

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04/18/2022

Significant events become rituals, core messages forgotten!

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   By Vijay Darda | 18-04-2022

Plethora of events and politics in the name of great men, but none is willing to follow the path shown by them!

Vijay Darda

Last week, while I was celebrating Ram Navami, the birth anniversary of Maryada Purushottam Prabhu Shri Ram, Lord Mahavir Janma Kalyanak Mahotsav and the birth anniversary of the architec...
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04/11/2022

Had Pakistani court not been impartial...

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   By Vijay Darda | 11-04-2022

Amid corrupt politics, failed bureaucracy and terrorism, people pin their hopes on the judiciary

Vijay Darda

Yes, India is a sovereign country. It has its own impartial foreign policy. India is neither scared of anyone nor does it scare anybody. Imran Bhai, you are right. I am happy to hear all this straight f...

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04/04/2022

Imran Khan’s ‘Dil ka khilona hai toot gaya’

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   By Vijay Darda | 04-04-2022

He had returned to his motherland to fulfil the dreams of the youth but could not complete his term

Vijay Darda

What happened in Pakistan was on expected lines. Imran was forced to give up power but he played a big game while quitting power. The deputy speaker of the House rejected the no-confidence motion aga...

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03/28/2022

Uddhav ji! Please answer ‘pen drive bomb’ charges

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By Vijay Darda | 28-03-2022.

Save Maharashtra’s image by probing Devendra Fadnavis’s ‘pen drive bomb’ allegations.

Firecrackers will be lit during Diwali, but in Maharashtra, the crackers of politics have already started exploding! In Ukraine, Putin is detonating real bombs. In Mumbai, Devendra Fadnavis, the Leader of the Opposition i...

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03/21/2022

Bahut Der Kar Di Hujoor Aate-Aate..!

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   By Vijay Darda | 21-03-2022

The pain of Kashmiri Pandits today needs systemic ointment rather than mass provocation

Vijay Darda

The much- talked about movie The Kashmir Files has become the talking point not only in the country but in the whole world these days. The film has not only grossed crores at the box office but also caused uphea...

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03/14/2022

Ae Bhai..! Ye Public Hai.. Sab Jaanti Hai

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   By Vijay Darda | 14-03-2022

Why did the BJP succeed in retaining power? AAP given a chance in Punjab and why did the Congress collapse?

Vijay Darda

Long before the exit polls could predict the results, I had told my colleagues that Yogi Adityanath's government was returning to power in Uttar Pradesh. BJP would get more than 250 seats. Ma...
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03/07/2022

Why should students suffer for your fault?

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   By Vijay Darda | 07-03-2022

Lakhs of Indian students go abroad every year for medical studies, not research

Vijay Darda

Our government deserves a pat on the back for launching Operation Ganga. India is the only country that has evacuated most of its citizens from Ukraine, which has turned into a war zone. Anyway, India's track record in ...

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02/28/2022

Their war will exacerbate our problems!

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   By Vijay Darda | 28-02-2022

Though the war between Ukraine and Russia is raging 5000 kms away, it will not leave us unscathed

Vijay Darda

The war between Russia and Ukraine has not only exacerbated the crisis in Europe, but affected India a lot too.  Nobody knows how long the “special military operation” authored by Russian Presiden...
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02/21/2022

Neither was Shikara there, nor Bhaijaan!

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   By Vijay Darda | 21-02-2022

The message of trust and love will have to be spread in the Valley, only then will Kashmir become heaven again

Vijay Darda

Last week, as I reached the enchantingly beautiful Kashmir Valley, I was filled with a whiff of nostalgia! I had come to witness the new era, but the old era started to haunt me. Let me fi...

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02/15/2022

Love entangled in lust, smoke of gunpowder!

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By Vijay Darda | 15-02-2022

Love entangled in lust, smoke of gunpowder!

Vijay Darda

Before waxing eloquently on the topic of love and affection, I would like to talk about the ‘Seven Wonders of the World’. In 2007, when the last survey was conducted for the selection of Seven Wonders, India’s Taj Mahal came at number one. From the tech...

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02/07/2022

What should I say & write... the magical voice has gone silent!

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By Vijay Darda | 07-02-2022 Lata Mangeshkar was not only The Nightingale of India but also a wonderful person and an epitome of simplicity, who will remain immortal in memories What should I say & write... the magical voice has gone silent!

Vijay Darda

A huge treasure trove of memories of melody queen Lata Mangeshkar is neatly stored in...
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01/31/2022

Farmers new motivation to serve drinks now!!!

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By Vijay Darda | 31-01-2022 Thank you, Sarkar! Wine is an agro product, but who will tell or explain this to the BJP..? Farmers new motivation to serve drinks now!

Vijay Darda

We all should be grateful to the Maharashtra government, its chief minister and the entire Cabinet that they have made an extremely visionary arrangement to brin...

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01/24/2022

Don’t thrust learning poverty upon children

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By Vijay Darda | 24-01-2022

Pandemic threatens to jeopardise the future of kids, and their emotional intelligence is likely to be impacted too

Vijay Darda

The precious lives lost in the aftermath of atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki turned out to be the gravest tragedy in human history and its after-effects were far more painful as t...
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01/17/2022

Will turncoats influence outcome in UP?

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By Vijay Darda | 17-01-2022

It is very difficult to predict at this point whether this is the result of political wind or part of a strategy to get ticket

Vijay Darda

In the run-up to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, the news of turncoat politicians switching their allegiance from one party to another is coming in every day. Since BJP i...

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01/10/2022

PM's security breach: SPG's unpardonable lapse

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By Vijay Darda | 10-01-2022

Don't look at the serious lapse in PM's security through political prism

Vijay Darda

The whole nation is shocked to see how Prime Minister Narendra Modi's security was breached in Punjab and the entire country wants to know who is responsible for this serious lapse? Punjab police is in the dock. The biggest questi...

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01/03/2022

Thorns of despair amid hope, optimism!

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By Vijay Darda | 03-01-2022

I am filled with expectations, aspirations and ambitions but how do I welcome the New Year?

Vijay Darda

I had cherished so many dreams about the New Year while going to bed on the last night of the year gone by. At the stroke of midnight, I too welcomed the year 2022. I celebrated the occasion with traditional gai...

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2021
12/27/2021

Pakistan! Taliban will destroy you, not us

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   By Vijay Darda | 27-12-2021

Taliban, which Pakistan nurtured and made powerful, is now gunning for them

Vijay Darda

A series of incidents in the last few days unambiguously indicate a rift between Pakistan and the Taliban. The Taliban soldiers have uprooted the barbed wire fence on the border of the two countries. As if this is not enoug...

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12/20/2021

Did conferring Bharat Ratna on Sachin get Congress votes?

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   By Vijay Darda | 20-12-2021

Banaras is a confluence of antiquity and knowledge; a different perspective on Kashi Vishwanath Dham Corridor...

Vijay Darda

Even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi was inaugurating the Kashi Vishwanath Dham Corridor last week, I was visualising the narrow lanes of Banaras, the smoothly flowing Ganga river and a ...

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12/13/2021

World is astonished by India’s assertiveness!

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   By Vijay Darda | 13-12-2021

By purchasing S-400 and state-of-the-art rifles from Russia, we have sent out a strong message that we don’t buckle under any pressure

Vijay Darda

Around 36 hours before Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi while launching the development projects in Uttarakhand had...

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12/06/2021

Why are Babasaheb’s dreams still unfulfilled?

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   By Vijay Darda | 06-12-2021

Bharat Ratna Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution, wanted to establish an egalitarian society

Vijay Darda

Indian civilization is so great and noble that even gods and goddesses living in heaven envy it and desire to be born here! A legion of great men and spiritual avatars were born in...

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11/29/2021

Self-proclaimed appearance of Param Bir Singh!

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   By Vijay Darda | 29-11-2021

The entire government machinery was puzzled, where did Param Bir Singh go missing?

Vijay Darda

It's been great that at long last you have turned in, Mr Param Bir Singh! Greetings to you on behalf of the people of Maharashtra! Your appearance calls for a celebration! Your appearance day should be celebrated the...

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11/22/2021

Liechtenstein, a new hope for the world!

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   By Vijay Darda | 22-11-2021

We have been celebrating ‘International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women’ for the last 28 years but is it making any difference?

Vijay Darda

On my recent visit to Switzerland, I also visited Liechtenstein, a small country in its neighbourhood, and met the people there. Before telling you t...

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11/15/2021

When Chief Justice of Pakistan celebrates Diwali!

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   By Vijay Darda | 15-11-2021

Gulzar Ahmed got the temple, razed by the fanatics, rebuilt and went there himself to join in Diwali celebrations

Vijay Darda

Even as we were celebrating Diwali in India last week, something incredible was happening in our neighbouring country Pakistan. What happened was beyond imagination because it can't be ...

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11/08/2021

With indomitable courage, we will conquer the world

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   By Vijay Darda | 08-11-2021

Spontaneous support of common man to economy and Prime Minister’s Diwali on the border is an expression of our spirit

Vijay Darda

Ever since I became aware, I have fallen in love with Diwali! I am greatly fascinated by this festival which radiates energy. From the religious point of view, this festival has i...

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11/01/2021

Don’t drag cricket into fog of religion, Janab!

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   By Vijay Darda | 31-10-2021

The statement of interior minister of Pakistan Sheikh Rasheed and trolling of Indian player Mohammed Shami is extremely embarrassing

Vijay Darda

I have never understood why a cricket match between Pakistan and India is looked upon as a war between ‘enemies’ rather than a pure sporting event? The players of...

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10/25/2021

Stop playing with the honour of Maharashtra

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   By Vijay Darda | 25-10-2021

The vicious circle of politics and drug cases has vitiated the atmosphere in Maharashtra and defamed the state

Vijay Darda

Nowadays wherever I go, in the country or abroad, people ask only one question: What is going on in Maharashtra? How do I answer this question? It just hurts and breeds anger that because ...

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10/18/2021

Yes Khan Sahab, India controls cricket!

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   By Vijay Darda | 18-10-2021

Ensconced in the lap of terror, a frustrated Pakistan trying to browbeat India for its own failure in cricket

Vijay Darda

Dear Imran Khan Sahab, I can understand your pain. Just before the match, if New Zealand returns to their country saying they cannot play because there is a threat of a terrorist attack, an...

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10/11/2021

The dark world of drugs, sex & revelry!

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   By Vijay Darda | 11-10-2021

India is among the top 10 countries in the world in terms of drug consumption; substance abuse is ruining the young generation!

Vijay Darda

The arrest of Aryan Khan, son of film actor Shah Rukh Khan, is the most hot topic of discussion right now after the Narcotics Control Bureau’s raid on Cordelia Cruises...

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10/04/2021

Health card is not enough, facilities must also improve

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   By Vijay Darda | 04-10-2021

During the Covid-19 pandemic, everyone has been a witness to how health services crumbled and therefore, concrete measures are necessary for the future.

Vijay Darda

I know some doctors who have returned to India after practising for years in developed countries. You don’t need to carry documents and other re...

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09/27/2021

India has opportunity to become a major player

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By Vijay Darda | 27-09-2021

Why are China and Pakistan upset by Modi’s trip to US for Quad?

Vijay Darda

If you have watched the live telecast of the meeting of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden, you must have noticed Modiji's body language. You must have also paid attention to his simple statements. It was fe...

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09/21/2021

Will we hand over ruined world to our posterity!

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   By Vijay Darda | 21-09-2021

The world engaged in the race for power has waged a relentless war against nature. If nature does not survive, we will not survive either.

Vijay Darda

I was performing ‘Pratikraman’ (introspection) on the occasion of Paryushan Parva and felt that this festival embraces the entire environment. I was seeking...

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09/13/2021

Forgiveness has power to make world a paradise

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   By Vijay Darda | 13-09-2021

Jain principles and philosophy are a wonderful amalgamation of nature, science and humanity

I consider myself fortunate that I have got an opportunity to be associated with religious scholars and knowledgeable persons from different religions. From the early days of my life, I have been curious about knowing an...

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09/06/2021

Why are US soldiers camping in Pakistan?

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   By Vijay Darda | 06-09-2021

Is it really surprising to see the arrival of US troops in Islamabad from Afghanistan?

Vijay Darda

When the US soldiers packed up their stuff and took off from Kabul airport ahead of the schedule, everyone felt that they were returning to their country. But within a few hours, the world came to know that these...

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08/30/2021

It’s a Catch-22 situation for India!

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   By Vijay Darda | 30-08-2021

Emergence of a powerful Islamic State in Afghanistan rings an alarm bell for us, for Taliban is an enemy too.

Vijay Darda

The dreadful apprehensions about the future emerging from the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan is primarily the reason why I am discussing Afghanistan for the second consecutive week in this...

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08/23/2021

Unfortunate story of a fashionable nation!

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   By Vijay Darda | 23-08-2021

Why did the US shove Afghanistan back into the cruel clutches of the Taliban which it wanted to crush?

Vijay Darda

Let me remind you that I had written in this column in the last week of July about the brutality and atrocity against women and girls in Taliban-held areas in Afghanistan. I had put forth a questi...

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08/17/2021

I will hoist tricolour or come wrapped in it

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   By Vijay Darda | 17-08-2021

The film ‘Shershaah’ made on Captain Vikram Batra’s bravery is an amazing saga of inspiration for the youth

Vijay Darda

I always make it a point to watch patriotic films, the ones which inspire the youth and all of us. I recently watched the movie ‘Shershaah’ and got lost in the bitter memories of Ka...

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08/09/2021

A salute to strength, hope & spirit of victory!

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   By Vijay Darda | 09-08-2021

Athletes who came from humble backgrounds have brought laurels to the country, untold hardships notwithstanding

Vijay Darda

Crores of Indians were thrilled when the tune of 'Jana Gana Mana' was playing in the Tokyo Olympics stadium and its echo was being heard all over the world. The reason for this pride was ...

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08/02/2021

Will Mamata’s alliance game pay off?

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   By Vijay Darda | 02-08-2021

Politics heats up after Mamata Banerjee's meeting with Sonia Gandhi; they are giving slogan 'Save democracy, save nation'

Vijay Darda

Even as Mamata Banerjee went to meet Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi at their residence during her Delhi visit, I recalled the West Bengal election! For Mamata, it was a matter of...

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07/26/2021

Felt like weeping at the plight of Afghan women

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   By Vijay Darda | 26-07-2021

Horrendous atrocities being committed on women and girls in Afghanistan

Vijay Darda

A short video clip uploaded by an international news channel has shaken me to the core. In that video, a fourteen-fifteen-year-old girl is seen screaming and shrieking. Her parents are begging for mercy but Taliban terrorists a...

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07/19/2021

Why question fortitude of Congressmen?

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   By Vijay Darda | 19-07-2021

Rahul Gandhi says those who are scared are free to leave the party. What does it imply?

Vijay Darda

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s statement that 'those who are scared should leave the party' has stirred the hornet's nest in the political circles. People are analysing why he said that those who are cowards o...

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07/12/2021

Those beats of heart and pat on the cheek!

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   By Vijay Darda | 21-11-2022

A noble human being, Dilip Kumar was an apostle of peace and an unmatched 'Kohinoor' of acting

Vijay Darda

Dilip Kumar epitomised two personalities. One was Dilip Kumar and the other Yusuf Khan. Dilip Kumar was completely devoted to his acting career as well as direction and Yusuf Khan was committed to the ser...

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07/05/2021

We are soil! Heaven resides in this soil!

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   By Vijay Darda | 05-07-2021

In our quest for materialistic progress, we do not even think about the soil from which we are born, to which we will all return

Vijay Darda

When President Ram Nath Kovind bowed down and applied the soil of his village on his forehead saying that motherland is greater than heaven, it sparked a flood of memorie...

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06/28/2021

All round development only can usher in peace in Valley

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   By Vijay Darda | 28-06-2021

The Prime Minister’s initiative on Jammu and Kashmir is welcome. Enough of bloodshed, let us give peace a chance.

Vijay Darda

I have visited Kashmir Valley a number of times and have travelled the Valley in almost all seasons. Everytime I visited the Valley and saw the implausible beauty nature has endowed...

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06/21/2021

When will you change, when will the country transform?

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   By Vijay Darda | 21-06-2021

Milkha Singh wished to see an Indian win Olympic gold medal in athletics

Vijay Darda

I salute and bow down to the legendary sprinter Milkha Singh who got the sobriquet of Flying Sikh. On his departure, two thoughts come to my mind. First, will we ever see a runner like him again? And the second, when will Milk...

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06/14/2021

Politics on Central Vista project unreasonable

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   By Vijay Darda | 14-06-2021

A modern building equipped with the latest digital technology replacing the 90-year-old Parliament House is the need of the hour

Vijay Darda

If we just keep trying to prove Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrong on everything, it will weaken the very existence of the Opposition. The voice of the Opposition will ca...

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06/07/2021

Why is inflation unchecked during pandemic?

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   By Vijay Darda | 07-06-2021

From cooking oil to petrol and diesel, the prices are skyrocketing. The government must step in!

Vijay Darda

The unprecedented Covid-19 crisis might not have left any household without a loss of income! Be it rich or poor? Everyone has been hit. Livelihood of crores of people has been affected. Some have lost ...

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05/31/2021

I'm common man, at least give me right information!

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   By Vijay Darda | 31-05-2021

Government claims to achieve total vaccination in the country by December, but statistics tell a different story altogether!

Vijay Darda

There's only one question on everyone's lips: How long will it take for the country to achieve total vaccination? The government is claiming that everyone will be vaccinated ...

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05/24/2021

Time to rein in rapacious hospitals

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   By Vijay Darda | 24-05-2021

Doctors and paramedics risked their lives battling pandemic but some hospitals tarnished image of this noble profession

Vijay Darda

Indian culture elevates medical profession to nobility. The doctor is looked upon as a representative of God. The patients expect compassionate service and humanity from the docto...

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05/17/2021

There must be dignity in life and death

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   By Vijay Darda | 17-05-2021

Bodies washed up on the banks of Ganges and those buried in sand, and deaths due to oxygen shortage in Goa have shamed the nation.

Vijay Darda

Kitna hai badnaseeb Zafar dafn ke liye, Do gaz zameen bhi na mili ku-e-yaar mein! (How unfortunate am I that I could not get two yards of land for burial).

This gh...

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05/10/2021

Be cheerful to produce antibodies!

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   By Vijay Darda | 10-05-2021

Your body can remain healthy only if you're mentally calm and composed even under critical conditions

Vijay Darda

Corona... corona... corona..! My head begins to spin hearing this word repeatedly. I'm scared! I see death and I suddenly start cursing the PM, CM and DM. I am not able to get a vaccine... I cannot...

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05/03/2021

Will Mamata be the face of national politics?

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   By Vijay Darda | 03-05-2021

Political forces together failed to knock Mamata Didi out…

Vijay Darda

Amidst tall claims about the West Bengal Assembly elections, I was constantly telling my BJP friends that Mamata Banerjee will score a hat-trick. BJP will not be able to cross double digits despite all its efforts. I was saying all this n...

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04/26/2021

Govt should provide free vaccine to everyone

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   By Vijay Darda | 26-04-2021

One nation, one vaccine price for everyone is the need of the hour; many states will not be able to buy costly vaccines

Vijay Darda

People are constantly calling our Lokmat office seeking help to secure beds in hospitals, obtain oxygen cylinders from somewhere or arrange some medicine or the other. The situati...

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04/19/2021

Stop squabbling, save people’s lives

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   By Vijay Darda | 19-04-2021

Fear and anxiety rule the roost but fighting the pandemic with courage is the only option

Vijay Darda

In the turbulent times of Covid-19, there is an acute shortage of everything. There are no beds, no oxygen, no ventilators, no medicines for treating the ever surging number of Covid-19 patients. Such a scary ...

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04/12/2021

No friends around, children falling prey to loneliness

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   By Vijay Darda | 12-04-2021

Corona is filling the children’s world with severe depression and I am afraid it may well lead to psychological problems among children!

Vijay Darda

The ongoing power struggle in Maharashtra, the furore in the police department, the Naxalite rampage in Chhattisgarh, people in West Bengal and other states tur...

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04/05/2021

Carelessness will lead to disaster

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   By Vijay Darda | 05-04-2021

A look at the crowd of lakhs attending election rallies and Kumbh makes people feel that nothing really happens, let it go on like this!

Vijay Darda

The second wave of coronavirus sweeping across the country has once again raised the question as to which one will you choose: Economic destruction or life? It is...

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03/29/2021

Melodrama of dirty politics has struck a deep wound

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   By Vijay Darda | 29-03-2021

It’s neither Aghadi’s nor BJP’s victory in the aftermath of the Vaze case, it’s Maharashtra that stands disgraced

Vijay Darda

Diversity of viewpoints is a natural process in a democracy and it is also essential for a healthy democracy, but the spectacle of low politics in Maharashtra has hurt my feelin...

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03/22/2021

Road accidents and automobile pollution emerge biggest challenge

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   By Vijay Darda | 22-03-2021

Government has announced the vehicle scrap page policy, let’s hope that this policy proves to be effective..!

Vijay Darda

Of course, the newly-announced Vehicle Scrap page Policy of the Central Government kindles a ray of hope that perhaps everything will be hunky-dory in the years to come! But a question al...

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03/15/2021

Spirit of freedom should run through our veins

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   By Vijay Darda | 15-03-2021

Next year, India will be celebrating 75 years of its independence; we all need to understand the value of freedom.

Our country is going to complete 75 years of independence on August 15, 2022. Just 75 weeks before this, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the 'Azadi ka Amrut Mahotsav' from Sabarmati. A Dand...

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03/08/2021

Porn movies enter households under the pretext of web series

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   By Vijay Darda | 08-03-2021

Porn industry is constantly exploring new ways to circumvent the law, now is the time to rein it in

The proliferation of pornography has reached to such an extent that even the Supreme Court had to make scathing remarks about the sexual content being served by the producers in the name of web series. The apex c...

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03/01/2021

Another chance for Pakistan to mend fences with India

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   By Vijay Darda | 01-03-2021

Despite umpteen ceasefire agreements, Pakistan continues to provoke us

This is not the first time that India and Pakistan have signed a ceasefire agreement on their borders to give peace a chance. After the fierce Kargil War of 1999, there was peace on the border for sometime, but it was short-lived. By 2003, w...

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02/22/2021

Care for your and others’ lives too

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By Vijay Darda | 22-02-2021

Government should also provide vaccines for the private sector and initiate strict action against careless people

As the New Year dawned, it looked like that the corona virus pandemic was now tapering out. The number of Covid positive patients was declining rapidly and the death count was also going down, but by mi...

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02/15/2021

Let this bonhomie percolate to politics

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  By Vijay Darda | 15-02-2021

Ghulam Nabi Azad and Prime Minister Modi’s speeches in Rajya Sabha displayed the highest level of parliamentary maturity

My friendship with Ghulam Nabi Azad might be some three decades old and the biggest reason for this closeness is his charming personality. Another major reason is his preoccupation with the d...

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02/08/2021

Imran’s promised neverland

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By Vijay Darda | 08-02-2021

Pandering to extremists, ruining economy, Pak PM is running out of time

There was euphoria when Imran Khan left the cricket field and came to bat on the political pitch — the world felt that Pakistan had found a politician with the ability to get the country out of the quagmire it was in. Just as Jayaprakash Nara...

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02/01/2021

Fruits of Budget must reach the common man

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By Vijay Darda | 01-02-2021.

The Covid-19 pandemic has picked everybody’s pocket and ruined the economy. Let’s nurse a hope for a better future

Preparing this year’s Budget must not have been an easy task because the Covid-19 pandemic has ruined the country’s economy. Industries, which have been stagnant for months, have still not r...

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01/25/2021

A tough road ahead for Joe Biden..!

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By Vijay Darda | 25-01-2021.

Task of reversing Trump’s decisions begins, but is it easy to get America back on the track?

Joe Biden took over as US President in the midst of much acrimony. Outgoing President Donald Trump was supposed to attend the ceremony but he didn’t. He disappeared like an upset and angry child. There was an atmosp...

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01/18/2021

There need be no confusion on effectiveness of vaccine

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By Vijay Darda | 18-01-2021.

Vaccination drive is a turning point in the crusade against Covid-19. Yet, self-protection is the key.

The world’s largest vaccination campaign to prevent Corona has started in India. In the meantime, some confusion too prevails and surely it needs to be resolved. Keep in mind that vaccination is an importan...

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01/11/2021

Trump has tarnished America’s credibility

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By Vijay Darda | 11-01-2021.

Donald Trump’s attitude has always been dictatorial and America is suffering its consequences

Nobody had ever imagined this! America advocates democracy all over the world, but its own President's supporters ripped apart the democracy in their own country. The mobsters attacked their own Parliament! The quest...

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01/04/2021

‘Happy Health Year’ to every sector

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By Vijay Darda | 04-01-2021.

The coronavirus outbreak not only frightened the common man but also destroyed the health of the industry.

At the outset, I would like to convey unlimited good wishes for the New Year and best wishes for the future. As I wrote in the previous column, the year 2020 was fraught with challenges. It was the year of ...

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2020
12/28/2020

The year that held the mirror to mankind

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By Vijay Darda | 28-12-2020.

The year 2020 was a dreadful year but it also taught humanity a lot

The year 2020 is coming to an end. Hardly anyone would like to remember this year, but it is also true that history will not forget it. It created and instilled such a terror in everyone’s mind, irrespective of caste, religion or status. Th...

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12/21/2020

Temple of democracy should always be open

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  By Vijay Darda | 21-12-2020.

No matter how serious and extraordinary the circumstances, it’s not proper to suspend any session of Parliament.

The government’s announcement that the winter session of Parliament will not be held has shocked one and all. Naturally, opposition parties have flayed this move in one voice but it does not ...

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12/14/2020

Why has muscle power politics become a norm?

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  By Vijay Darda | 14-12-2020.


There is no place for violence in a democracy but the history of violence is being repeated in West Bengal.

The present state of politics in West Bengal is quite frightening. The language of 'lathi and not democracy, is being spoken there. During the leftist's era, street violence had become a norm but this ti...

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12/07/2020

Will ‘secular’ parties be able to fight RSS and BJP?

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  By Vijay Darda | 07-12-2020.


Unstable Congress and weak Opposition… and our secular country creaking under its weight!

The BJP grabbed the attention of the entire nation for the way it contested the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation election. This was for the first time that the national leadership of the BJP had deployed its full...

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11/30/2020

Why not one election when nation is one?

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  By Vijay Darda | 30-11-2020.

Till 1967, the Assembly elections were held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha, but politics changed this system. Prime Minister Narendra Modi already has a majority in the Lok Sabha and will soon have one in the Rajya Sabha too. Therefore, it appears certain that he will realise the idea of ‘one nation one...
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11/23/2020

Poverty not a curse, sterling efforts needed to be wealthy

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  By Vijay Darda | 23-11-2020.

Mukesh Ambani has added a feather to India’s cap by figuring among the richest in the world

Let me tell you a story of Mukesh Ambani’s vision. Reliance Group has a huge petroleum refinery in Jamnagar, Gujarat. A large area was lying barren around it. Mukesh Ambani felt that if trees and plants are planted ...

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11/16/2020

Thousands of invisible hands of those in power!

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  By Vijay Darda | 16-11-2020.

Tejashwi fought like a steadfast warrior despite hurdles like Chirag and Owaisi, but the ‘power’ won

There is an old adage that power has thousands of hands, normally not visible to the people. Miracles of power are not even seen! The results of Bihar Assembly elections seem to prove this saying right. Aft...

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11/09/2020

Light never stops, no matter how dark it gets

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  By Vijay Darda | 09-11-2020.

No crisis has dampened the spirit of human beings, who have never stopped nor will they ever do!

Even in the moonless dark night, when a lamp burns silently, it does not let the darkness remain anywhere near it. And when thousands of lamps are lit, the darkness vanishes into nothingness. When thousands of lamp...

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11/02/2020

Significance of RAW, Army chiefs’ Nepal visit

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  By Vijay Darda | 02-11-2020.

Now that Nepal is grappling to steer clear of China, will its relationship with India improve?

Not a long time back, it seemed that Nepal had drifted away from us but last fortnight, Samant Kumar Goel, chief of the Indian intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and the Nepal Prime Minister K P Sha...

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10/27/2020

Bihar and US polls acquire equal electoral bandwidth!

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  By Vijay Darda | 27-10-2020.

The slogan of ‘free vaccine for votes’ echoes in the US as well as Bihar elections

Right now there are two important elections being held in the world. Firstly, the US is going to elect its president who will 'rule' the world, and secondly, an election is going to be held in Bihar which will play a crucial...

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10/19/2020

Why can’t Indian politicians and police contain crime?

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  By Vijay Darda | 19-10-2020.

Organised crime is rising. It is very essential to make our country’s police force smart and hi-tech

The new IPL cricket season is currently underway. People are glued to their television sets anticipating the fours and sixes from their favourite batsmen, but my eyes have been on a booming betting racket wit...

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10/12/2020

Why does the court have to make such harsh comments?

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  By Vijay Darda | 12-10-2020

From Shaheen Bagh, Tablighi Jamaat to Hathras case, the Supreme Court has shown the mirror to the system

When the Shaheen Bagh dharna and protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) started getting prolonged, everybody seemed to ask as to why the Delhi police or the government was not doing anything to...

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10/05/2020

Rape! Law!! And politics!!!

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  By Vijay Darda | 05-10-2020

People are afraid of spitting or stealing abroad, but here even the noose does not deter them. Why…!!!

What happened in Hathras is a stigma on the society, the state of Uttar Pradesh, the country and the entire humanity. Unfortunately, attempts are being made to see such brutal crimes from the narrow perspec...

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09/28/2020

Modi ji, only you can root out drug menace

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  By Vijay Darda | 28-09-2020

The youths will have to be saved from drug abuse, for the whole country will be ruined if the younger generation goes astray

Dear Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji,

You are the only person who can obliterate drug menace from India and save the younger generation from drug abuse. If the younger generation survive...

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09/21/2020

Waive loan, support the unemployed

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  By Vijay Darda | 21-09-2020

Footpath vendors, unemployed youth, small and medium entrepreneurs in deep crisis

A youth took a loan to set up a small dhaba (eatery). He invested Rs 10-12 lakh. The pandemic broke out. Restrictions were imposed and the business came to a standstill even before it started. Today, that man stands ruined! A barb...

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09/14/2020

They turned heroine Kangana into a ‘hero’

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  By Vijay Darda | 14-09-2020

Equating Mumbai with ‘PoK’ is condemnable, no doubt, but making a mountain out of a molehill is not any wiser too

I am astonished by the way Kangana Ranaut’s case has received such prominence. Is she such a big social or political celebrity as to cause a storm by her irresponsible statement? I am displeas...

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09/07/2020

Who will rein in the dragon?

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  By Vijay Darda | 07-09-2020

Having become a threat to the world, China is now sending mysterious seeds to other countries after its suspicious role vis-a-vis Covid-19

All of you must have read about the dreaded Kalia Nag (serpent) in our mythology. The lake in which it lived had become so poisonous that even the birds and animals passing ...

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08/31/2020

These are the Trojan horses of Congress

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  By Vijay Darda | 31-08-2020

Satraps without an iota of ground reality have kept the high command in a state of confusion

The miserable plight of the Congress is a matter of great agony for anyone who believes in democracy and secularism because a strong opposition is a very essential element of democracy, without which any government coul...

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08/24/2020

Foes becoming friends will change a lot

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  By Vijay Darda | 24-08-2020

Peace deal between Israel and the UAE is a major development, will Saudi Arabia follow suit too? 

The landmark agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to normalise their relations by burying the hatchet is a significant move considering that both were sworn enemies for years. Ever since the...

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08/17/2020

Where do explosives come from in our country?

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  By Vijay Darda | 17-08-2020

Beirut incident has raised questions over negligence in storage and easy availability of explosives

When the massive explosion rocked Beirut, prima facie it appeared to be a terrorist act. However, the investigations revealed that 2,700 tonnes of ammonium nitrate was stored at this port for the last six years. ...

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08/10/2020

Let’s write a new chapter for a strong society

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  By Vijay Darda | 10-08-2020

Ram Rajya means creation of a society where there is no discrimination based on caste, religion, sect, rich or poor

It is a matter of great relief for everyone that a controversial chapter in the history of the country has come to an end. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has performed bhoomipujan of Ram temple in A...

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08/03/2020

Need for aggressive stand against extremism in N-E

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  By Vijay Darda | 03-08-2020

China is resorting to its old tricks to destabilise India, arming extremists with lethal weapons

The jawans of Assam Rifles in Manipur have been ambushed and three of them martyred in the same Chandel district in which the militants had launched a deadly attack on an Indian Army convoy in June 2015, killing 18 ...

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07/27/2020

How will the world deal with biggest moneylender China?

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  By Vijay Darda | 27-07-2020

China sets up debt-trap for strategically important and naturally endowed nations to serve its own interests

In olden days, the economic transactions were dominated by moneylenders. They would lend money to the borrowers who pledged their land. When the borrowers could not repay their debts, the moneylender use...

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07/20/2020

Cyber warfare threat looms large over the world

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  By Vijay Darda | 20-07-2020

Hacking of bigwigs’ accounts or theft of Britain’s coronavirus research work are not usual incidents

The news about hacking of accounts dominated the last week’s headlines which made us realise the seriousness of the growing threat of cyber warfare. The twitter accounts of several veteran politicians and ...

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07/13/2020

Criminalisation of politics weakening democracy

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  By Vijay Darda | 13-07-2020

From panchayats, State Legislatures to Parliament, number of politicos with criminal antecedents is increasing alarmingly

The nexus between crime and politics is very old and it has assumed a more hideous dimension now. When Vikas Dubey, a dreaded criminal with political clout, brutally killed 8 policemen in Ut...

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07/06/2020

Motivation for soldiers, clear message to China

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  By Vijay Darda | 06-07-2020

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Ladakh was very crucial; calling out Chinese expansionism was necessary

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed at Leh airport early on July 3, his visit became a talking point the world over. It was a surprise visit. No one had any clue until the previous night. The wor...

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06/29/2020

Torture is a wound in the soul of humanity

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  By Vijay Darda | 29-06-2020

Our Constitution gives us the right to live with dignity and there is absolutely no place for torture in it

The recent custodial death of a father-son duo in Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu which has sparked a countrywide outrage, has made everyone ponder over the failure to wipe out the stigma of custodial torture w...

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06/22/2020

Yoga, udyog hold the key to prosperity

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  By Vijay Darda | 22-06-2020

If Yoga is taught to the children from the age of three, they will grow strong and healthy

The world celebrated International Yoga Day on June 21. It is in this context that a timely and elaborate discussion was held, first with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar ji, founder of the Art of Living and crusader of peace and bro...

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06/15/2020

Fear may affect our own identity!

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  By Vijay Darda | 15-06-2020

Even as affection, love and emotion are vital constituents of our culture, they are essential to sustain life scientifically too

Yun toh koi shikayat nahin mujhe mere aaj se,

Magar kabhi kabhi beeta hua kal bahut yaad aata hai..!

Nowadays everyone is fondly recollecting the days before the outbreak of coronav...

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06/08/2020

We all will survive only if humanity survives!

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  By Vijay Darda | 08-06-2020

Ruthless killings of a pregnant elephant cow and George, and people walking with cracked feet! Why there is so much cruelty & inhumanity?

The ruthless killings of a pregnant elephant cow in India and football player George Floyd in America are deeply disturbing, to say the least. My heart bled for lakhs of migr...

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06/01/2020

Only people can teach China a lesson

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  By Vijay Darda | 01-06-2020

We will have to create a conducive atmosphere for initiatives like Make in India and Made in India to attain self-reliance

Let me congratulate Prime Minister Narendra Modiji on completing the first year of his second term in office. I can understand his intent for making India self-reliant. He wants to make Ind...

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05/25/2020

Can they really trace the killer of lakhs of people?

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  By Vijay Darda | 25-05-2020

WHO has ordered a probe into scientific ‘events’ that led to Covid-19 pandemic but the million dollar question that remains unanswered is...

Appearances are always deceptive. There is always more to it than what meets the eye. A lot of stories are hidden behind it and a lot of conspiracies exist. It is quit...

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05/18/2020

It’s high time life gets back on track

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  By Vijay Darda | 18-05-2020

Government has taken a major initiative to spur MSMEs growth, but the moot question is when will the migrant workers return from their homes?

The government locked down the entire country in an effort to stem the spread of Covid-19. It was a welcome move since it was the only option left. The strategy has also ...

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05/11/2020

In maikhano ki masti ke mastane hazaron hain..!

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  By Vijay Darda | 11-05-2020

Hic, hic, hurray! The boozards are drinking to save the economy from sinking!

Wherever you go, people today ask, what was the hurry to reopen the liquor shops? Brother, this query is fundamentally wrong. Just because you don’t drink, does it mean the government should not care about our boozards? Why not, bro...

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05/04/2020

Departures that leave trail of grief

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  By Vijay Darda | 04-05-2020

Reconciling with the shock of celebrity deaths becomes difficult as they’re like members of the family

Last week we lost two splendid human beings and versatile actors: Irrfan Khan and Rishi Kapoor. In spite of being diametrically different from each other in style, both were lovable, unique and the darlings ...

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04/27/2020

Big opportunity for India amid crisis

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  By Vijay Darda | 27-04-2020

Distressed by Covid-19 pandemic, the world is furious with China and many companies want to leave the country now!

There is always light at the end of the tunnel, goes the old adage. And the whole world is expecting the same in these tough times. Tomorrow holds a big hope for us if we are ready to take advantag...

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04/20/2020

A lot will change after victory over Covid-19

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  By Vijay Darda | 02-04-2020

Tight security became a part of our life after 9/11 and 26/11; health and hygiene will top our priority now

Time changes everything, goes a very old adage. But history stands an eloquent testimony to the fact that some drastic event alone changes the world or the world itself feels compelled to change. Whether th...

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04/13/2020

Creativity best way to deal with tough times

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  By Vijay Darda | 23-04-2020

Though it is very difficult for people confined to their homes to spend time, there is a need to maintain a positive outlook

The decision of chief minister Uddhav Thackeray to extend the lockdown in the state till April 30 was the need of the hour and shows his fortitude and vision. The way coronavirus has been...

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04/06/2020

Try to feel pain of daily wagers, migrant workers

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  By Vijay Darda | 06-04-2020

We used the lockdown weapon against corona in the nick of time but we made a mistake vis-a-vis migrant labourers!

Looking at the miserable condition of other countries in their war against coronavirus, it is reassuring to note that India took right steps in the nick of time and used the weapon of lockdown to st...

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03/30/2020

Everyone is a soldier in this war against coronavirus

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  By Vijay Darda | 30-03-2020

Union & state governments are taking every possible measure but the role of common man is extremely important

It goes without saying that the situation due to coronavirus is very critical at the moment. Experts say that we are fast moving towards stage-3. If we failed to check the spread of corona now, the very...

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03/23/2020

Prevention only option we have at hand

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  By Vijay Darda | 23-03-2020

Coronavirus has landed the whole world in crisis, but India faces a very serious threat!

Although China, where coronavirus originated, has almost overcome this deadly virus, it is wreaking havoc in other countries across the world. The situation in Italy, Iran and Spain is worst. Things are no better in other c...

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03/16/2020

Politics has knocked bottom out of anti-defection law

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  By Vijay Darda | 16-03-2020

This greed of grabbing power is a direct attack on paramountcy of elections; the common voters of this country are being led down a garden path

We all know what political drama is going on in Madhya Pradesh. Senior Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia quit the Congress and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party. At ...

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03/09/2020

May the festival of colours be a celebration of harmony!

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  By Vijay Darda | 09-03-2020

Holi is not just a festival but also a representative festival of our social harmony and vibrant culture

The coronavirus is playing havoc all over the world, making us all jittery. Amidst this atmosphere of fear and worry, we will all be celebrating the most beloved festival, Holi, tomorrow! Holi is the festiva...

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03/02/2020

Think of families devastated in riots

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  By Vijay Darda | 02-03-2020

CAA did not take away anyone’s citizenship but the violence over it left dozens of persons dead, hundreds destroyed

At present I am abroad. There are two burning topics of discussion here. One is that India is developing a vaccine for tackling coronavirus and the second relates to the communal conflagration t...

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02/24/2020

None can doubt valour of women

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  By Vijay Darda | 24-02-2020

The Supreme Court’s decision to give command post to women in the Army will definitely prove to be a milestone for the nation

In an epoch-making decision, the Supreme Court has handed down a straightforward verdict that will write a new text on the canvas of time. The court said women can also take command po...

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02/17/2020

Will Indian visit help Trump secure next term?

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  By Vijay Darda |17-02-2020

US presidential election is to be held this year &  Indian community will definitely play an important role in it

Prime Minister Narendra Modi wanted to invite Donald Trump to India last year and also wanted him to be the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations but the US President was too busy so he could...

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02/10/2020

With new virus, shadow of biological warfare looms large

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  By Vijay Darda | 10-02-2020

With the death of coronavirus whistleblower Dr Li Wenliang, why the Chinese police had taken him into custody, remains an unanswered question

There is more to the coronavirus outbreak than meets the eye. There are many dimensions to the crisis, which if looked at carefully, project a frightening scenario ahead....

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02/03/2020

Where will the money come from?

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  By Vijay Darda | 03-02-2020

Everyone had great expectations from the Budget; promises are many but the hope of immediate relief belied

We all know that the stock market is normally closed on Saturday, but this time it was open as the Union Budget was to be presented on that day. After the presentation of the Budget, the Sensex plunged 988...

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01/26/2020

Some key issues amid great success

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  By Vijay Darda | 26-01-2020

We all are proud of our Republic and we Indians have the potential to become global superpower

It goes without saying that our country has made tremendous progress since independence. Yes, we still have many challenges to overcome but this does not undermine our successes in diverse fields. When we became indep...

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01/20/2020

Lacunas in legal system delay execution

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  By Vijay Darda | 20-01-2020

In Nirbhaya case, the Supreme Court confirmed the death sentence of the culprits in May 2017. Why so much delay in its execution?

It is an irony that the culprits of the most barbaric, brutal and diabolic gangrape and murder which shook the collective conscience of the country, are evading the noose by exploiti...

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01/13/2020

Australia’s fire: A warning for the world

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  By Vijay Darda | 13-01-2020

Four months of raging fire exterminated more than 50 crore wild animals, many among them of extremely rare species

How apocalyptically intense the fire in Australia’s states of New South Wales and Victoria is can be gauged from the fact that within four months, 63 lakh hectares of forest and national parks ha...

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01/06/2020

Middle East turbulence bodes ill for the world

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  By Vijay Darda | 06-01-2020

The killing of Qasem Soleimani by American forces tantamounts to a spark in gunpowder. If fire breaks out, it will spread far and wide

If viewed from the American point of view, it has eliminated a person who was believed to be responsible for the death of about 500 US soldiers. From the point of view of Iran, ...

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2019
12/30/2019

Let us come together to fulfil our hopes

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  By Vijay Darda | 30-12-2019

May the country be happy & healthy, crops grow abundantly & farmers become prosperous, children get educated & youth get employment!

Nature that way, has divided Time into two dimensions: night and day! The Sun rises and sets every day, but man has tied the time to his canvas. Second, minute, hour, twenty-four ...

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12/23/2019

Clear air of suspicion to prevent unrest

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  By Vijay Darda | 23-12-2019

Everyone has the right to protest in a democracy, but violence and use of force are not justified

Unless the country is taken into confidence and an atmosphere of trust is built, even the most well intentioned move would evoke resistance. The atmosphere has become so vitiated as if the country is in a state of ...

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12/16/2019

Will Pak be able to get out of the mess?

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  By Vijay Darda | 16-12-2019

A terrible crisis is brewing for Imran as the country is in a severe economic mess combined with worsening political condition

If your neighbour is in trouble, can you live in peace? This question is also haunting our country. Pakistan, our immediate neighbour and part of us before independence, is going throug...

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12/09/2019

Delayed justice fuels frustration & anger

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  By Vijay Darda | 09-12-2019

Upset at the delay in justice delivery system, people have now started appreciating the ‘encounter way’ of the police

The anger against the police after the brutal crime of rape and murder of a vet in Hyderabad culminated with killing of the accused in an encounter. It also made the people jubilant to such ...

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12/02/2019

Bang on target but real test ahead

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  By Vijay Darda | 02-12-2019

Tackling the enormous aspirations of partners will be the biggest challenge for Uddhavji

When I had called on Uddhav Thackeray, he had categorically stated that the chief minister would be from the Shiv Sena. “If the BJP does not agree, we can go with any party,” he had said and added that he will definitel...

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11/25/2019

Water crisis becomes critical amid power play

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  By Vijay Darda | 25-11-2019

Political parties in Maharashtra are busy in politicking, neglecting graver issue of water

May be you are thinking that this week my column will be on the political situation in Maharashtra, which has become the focal point of debate in the country. I feel very upset when I think about and see how political par...

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11/18/2019

A battle between truth & falsehood

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  By Vijay Darda | 18-11-2019

People stand confused as to why this battle over power-sharing broke out despite giving a clear mandate?

According to our mythology, the Mahabharat battle ended on 18th day after its breakout. However, the battle for power in Maharashtra could not come to an end even after 18 days after the declaration of resul...

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11/10/2019

Neither victory nor defeat, let communal harmony prevail

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  By Vijay Darda | 10-11-2019

Faith no doubt is important for us, but even more important for all of us is our country

The moment for which we all waited for years has finally arrived. A legal dispute being contested for more than 134 years, has finally been decided by the Supreme Court of the country. The Constitution Bench of five judges ...

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11/04/2019

Cybercrime no less than terrorism

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  By Vijay Darda | 04-11-2019

India is second in the world in terms of internet users, but it is far behind vis-a-vis cyber security

The news that the debit and credit cards of 1.3 million Indians are available for sale on a site on ‘Dark Web’ in itself is bizarre and worrisome. It is obvious that only cyber criminals will buy them and ...

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10/27/2019

Cong was nowhere to be seen in poll battle

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  By Vijay Darda | 27-10-2019

In Maharashtra, the Congress had neither planning nor the will to contest elections; the party candidates won on their own strength

Ever since I became politically savvy, I have not seen such an election when Congress simply gave up without even a struggle. Congress did not fight in this election. It had neith...

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10/21/2019

Your participation paramount in the festival of democracy

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  By Vijay Darda | 21-10-2019

We should consider why Maharashtra does not figure among the top states in the country in terms of voting percentage

Whenever polling day arrives, I remember Shyam Saran Negi ji. Negi ji is a resident of a village named Kalp in Mandi Lok Sabha constituency and Kinnaur Assembly constituency in Himachal Pradesh. ...

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10/14/2019

Friendship with China okay but what about trust!

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  By Vijay Darda | 14-10-2019

Dragon is interested in our large consumer market, but its investment in our country is still mere 0.5 per cent

Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu had been the historical port for trade between India and China in ancient times. So when the Chinese president Xi Jinping and our Prime Minister Narendra Modi spent two day...

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10/07/2019

Our festivals true examples of national integration

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  By Vijay Darda | 07-10-2019

We are proud that no other country in the world celebrates more festivals than us. Every festival has some message!

First of all, let me greet you on the occasion of Navratri and Dussera which symbolise the victory of the good over evil. May your life be filled with strength and you continue to walk on the path...

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09/30/2019

Growing Indian influence in America

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  By Vijay Darda | 30-09-2019

Narendra Modi demonstrated an amazing grip in Houston, launched Trump for re-election & stunned the world

While Narendra Modi was waiting for the US President Donald Trump at the event of the American-Indian community in Houston, many Indians felt that our Prime Minister was being made to wait. The general feel...

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09/23/2019

Burgeoning population at the core of our problems

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  By Vijay Darda | 23-09-2019

Though second most populated at the moment, India may soon become most populous country in the world

It is really surprising that the country which started the family planning programme in 1952 has failed to curb the population graph and is now very close to becoming the most populated country in the world. At ...

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09/16/2019

Civility must not be sacrificed while practising hostilities

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  By Vijay Darda | 16-09-2019

The unrestrained language of news channels of the two countries at a time of heightened tension between India and Pakistan is worrying

I rarely watch TV news channels because of my preoccupations, but whenever I do, I feel that the language of Hindi news channels is deteriorating fast. Especially in these days ...

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09/09/2019

It’s time to motivate our scientists

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  By Vijay Darda | 09-09-2019

There is no need to feel disheartened, hurdles pave the way to success, we will soon touch the Moon

Though we might not have attained the outcome we were expecting from Chandrayaan-2, yet we must not call this campaign an unsuccessful one. Chandrayaan-2 covered a distance of about 3.80 lakh kilometres after sta...

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09/02/2019

O Lord of Wisdom, grant Cong power to reinvent

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  By Vijay Darda | 02-09-2019

The party which once epitomised India has fallen by the wayside today and it is also hamstrung by lack of passion for rejuvenation

The Ganesh festival brings a new energy every year. It is not only a festival of devotion but is also the symbol of social harmony. This is the reason why Ganesh idols are installed...

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08/26/2019

First create atmosphere for wealth creators!

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  By Vijay Darda | 26-08-2019

Jobs are declining ceaselessly due to economic slowdown and unemployment is at 45-year high

In my column last week, I had briefly referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement in relation to ‘wealth creator’. I had written that the wealth creators, that is the wealth generating industrialists, must...

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08/19/2019

‘One nation, one election’ a good initiative for sure

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By Vijay Darda | 19-08-2019

After one nation, one Constitution, one flag and one tax, a step towards one election now!

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has fulfilled the dream of one nation, one Constitution and one nation, one flag. Jammu and Kashmir has neither separate Constitution nor flag now. Both will now be in the history books only. Th...

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08/12/2019

A bold decision that must protect ‘Kashmiriyat’

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  By Vijay Darda | 12-08-2019

Historic, brave and long-awaited step by Modi-Shah duo for Jammu and Kashmir

I am fully supportive of the decisions taken by the Narendra Modi government on Jammu and Kashmir and which have been passed by the Parliament of the country. The valley has been on the boil for over three decades and all efforts for p...

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08/05/2019

Is system cracking under pressure?

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  By Vijay Darda | 05-08-2019

On the Unnao rape case, the Chief Justice of India observed: ‘What is going on in this country?’

The Unnao rape case and subsequent happenings are not just a crime story. This story is the story of a shabby system where a domineering MLA is not only accused of rape but he is also accused of destroying the g...

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07/29/2019

Water crisis: Indifference will prove disastrous

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  By Vijay Darda | 29-07-2019

Composite Water Management Index report is frightening; ground water will be zero in 21 cities next year

By making public the report of the Composite Water Management Index 2018, the Niti Aayog has opened the eyes of the whole country. Dreadful picture of the future has been painted before the country. The grou...

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07/22/2019

Our scientists have tremendous talent

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  By Vijay Darda | 22-07-2019

Our ISRO is producing one wonder after another and the day is not far when an Indian will land on the Moon!

When many people in India stayed awake on July 15 to see the Chandrayaan-2 blast off into space, I was in Austria and it was not even midnight there. By the time I turned to the TV, I got the news that d...

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07/15/2019

An Austrian village also pained at India’s defeat!

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  By Vijay Darda | 15-07-2019

Cricket is not just a game, it’s like a soul... ‘Sorry Mr Darda, India lost!’

The Austrian village where I am currently staying has a population of just 1,900. The population of this beautiful country of Central Europe is way too small. The population might be around 88 lakh. Well, on the day that India a...

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07/08/2019

Rahul Gandhi may show the right way!

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  By Vijay Darda | 08-07-2019

It is tragic that Rahul Gandhi quit as the party president, but it is a necessary step to put the Congress back on its feet again

At last, Rahul Gandhi had his way. He declared that he is no longer the party president. With this announcement, he also wrote an open letter. Personally, it is a very painful episod...

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07/01/2019

From drought to floods: The struggle continues

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  By Vijay Darda | 01-09-2019

Degradation of environment has been alarming worldwide and the temperature in Europe has risen to 45 degree Celsius

Recently, I am touring European countries. I feel delighted to see the crystal clear rivers and magnificent forests across Europe, but I am amazed at the rising temperature here. France’s temper...

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06/24/2019

The state of our secular democracy

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  By Vijay Darda | 24-06-2019

Some shouted the slogan ‘Jai Shri Ram’ while some others shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’ during the oath taking ceremony of MPs!

Parliamentary democracy has its own dignity and no one can be allowed to tamper with this dignity or hurt it in any way. Whatever be the direction of politics, maintaining the dignity ...

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06/17/2019

Govt has destroyed its own schools!

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  By Vijay Darda | 17-06-2019

How will the education for all be successful when thousands of schools have no sitting floor nor roof!

It feels good when the government announces that every child is entitled to education. The government also runs Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (Education for all) campaign for this purpose. However, when I see the plig...

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06/10/2019

Arms for peace okay but need to get better armed!

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  By Vijay Darda | 10-06-2019

Government must get rid of the phobia surrounding the defence deal controversies and take necessary and bold decisions

The AN-32 transport aircraft that vanished in Arunachal Pradesh over the region bordering China shortly after taking off from Jorhat in Assam last week still remains untraceable. There were 13 ...

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06/03/2019

Why has Congress come to this pass?

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  By Vijay Darda | 03-06-2019

Where is the Congress organisation of Nehru and Patel’s era when the dedicated workers prevailed

There is no doubt that Congress president Rahul Gandhi worked very hard day and night during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. But what has been the outcome? Why did the Congress lose so badly? Is it any small matter ...

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05/27/2019

The nation sings to Modi’s tune!

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  By Vijay Darda | 27-05-2019

The positive message sent by Narendra Modi, the architect of BJP’s magnificent victory, is most welcome

First of all, I would like to congratulate Prime Minister Narendra Modi on this tremendous victory. I also want to congratulate the Congress president Rahul Gandhi for renewing the Congress ideology and tho...

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05/20/2019

Freedom of speech alright but not rank abuse

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  By Vijay Darda | 20-05-2019

Pragya Thakur first insulted Hemant Karkare and now extols Godse as a patriot!

The venomous utterances of terror-accused Pragya Thakur, who contested on the BJP ticket from Bhopal Lok Sabha constituency have shaken the country. At first she insulted Hemant Karkare, who was martyred in the Mumbai terror attack, ...

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05/13/2019

This election has shaken the roots of fair play!

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  By Vijay Darda | 13-05-2019

Use of such foul language by leaders was never practised in earlier elections; such trend is dangerous for democracy

Dushmani jam kar karo lekin ye gunjaaish rahe

Jab kabhi hum dost ho jaaye toh sharminda na ho!

These lines from the eminent Urdu poet Bashir Badra has become very relevant in this election beca...

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05/06/2019

Why is the police force neglected in our country?

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  By Vijay Darda | 06-05-2019

Injustice to the police personnel handling law and order situation

If you are asked which government department has the highest responsibility but is mostly neglected, then the only name that emerges is of police department. If any crime happens, then people lay all the blame at the door of police. It is also n...

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04/29/2019

Sri Lanka blasts cause of concern for India

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  By Vijay Darda | 29-04-2019

Islamic State is casting its evil eye on our country too; we have to adopt aggressive tactics at every level.

The serial blasts in Sri Lanka should not be looked at in isolation as just another terror act, but it needs to be seen as terrorist expansion in this region, especially, when the dreaded terrorist outf...

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04/22/2019

Scary indeed are these accusations and insults

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  By Vijay Darda | 22-04-2019

Baseless allegations against the Chief Justice of India and insult to martyr Hemant Karkare are no ordinary incidents

The two incidents which took place last week clearly reflect that they are intended to intimidate. The way the Chief Justice of India Justice Ranjan Gogoi has been targeted, it seems that there ...

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04/15/2019

Why is the judiciary forced to intervene?

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  By Vijay Darda | 15-04-2019

Notwithstanding the government’s claim, the reality is that securing administrative justice is becoming tough

The country is clearly realising that the system designed for the common man is not functioning properly. People are not getting administrative justice and therefore, they feel obliged to go to the co...

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04/08/2019

Parties may lose, but nation must win

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  By Vijay Darda | 08-04-2019

We are the world’s largest democracy. Every vote counts and hence you must cast your vote.

The first round of the 17th Lok Sabha elections is just three days away. It is the biggest celebration of democracy. You will decide who is going to rule over this country. Each and every vote counts. Your vote not only...

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04/01/2019

Saluting achievement of our scientists

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  By Vijay Darda | 01-04-2019

Vikram Sarabhai and Jawaharlal Nehru who laid the foundation of Indian space research had nursed a great dream

Last week, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the successful testing of anti-satellite missile system that destroyed a satellite in the space by a missile blasted off from the earth, the scien...

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03/25/2019

Jet Airways crisis has put everyone in trouble

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  By Vijay Darda | 25-03-2019

Why the company that was once India’s number one airline in terms of passenger market share is in a state of insolvency?

If you look at Jet Airways’ initial progress, you can call it a shining journey. In 1993, a company starts business as an air taxi operator. Within a period of only two years, i.e. in 199...

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03/18/2019

Masood Azhar is cat’s-paw for China!

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  By Vijay Darda | 18-03-2019

China wants to ruin life of millions of Uyghur Muslims in its Xinjiang Province

Some incorrigibly optimist people in India were expecting that China could cooperate with the International Security Council to announce Masood Azhar as the global terrorist this time around. Actually it is difficult to imagine such...

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03/11/2019

What has Congress done?

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  By Vijay Darda | 11-03-2019

All the parties have contributed to the progress of the country in their times, but some people are asking an absurd question

I vividly remember an anecdote from Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s days. When he came to power, he found that Nehruji's photograph in the corridor of Parliament was missing. He immediately ask...

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03/04/2019

Nationalism is alright but hysteria is not

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  By Vijay Darda | 04-03-2019

During the difficult time of exacerbating tension, the attitude of Indian and Pakistani electronic media was extremely irresponsible and wayward

At a time when the whole world is worried about the escalation of tension between India and Pakistan, the electronic media of these two countries is busy ratcheting up...

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02/25/2019

Understanding motives of terrorists crucial

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  By Vijay Darda | 25-02-2019

Social and federal solidarity is our biggest strength, our enemies want to weaken it

Post-Pulwama terror attack, every Indian is angry. Whose blood is not boiling? Who is not in grief? Every citizen is deeply shocked and sad. Everyone wants that those who masterminded the Pulwama attack be taught a quick and st...

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02/18/2019

Blast out Pakistan’s terrorist hideouts

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  By Vijay Darda | 18-02-2019

Families of martyred soldiers may be going through traumatic times, but yet they are proud of their sacrifices

Muze Na Tan Chahiye, Na Dhan Chahiye

Bas Aman Se Bhara Yah Vatan Chahiye

Jab Tak Jinda Rahun, Is Matrubhumi Ke Liye

Aur Jab Maru To Tiranga Kafan Chahiye

These lines spring from the heart of eve...

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02/11/2019

Help accident victims without fear!

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  By Vijay Darda | 11-02-2019

Government has framed clear rules to provide protection to those helping injured persons in road accidents

It is common in our country to see the road accident victim being left to die in agony rather than someone stepping forward to take the victim to hospital. People often turn mute spectators to such acciden...

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02/04/2019

Employment: Beware of false promises!

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  By Vijay Darda | 04-02-2019

Regardless of which party is in power, highest priority of the government should be to create as many job opportunities as possible.

‘Gajab Kiya Tere Wade Pe Aitbar Kiya

Tamam Raat Kayamat Ka Intezar Kiya’

The striking contrast between the promise made in 2014 of creating two crore jobs every year and the...

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01/28/2019

Priyanka will write a new script with Rahul

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  By Vijay Darda | 28-01-2019

Priyanka’s entry into active politics will provide a big boost for Congress; party confident of her potential

Congress workers as well as the common man are very optimistic over the entry of Priyanka Gandhi into active politics. Everyone has pinned a great hope on her. Many people also see the reflection of I...

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01/21/2019

Politics of poaching, attack on democracy

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  By Vijay Darda | 21-01-2019

Is power more important than democratic values for the BJP which harps on political purity?

Just remember the situation after the Karnataka Assembly elections. By winning 104 seats, the Bharatiya Janata Party emerged as the largest party. After the election results, the Congress had declared unconditional suppo...

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01/14/2019

Paramount question is: Where are govt jobs?

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  By Vijay Darda | 14-01-2019

Reservation for the general category poor is welcome, but the point is: Why was it thought of only at the time of elections?

The Central government announced a 10 per cent reservation for the general category poor in government jobs in such a hurry that the Opposition parties were left bewildered. I am using th...

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01/07/2019

Sheikh Hasina has done a creditable job

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  By Vijay Darda | 07-01-2019

Underdeveloped Bangladesh will join the rank of developing countries in 2024

Last year, when the UN talked about striking Bangladesh off the list of underdeveloped countries by 2024 and upgrade it to the rank of developing countries, Sheikh Hasina became a talking point all over the world. In the meantime, elec...

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2018
12/31/2018

Let us create a new symphony of harmony

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  By Vijay Darda | 31-12-2018

Today is the last day of 2018. Tomorrow will be the day of new expectations. Let's resolve to build a better society

According to our Indian culture and tradition, we should not complain against the person who is not present amidst us. Therefore, it is pertinent that we should not complain about the outgoing ye...

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12/24/2018

Create conditions where ryots need not take loans

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  By Vijay Darda | 24-12-2018

Loan waiver is welcome but an overall policy is needed to end the problems faced by the farmers

Congress president Rahul Gandhi who had held out a pre-election promise to the electorate in three states, fulfilled the same soon after winning the elections. Loans of farmers in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Raj...

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12/17/2018

Rahul has emerged as a mature politician

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  By Vijay Darda | 17-12-2018

After winning elections in three states, the Congress president won the hearts of the people with his humility and understanding

With the Congress wresting Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan from the BJP, the political stature of Congress president Rahul Gandhi has certainly gone up. The press conferenc...

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12/10/2018

Our democracy and threat of mobocracy

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  By Vijay Darda | 10-12-2018

Lest fanaticism, bigotry, religious hysteria destroy the whole fabric of our society

The killing of police inspector Subodh Kumar Singh of Syana Kotwali police station in Bulandshahr is not just an accident. This incident conjures up a horrifying picture of bloodthirsty mob going crazy. The mob lynching throws ...

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12/03/2018

We must give Imran a chance

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  By Vijay Darda | 03-12-2018

The highly commendable initiative by Pakistani PM to improve relations should not be overshadowed by India’s electoral politics.

Pakistan’s prime minister and ace cricketer Imran Khan has been in power only for three and a half months now but the kind of passion and commitment he has brought to his job is ...

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11/26/2018

Why can’t government curb adulteration?

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  By Vijay Darda | 26-11-2018

The new Bill is commendable for providing life imprisonment for adulterators, but the moot question is that of implementing the law!

You must have seen the signboards at myriad shops claiming that pure ghee, pure oil or pure milk is available here! Or unadulterated spices are available here! Advertisements also...

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11/19/2018

American media fights back Trump tactics

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  By Vijay Darda | 19-11-2018

President Donald Trump wants to crush the media with his slogan of ‘neo-nationalism’, calling journalists traitors

This is the most tempestuous time for the media all over the world, but it is natural to be worried if efforts are made to stifle the media even in a strong democratic country like America. The...

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11/12/2018

Change the face of cities, not just name!

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  By Vijay Darda | 12-11-2018

Changing names in tune with the local dialect is comprehensible, but some changes are raising questions

Jabalpur was probably the first among the cities which needed to be renamed soon after India gained independence. The British used to pronounce the name of the city as Jubbulpore according to the colonial pro...

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11/05/2018

Only material gain is not real wealth

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  By Vijay Darda | 05-11-2018

The biggest wealth is health; ethical values, culture, generosity, good education and benevolence are paramount in life

We all begin the festival of light Deepavali that symbolises the victory of light over darkness. What is the real message of this festival? If you turn the pages of mythological texts, you wil...

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10/29/2018

Crisis of confidence: Threat to democracy

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  By Vijay Darda | 29-10-2018

Whatever is going on in an important institution like CBI is shaking the confidence of the common man

Regardless of how many times allegations have been made that political parties use CBI in their own right, the reality is that when the police can not solve any issue, then the demand is made that the matter sh...

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10/22/2018

This monster of plastic will gobble up the future!

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  By Vijay Darda | 22-10-2018

Mere formal sanctions will not do, the need is for strict action and the entire country shall have to be awakened

American chemist Leo Hendrik Backland never imagined that the synthetic plastic he invented would prove to be so dangerous to the world! In 1907, plastic was invented and gradually it became popular...

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10/15/2018

What will happen if ever Ganga dies?

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  By Vijay Darda | 15-10-2018

Death of the ‘Gangaputra’ after 111 days of fast is a story of system’s insensitivity & neglect of Ganga.

There was a river called Saraswati. It vanished 4,000 years ago. It used to flow in the regions of Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan. Nobody knows how it vanished but our faith towards the river is so str...

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10/08/2018

Why has the UN become a fiefdom of some countries?

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  By Vijay Darda | 08-10-2018

Sushma Swaraj has rightly said that if the United Nations does not mend ways, it risks being irrelevant.

Addressing the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly, Indian foreign minister Sushma Swaraj has stated a bitter but absolutely correct fact that if the United Nations does not reform itself, it...

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10/01/2018

Society shall have to find answers to some serious questions…!

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  By Vijay Darda | 01-10-2018

The historic judgement of the Supreme Court on adultery will open a new chapter. It is wrong to view woman as a mere body.

I have always been a strong supporter of women’s empowerment. I have often advocated the fact that every Indian woman should become so powerful that she should rub shoulders with her male...

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09/25/2018

ISRO has become our bright earning star

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  By Vijay Darda | 25-09-2018

India which carried the first rocket on a bullock cart to the launch station has carved a niche for itself in launching satellites

The pictures you see along with this article belongs to April 1975. Then the parts of the rocket were carried on cycle and India’s first satellite Aryabhatta was taken to the laun...

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09/17/2018

We need to imbibe the virtues of Lord Ganesh

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  By Vijay Darda | 17-09-2018

There is always some message inherent in every celebration in Indian culture; we should understand those messages

This is the festive season of Ganeshotsav. The holy festival of Lord Shree Ganesh has charged the atmosphere with enthusiasm, energy and excitement. The joyous shouts of ‘Ganpati Bappa Morya’ are...

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09/10/2018

African countries & Chinese debt trap

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  By Vijay Darda | 10-09-2018

China has disbursed loan to the tune of Rs10 lakh crore in the last 18 years; 35 African countries walk in to debt trap

The conference of ‘Forum on China-Africa Cooperation’ held in China’s capital Beijing last week did not attract any attention in the Indian media, but this matter is directly related to ...

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09/03/2018

Be proud of Indianness to make the country great

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  By Vijay Darda | 03-09-2018

The trend of tearing children away from our culture and introducing them to Western values is hurting the entire society and the country.

Whenever I visit any country, I try to explore and get to learn about the civilisation, culture and life there. I meet the common people. I had the opportunity to visit many ...

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08/27/2018

Save nature or we will all perish!

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  By Vijay Darda | 27-08-2018

Nature alone is not responsible for the devastation caused by floods in Kerala, it is also the outcome of human greed

I was watching some of the videos of the catastrophe caused by floods in Kerala. A person standing atop the hill may have made this video. The floodwater was seen carrying the debris at full spe...

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08/20/2018

We have to break fetters of linguistic slavery

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  By Vijay Darda | 20-08-2018

Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi had said that the nation is dumb without a national language and only Hindi can be the national language of India

Memories of the first World Hindi Conference held in Nagpur around 43 years back are still fresh in my mind because my Babuji freedom fighter Jawaharlal Darda was...

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08/13/2018

Have we really got complete freedom?

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  By Vijay Darda | 13-08-2018

Lack of national character, sectarian thinking, corruption and casteist poison have ruined the entire country

Once in Pakistan, the journalists there asked me why despite India and Pakistan attaining independence at the same time, India marched ahead and Pakistan remained behind? I answered them that we have Ga...

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08/06/2018

Biggest problem is lack of national character

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  By Vijay Darda | 06-08-2018

Even after starvation deaths and rape on inmates of shelter homes, our blood does not boil; are our sensitivities dying?

I am deeply troubled by some of the incidents that have occurred in the recent past. Girls between seven and 18 years in age were repeatedly raped in a shelter home in Muzaffarnagar, Bihar an...

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07/30/2018

Can Imran build ‘New Pakistan’?

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  By Vijay Darda | 30-07-2018

Imran has emerged as a great hope for youths and his victory has come with a big responsibility to change the destiny of the country

I have met Imran Khan twice. On both the occasions, I met him in London. The first meeting took place about 22 years back when he had just stepped into politics. The second one to...

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07/23/2018

Mobocracy dangerous for democracy

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  By Vijay Darda | 23-07-2018

Who is nursing and encouraging the crazy crowd that lies in waiting to pounce upon and kill anyone?

It is difficult to comprehend as to what has happened to our country? Mobocracy is taking over. Any issue is enough to trigger an attack, and the crowd goes berserk. The victim is beaten to death. The term ‘mob...

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07/16/2018

We should learn spiritedness from country like Croatia

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  By Vijay Darda | 16-07-2018

It is painful to see India, with a population of more than 125 crore, standing at the last rung in the world of sports

A small country with a long coastline between Central and Southeast Europe on the Adriatic Sea, Croatia though lost the title clash, astonished the whole world by reaching the FIFA World Cup fi...

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07/09/2018

Who is responsible for the plight of cities?

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  By Vijay Darda | 09-07-2018

Indian cities have ra, yet the government says we are progressing..!

Rain in Mumbai..Mumbai helpless! Rain in Nagpur..Nagpur helpless! Rain in Delhi..Delhi helpless! Whenever any city experiences a little more than average rainfall into cesspool..! A stampede on the railway bridge in Mumbai last year, a bridge ...

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07/02/2018

India should not bow down to US threat

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  By Vijay Darda | 02-07-2018

We should have the right to look at our interests; America should refrain from playing the Big Brother of the world!

Janunat Garbe Nafse-khud tamam ast/Je-kashi Pa-be Kashan Neem Gam Ast!

The meaning of Ghalib’s couplet is.. Once if we make up the mind, the distance between Kashi and Kashan is only a half st...

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06/25/2018

This approach of banks may ruin the country!

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  By Vijay Darda | 25-06-2018

Ruthless with small borrowers and complicity with big defaulters is an open secret now; the entire banking system is at stake!

Three news reports which have come within a week are extremely worrying. The first news was that the government has written off bad loans worth Rs. 1,44,000 crore. Generally it is calle...

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06/18/2018

Need for a decisive battle against terror

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  By Vijay Darda | 18-06-2018

The killing of Shujaat Bukhari is an attempt to bury the yearning for peace. Salute to brave soldiers like Aurangzeb!

The gunning down of Shujaat Bukhari, editor of newspaper Rising Kashmir, is not a commonplace incident. Shujaat was a journalist who used to write fearlessly and called a spade a spade. He was a...

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06/11/2018

Pranab Da is outspoken and committed to diversity

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  By Vijay Darda | 11-06-2018

What is relevant now is not why he went to the RSS programme. What is important is what he said there.

Even as Dr Pranab Mukherjee came under sharp criticism from all quarters for accepting the invitation to attend the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s (RSS) programme, he refused to answer any questions. He said ...

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06/04/2018

If we continue to trifle with nature, disaster is imminent!

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  By Vijay Darda | 04-06-2018

Land is turning barren, rivers going dry, forest getting denuded, air getting polluted, things are not hunky-dory any more!

Alarming as it is, a recent report by the Centre for Science and Environment has shocked me. The report states that by 2030, 21 cities in India will be ‘dead zero’ as far as availabili...

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05/28/2018

Oppn unity must for health of democracy

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  By Vijay Darda | 28-05-2018

Political parties will have to rise above self interest to capitalise on the hope revived during the swearing-in ceremony in Karnataka

Reviving the hope of opposition unity, important leaders of opposition parties came together on a single platform during the swearing-in ceremony of HD Kumaraswamy in Karnataka,...

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05/21/2018

Did country dream of such a democracy?

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  By Vijay Darda | 21-05-2018

Politics runs amok in the arena of power. Might becomes right! The common man is reduced to being a mute spectator!

This was bound to be the fate of Yeddyurappa, who tried to ride piggyback on the governor to occupy the chair of Karnataka chief minister! But just imagine what would have happened if he had got 1...

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05/14/2018

Keep elections out of mud-slinging

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  By Vijay Darda | 14-05-2018

As the dust and din of electioneering settles in Karnataka, the unanswered question is why were public issues left untouched during the campaign?

The fate of the candidates has been sealed in the EVMs and who will win and lose in Karnataka will be revealed when the election results are declared tomorrow. People...

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05/07/2018

Non-serious approach over air pollution is dangerous

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  By Vijay Darda | 07-05-2018

Will the Indian government wake up from its slumber after the latest report of World Health Organisation?

The latest report of the World Health Organisation on pollution in our country comes as no surprise to me. I keep touring the world and naturally know how serious the problem of pollution is. WHO analysed t...

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04/30/2018

To compete, India needs to be economically strong

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  By Vijay Darda | 30-04-2018

The informal summit between Chinese President and Indian Prime Minister is a welcome move, for parleys alone can lead to a thaw in relationship

Eminent poet Nida Fazli has penned a wonderful couplet:

Dushmani lakh sahi

Khatm na kije rishta

Dil mile ya na mile

Haath milate rahiye!

Personally, I share the se...

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04/23/2018

Those who preach hatred must be taught a lesson

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  By Vijay Darda | 23-04-2018

Politics has plunged the nation into useless issues; for votes they are playing with democracy

Maikhane se  Puchha Aaj

Itna Sannata Kyon Hai?

Maikhana Bola- Lahu ka daur hai sahib

Ab sharab kaun  pita hai?

(Why is the tavern so desolate? When people are thirsty of blood, who cares for wine)

Someone has s...

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04/16/2018

Rapists have no right to live

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  By Vijay Darda | 16-04-2018

Inhuman brutality inflicted on an eight-year-old girl sends chills down the spine. Incidents of rape are disgrace to the country.

It is so horrifying that an 8-year-old girl belonging to a nomadic tribe was kidnapped and brutally gang-raped for seven days and later murdered in the Kathua region of Jammu. But in...

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04/09/2018

Cyber attack will destroy us if we don’t take steps

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  By Vijay Darda | 09-04-2018

In this age of technology, foolproof cyber security is imperative, for India too is the target of cyber criminals!

This is an era of technology and almost all the documents are stored in the computer and are sent from one place to another through the Internet when necessary. From individuals to small companies,...

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04/02/2018

Is our education system under mafia control?

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  By Vijay Darda | 02-04-2018

Several gangs are involved in leaking question papers of examinations across the country, but the government is unable to rein them in!

Students all over the country are fuming with anger. The way question papers of the examinations are being leaked one after the other, the students and parents feel highly trau...

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03/26/2018

For 200 crore users Mark Zuckerberg is the culprit!

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  By Vijay Darda | 26-03-2018

Mere apology will not do, for data theft from Facebook is indicative of the beginning of an unforeseen threat to the whole world

Whenever you visit someplace, you waste no time updating your Facebook status and uploading your new photographs. Normally too, you keep sharing your thoughts on this platform. You ke...

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03/19/2018

Will this ‘Sanjeevani’ rejuvenate Opposition?

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  By Vijay Darda | 19-03-2018

Victory in by-polls has come as a ray of hope for the Opposition but the path for its unity will be no bed of roses!

The back-to-back debacles suffered by the BJP in the by-polls have certainly come as a ray of hope for the opposition parties. Opposition parties feel that the common man is not happy with the BJ...

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03/12/2018

Will dictator Kim Jong-un listen to Donald Trump?

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  By Vijay Darda | 12-03-2018

There is hidden political shrewdness in the proposed talks between the two, spewing venom against each other

The world is constantly worried over the extremely bitter relationship between the US and North Korea. Both are nuclear-armed countries. The US President Donald Trump has been continuously threatening th...

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03/05/2018

Neglect of regional language is dangerous

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  By Vijay Darda | 05-03-2018

Non availability of Marathi translation of the governor’s address is surprising; language is associated with our culture and esteem

A serious incident happened last week. On the first day of the Budget Session of the Maharashtra Legislature, immediately after governor C Vidyasagar Rao’s joint address to bot...

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02/26/2018

Rising prices: How long will the country suffer?

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  By Vijay Darda | 26-02-2018

The government does not even mention the assurances on which the BJP won the election. As a result, the common man is exasperated.

You will remember the election campaign in 2014. The Bharatiya Janata Party had raised a hue and cry over inflation. The discussion everywhere was focussed on the single point that ...

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02/19/2018

Why is our banking system so weak?

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  By Vijay Darda | 19-02-2018

How the banks, which do not hesitate to harass farmers for the recovery of debt, become so lenient towards scamsters? People are reading and sharing a post on social media these days with great interest. This post is in the form of a letter to Nirav Modi. The letter goes something like this: Nirav Modi,

Be h...

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02/12/2018

India can’t shut its eyes on Maldives

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  By Vijay Darda | 12-02-2018

If China is able to get the Maldives, which has been our friend, to sit in its lap, the situation can really turn dangerous for us!

The Maldives is currently undergoing a crisis. President Abdulla Yameen has imposed emergency and the judges of the Supreme Court have been arrested. These judges had ruled that th...

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02/05/2018

Rural India is our true wealth

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  By Vijay Darda | 05-02-2018

Enough of announcements... Now it’s time to do something..! Irrigation, healthcare and education are the basic problems of the villages

The BJP government has made several important announcements in its last full Budget, especially for the villages and the farmers. It’s a good development. A majority of Ind...

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01/29/2018

Vietnamese people are an amazing example of bravery

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  By Vijay Darda | 29-01-2018

More than 30 lakh people were killed in the war that lasted for around 20 years; guerrilla fighters killed 58,000 American soldiers

We just celebrated our 69th Republic Day. We showcased our military might on the Rajpath. Do we however, remember that our Republic is a precious gift from those brave freedom figh...

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01/22/2018

Bravery of Indian soldiers in Israel

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  By Vijay Darda | 22-01-2018

Israeli army celebrates Haifa Day every year on September 23 in the honour of indomitable spirit of the Indian soldiers

In my column last week, I had mentioned that Israelis love India immensely. Wherever I went, I was received with great warmth by all the people but one question they definitely asked me was: W...

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01/08/2018

Delayed American realisation of Pakistan

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  By Vijay Darda | 08-01-2018

Pakistan was nurturing terrorism through the funds received from the US. Now the US must be alert to the reality.

Not all is well between the US and Pakistan. Pakistan would not have anticipated that the Trump administration would take such a stringent step. Suddenly, Trump said last week that in the last 15 ye...

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01/01/2018

New ideas of youth will take us to new heights

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  By Vijay Darda | 01-01-2018

If we are passionate about doing something new and pledge to encourage new ideas, we can bring about the change

Last night the whole world was engaged in ushering in the New Year. You too might have celebrated a lot. You must have celebrated with zeal and enthusiasm, and you might have made some new resolutions...

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2017
12/25/2017

Why was action taken on mere suspicion?

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  By Vijay Darda | 25-12-2017

A major question stems from the 2G spectrum case that is based on suspicion and rumours without any evidence

There is an ancient tale. Someone told a person that a crow took his ear away. The person did not try to check his ear and started chasing the crow instead. The crow flew away somewhere. For a long time ...

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12/18/2017

A serious challenge to turn despair into hope

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  By Vijay Darda | 18-12-2017

Congress president Rahul Gandhi is a competent person no doubt, but to succeed, he will have to become a mass leader

In the glorious history of Congress, Rahul Gandhi has the privilege of being elected as the president of the party at a young age. The critics may say that he is from the Nehru-Gandhi family, so ...

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12/11/2017

Why hunger, poverty do not infuriate us?

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  By Vijay Darda | 11-12-2017

Petty issues are blown out of proportion but no sensitivity is shown on serious matters!

We are passing through a strange phase where there is no such thing as sensitivity. There are tall talks. Figures of millions and billions are being bandied about. Tall claims are being made about the swifter and greater de...

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12/04/2017

Do not turn India into an arena of hatred

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  By Vijay Darda | 04-12-2017

Those fuelling the politics of caste and religion to win elections are ruining the future of this country!

Had the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi imagined the kind of politics in independent India as we are seeing these days? Would Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Babasaheb Ambedkar...

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11/27/2017

Where is our society headed?

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  By Vijay Darda | 27-11-2017

Racial and religious fanaticism became part of our lives, cities got divided into ethnic localities, and hatred replaced harmony..!

The occasion was Diwali this year. Like every year, traditional pan supari programme was organised at Prithvivandan at Gandhi Chowk in Yavatmal where the Lokmat Group was founded. ...

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11/20/2017

Such fanaticism will destroy our country!

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  By Vijay Darda | 20-11-2017

People have not seen the film Padmavati, yet they have started issuing fatwas. Such extremist elements should be reined in firmly

The hue and cry raised over the film Padmavati and the use of intemperate language by some outfits and their leaders in opposing the film has astonished me. What an irony that the fi...

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11/13/2017

Why are our teenagers taking to crime?

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  By Vijay Darda | 13-11-2017

Spurt in juvenile crime in the country is a matter of serious concern. This problem cannot be solved by the law alone

Today, there are two serious issues facing society. The first is the rising crime towards children and the second concerns the growing numbers of children themselves taking to crime. India's his...

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11/06/2017

Path of ease of doing business still not easy

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  By Vijay Darda | 06-11-2017

World Bank report is surely encouraging, but India has to consider many other important aspects too!

After the release of World Bank’s ease of doing business index, a buoyant impression is being created that reaching 100th rank from 130th position means that everything in the country has changed and foreign i...

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10/30/2017

India will have to be more alert against China

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  By Vijay Darda | 30-10-2017

Soon after re-election as Prez, Xi Jinping told military commanders’ meeting - the army should be ready for war!

As expected, Xi Jinping was elected President of China again. But more important than that is the fact that the party has incorporated Xi Jinping’s ideology into its constitution. This has elevat...

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10/23/2017

Isn’t even a single death from hunger a stigma?

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  By Vijay Darda | 23-10-2017

Amidst tall claims of development, the death of a girl due to hunger in Jharkhand has horrified India

The death of Santoshi, an 11-year-old girl from Simdega in Jharkhand, due to hunger has horrified the entire nation. The tall claims and promises of development are causing indignation. What kind of development...

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10/16/2017

Several other riches are necessary for happy life

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  By Vijay Darda | 16-10-2017

In the blind race for material wealth, we are forgetting riches like cultural values, virtue, thought, duty, health and dedication

The festival of Dhanteras falls tomorrow. Some will adorn themselves with gold jewellery while some will buy a small bowl and a spoon of silver. Someone’s home will witness the ar...

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10/09/2017

Who is responsible for death of 34 farmers?

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  By Vijay Darda | 09-10-2017

Most critical question is how hazardous pesticide reached the farmers? It is necessary to fix the responsibility.

Every government claims that it is sympathetic to the issues of farmers, but the reality is that the farmers are still deprived of their rightful dues. Politicians ask for votes in the name of farme...

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10/02/2017

This is manslaughter! Will anyone be sued?

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  By Vijay Darda | 02-10-2017

If criminal cases can be filed against school directors for murder, why not against railway officials?

After three consecutive train accidents in Uttar Pradesh, stampede on the Elphinstone Road railway station foot-over-bridge (FOB) in Mumbai has rocked the nation. This incident has raised several questions. Th...

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09/25/2017

Whole country needs Assam’s Pronam Bill

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  By Vijay Darda | 25-09-2017

Condition of the elderly in India is very serious. A soul-searching is needed to find out what has gone wrong with our culture?

The neglect of the elderly is on the rise and many of them are forced to spend their twilight years in the old age homes. In such a situation, the Assam Assembly has passed the Pronam ...

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09/18/2017

India-Japan friendship foretells dawn of new era

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  By Vijay Darda | 18-09-2017

China is frustrated with the new equation because of its serious border dispute with both the countries

Looking back at the history, the cultural relation between India with Japan was established in the sixth century only when Buddhism reached there. Since then, the relations have been good. There is no mention...

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09/11/2017

This storm of hatred will erode democracy

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  By Vijay Darda | 11-09-2017

The freedom of expression is for everyone but the chaos spread over social media is not right for anyone

Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare, M M Kalburgi and now Gauri Lankesh..! There is a commonality among these four; that they were free-thinkers and expressed their thoughts with courage and zeal. All four of...

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09/04/2017

Need to transform Indian Railways

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  By Vijay Darda | 04-09-2017

Financial condition has worsened, there is no money to change unsafe tracks and around 1.22 lakh posts in safety category are vacant

When India’s first passenger train between Bori Bunder (Mumbai) and Thane was flagged off on April 16, 1853, there were only 400 people on board and three engines named Sahib, S...

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08/28/2017

Playgrounds needed to save children from killer game

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  By Vijay Darda | 28-08-2018

The internet game known as Blue Whale Challenge has perturbed the world and India is not untouched too!

It is believed that the blue whale comes to the seashore to die or commit suicide. In the name of this blue whale, a Russian student Philipp Budeikin has created the ‘Blue Whale Challenge’ game. This game...

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08/21/2017

Why are children’s lives so cheap?

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  By Vijay Darda | 21-08-2017

As usual, the country will forget the inglorious chapter of Gorakhpur deaths but the question will continue to haunt!

Some four years back, there was a huge hue and cry when 35 children died within five days at BC Roy Hospital in Kolkata. Four years later, hardly anyone remembers that incident! At that time, th...

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08/14/2017

Cacti of challenges in our garden of freedom

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  By Vijay Darda | 14-08-2017

There is no doubt that India has made a lot of progress in the last 70 years but the goal is far from achieved yet! Just a few hours hence we will be celebrating 70th anniversary of India’s independence. Of course, being a citizen of a free country is a great privilege for all of us. Therefore, we should al...
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08/07/2017

Global escalation is a warning bell

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  By Vijay Darda | 07-08-2017

The US, Russia and China are engaged in proving their supremacy

The continuation of atmosphere of tension between different countries is nothing new. Many countries are also fighting against each other. In many countries of the world, civil war-like situation is prevailing, but some of them have brought about r...

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07/31/2017

Foundation of unity of Opposition shaken

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  By Vijay Darda | 31-07-2017

Nitish Kumar was the greatest hope for opposition in the next Lok Sabha elections, but the BJP took him away!

Signs had started appearing long back that the distance between Nitish Kumar and Narendra Modi is reducing and the bonhomie with the NDA is growing. The whole country was realising this situation, but t...

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07/24/2017

Kovind will not become a rubber stamp President

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  By Vijay Darda | 24-07-2017

After reaching the constitutional post, no person belongs to any party, but to the entire nation

It is undisputable that a person associated with Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh has reached the country’s highest office for the first time. In such a situation, it is natural for those who do not agree with the ideo...

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07/17/2017

Nobody gains anything from war!

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  By Vijay Darda | 17-07-2017

More than one crore people of Syria became refugees; after Aleppo, Mosul city also fell into ruin

First the story of Iraq..! Just three years ago, a man from the Islamic State Abu Bakar al-Baghdadi declared himself the Khalifah of the world from Mosul city of Iraq. Earlier, he occupied a large part of Iraq and ...

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07/10/2017

India’s emergence as star player in a changed world!

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  By Vijay Darda | 10-07-2017

India is shaping its foreign policy in such a manner that it should also be in the driver’s seat..!

If we look at India in terms of population, then one sixth part of the world resides in India. As a consumer market, India is one of the fastest growing countries. In space science, it is rapidly climbing its p...

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07/03/2017

It is not India of 1962, Mr Jinping!

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  By Vijay Darda | 03-07-2017

The Dragon is showing dangerous intentions on the border in Sikkim, but it should understand that India is no longer a weak nation

To understand the latest controversy between India and China, first take a look at the eastern part of India’s map. You will see a thin strip from the Siliguri area of West Bengal...

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06/26/2017

Why the dream of Opposition unity is incomplete?

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  By Vijay Darda | 26-06-2017

There is a lack of unity in the effort to challenge the BJP; will the situation remain the same even in 2019 elections?

Where there is unity, victory is there

-Publius Cyrus

The irony of the present day Indian democracy is that there is no such thing as unity among the opposition parties. So how can they expe...

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06/19/2017

Why this country lacks work culture?

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  By Vijay Darda | 19-06-2017

If India is to be put on the path of progress at a faster pace then the sense of responsibility should be instilled in every person

When the Narendra Modi government sacked 129 officials and employees on allegations of dereliction of duty and ordered 1,800 others to quit, I suddenly remembered a TV serial, Offi...

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06/12/2017

Farmers are treated like orphans

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  By Vijay Darda | 12-06-2017

Unless agriculture gets plans, facilities and concessions like industries, destiny of farmers will not change

Farmers’ agitation is going great guns at present. But is this development a sudden outburst? The answer to this question is that the political system of this country has always treated the farmers as...

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06/05/2017

Environment devastation means self-destruction

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  By Vijay Darda | 05-06-2017

How could Donald Trump forget that the US has done the worst damage to world's environment?

Before discussing the latest step of US President Donald Trump, let's take a look at some of the environmental issues released by NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), a reputed scientific institution in ...

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05/29/2017

Mountain of expectations in the sea of challenges!

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  By Vijay Darda | 29-05-2017

If the energy of the youth who ensured the victory of Modi does not get the right direction, then Modi's path is not easy as Prime Minister

Even if Narendra Modi is the leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party, at present, he is the Prime Minister of the country, so his functionings should not be seen from any part...

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05/27/2017

Politician with dedicated social commitment

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  By Vijay Darda | 27-05-2017

I have closely watched Gadkari for last many years. I have seen his formative years too. He is a totally transparent and honest politician, a rarity today. If he wants to appreciate someone he would do it publicly or if he is displeased with someone he would express his displeasure also publicly. If he is unhappy ...

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05/22/2017

Indian win in Jadhav case a diplomatic victory

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  By Vijay Darda | 22-05-2017

Pak-China friendship is dangerous for us; we should befriend America but not at the cost of our Russian friends

I hail Prime Minister Narendra Modi, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and my friend and famous lawyer Advocate Harish Salve for the initial victory in Kulbhushan Jadhav case.

I congratulate th...

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05/15/2017

Will situation in Kashmir remain like this?

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  By Vijay Darda | 15-05-2017

Kashmir, a paradise, has turned into a hell: Serious questions arise for the entire country

Kitni Khubsurat Ye Tasveer Hai

Mausam Bemisal Benazir Hai

Ye Kashmir Hai... Ye Kashmir Hai..!

Some 35 years ago this song of the Bollywood movie Bemisal was a super hit. That time we used to hum this song often. But n...

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05/08/2017

Why is our economic system gullible to frauds?

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  By Vijay Darda | 08-05-2017

Bad debt figure crosses Rs 6 lakh crore mark, bringing functioning of banks under cloud

There is no decline in the reports of frauds and scams involving the banks that are making headlines on a daily basis. Just came to know about the latest case of embezzlement. Zoom Developers having operations in Mumbai and ...

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05/01/2017

Is it the Modi wave or the Opposition weakness ..?

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  By Vijay Darda | 01-05-2017

Congress lacks cadre, status of regional parties is akin to private limited company!

There is no hesitation in saying that Narendra Modi is the most powerful Prime Minister after Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi. Both at national and international levels. But there is a big difference too. At the time of Jawa...

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04/24/2017

Why do officers & leaders want to look different?

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  By Vijay Darda | 24-04-2017

Just the removal of red beacons from atop the vehicles will not end the VIP culture. The very mentality needs to be changed

At long last, the central government has finally decided that the cars of VIPs will no longer sport red, yellow, blue beacons. Indeed, for a long time the common man had bottled up his ang...

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04/17/2017

We worship Bapu but why don’t we follow his path?

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  By Vijay Darda | 17-04-2017

100 years ago Mahatma Gandhi had launched his first satyagraha in Champaran to solve the problems of farmers

The date of April 16 is very significant in the history of India. On April 16, 1917, Mahatma Gandhi sowed the first seeds of satyagraha against the oppression of farmers in Champaran, Bihar. On that day,...

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04/10/2017

Please, don't play politics in name of farmers..!

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  By Vijay Darda | 10-04-2017

The farmers in the country are in peril; government should protect and empower them

I want to appreciate Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for waiving the farmers' debt to the tune of Rs 36,000 crore in one stroke. The measure has benefitted 2.30 crore farmers of his state. He has fulfilled his elect...

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04/03/2017

India’s young generation trapped by porn addiction

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  By Vijay Darda | 03-04-2017

Shutting down just 3000 out of crores of porn websites will not do. India should formulate a stringent anti-porn law and enforce a full ban

News is here that the government of India has banned 3000 porn websites that displayed the child porn content. Definitely this is a good move but the biggest question is: W...

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03/27/2017

Temple of democracy in grave danger..!

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  By Vijay Darda | 27-03-2017

It was indeed worrisome that several ministers were conspicuous by their absence during the question hour in the Rajya Sabha last Tuesday when they were supposed to respond to the supplementary questions related to their ministries. It is but natural that Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President Hamid Ansari should...

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03/20/2017

Factionalism, sycophancy big enemies of Congress

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  By Vijay Darda | 20-03-2017

If the Congress fails to manage itself even now, then the day is not far when Narendra Modi’s dream of ‘Congress free India’ will come true!

It is worth noting that the Congress has the youngest leadership in the form of Rahul Gandhi but the youth of this country is relying on 66-year-old Narendra Modi an...

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03/13/2017

He has proved himself to be a real ‘Sartaj’

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  By Vijay Darda | 13-03-2017

There is an explosion in a train at Shajapur, Madhya Pradesh, and the blast trail links the incident to Lucknow. A young man named Saifullah is found to be the mastermind of the blast and is later killed in an encounter. Police wanted to hand over the body to his family but the youth’s father Mohammad Sartaj ref...

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03/06/2017

Only inclusive ideologies survive!

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  By Vijay Darda | 06-03-2017

A traumatic situation of intolerance is prevailing these days. An ideology is evolving rapidly that is not just rejecting all other ideologies but also boasts of finishing them off soon. I have seen several eras from childhood to the present age. I was a member of the Rajya Sabha for 18 years and I saw divergent o...

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02/27/2017

It’s not just deterioration of environment..!

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  By Vijay Darda | 27-02-2017

The accelerated deterioration in dignity and culture right from politics to society is a matter of serious concern for all of us. The word environment comes from Sanskrit meaning ‘around’. Simply put, whatever is around us, is part of the environment. It is also nature, society, culture and our civilization, t...

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02/20/2017

Apathy towards North-East can prove dangerous!

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  By Vijay Darda | 20-02-2017

When something happens in UP, Bihar, Punjab, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh or any state in west, north and south India, the entire country is shaken. From print media to electronic media, all are alert but let anything happen in seven northeastern states and nothing happens. There is no scare! I a...

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02/13/2017

What brings Karnans in judicial system?

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  By Vijay Darda | 13-02-2017

It is a routine procedure for the courts to serve a notice of contempt of court to a common citizen, a political leader or a government officer. But the serving of such notice to a senior sitting judge is a newsworthy event.

The Madras High Court judge Justice C S Karnan wrote a letter to the Prime Minister in Ja...

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02/06/2017

Make or break elections for all

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  By Vijay Darda | 06-02-2017

The stakes are high for each political party in the elections to the five states. For instance in Punjab, the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP alliance is battling a two-term anti-incumbency in the face of a two-pronged challenge from the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party. The Congress chief ministerial candidate Ama...

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01/30/2017

When soldiers perish under snow

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  By Vijay Darda | 30-01-2017

Of late, while extolling the virtues of nationalism and patriotism, and asking common citizens to make sacrifices for these causes, the valiant soldiers guarding the borders under perhaps the most testing circumstances in the world have been invoked a great deal. It stands beyond every element of doubt that our so...

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01/23/2017

Trump deserves a fair chance in office

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  By Vijay Darda | 23-01-2017

Now that Donald John Trump has been sworn in as the 45th President of the United States of America, the least he deserves is a fair chance in office. He is the elected leader of the world’s richest democracy and the unelected leader of the free world. Besides, the office of the American President is an instituti...

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01/16/2017

Assault on RBI’s autonomy

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  By Vijay Darda | 16-01-2017

On November 8th, last year when prime minister Narendra Modi announced his bold political initiative to withdraw 86 per cent of the currency in circulation from the economy, there was no doubt that the Reserve Bank of India which is tasked with the responsibility of currency management operations was made to sign ...

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01/15/2017

We must learn nationalism from Israel

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  By Vijay Darda | 15-01-2017

The Jews love their land intensely and that is why this small country has become so powerful

Last week I was in Israel. What an amazing country it is! I have seen many countries of the world and tried to understand them, but no other country has impressed me as much as Israel! From agriculture to country’s se...

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01/09/2017

UP’s mid-term test for PM Modi

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  By Vijay Darda | 09-01-2017

The poll schedule for the all important Uttar Pradesh elections has been announced and the D-Day is March 11 when all the results would be known. With almost 20 per cent of the country, this can be seen as a mini-national referendum. At stake is prime minister Narendra Modi’s personal reputation as the chief vot...

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01/02/2017

Looking ahead for smoother ride in 2017

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  By Vijay Darda | 02-01-2017

When dealing with events it is best to savour the pleasant moments of the past and hope that time the great healer would provide a balm to the wounds. It is with this sentiment that I wish a good bye to 2016. As for 2017, I look ahead for smoother ride that would usher us in to an era of better overall life, and a...

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2016
12/26/2016

Honouring Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj

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  By Vijay Darda | 26-12-2016

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has performed the ‘jal-pujan’ for the Rs 3600 crore memorial 1.5 kilometres inside the sea for Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. This marks the first step towards the realisation of a dream project that has been on cards since decades. Delays and cost escalation are the norm for such pr...

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12/19/2016

When govt disrupts Parliament

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  By Vijay Darda | 19-12-2016

I have spent long years in the Parliament, and have witnessed many disruptions in the House. Almost invariably, these are caused by recalcitrant opposition members who want to draw the government’s attention to some issue of pressing concern. But this winter session of the Parliament would go down in the history...

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12/12/2016

Note ban: Banks the weak link

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  By Vijay Darda | 12-12-2016

In the one month after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to withdraw Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes, it has become increasingly clear that the banks are the weakest link in the demonetisation chain. We have been told of the hard work that the bank employees have put in beyond the call of their regular d...

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12/07/2016

From Ammu to Amma: Rise, fall and rise!

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  By Vijay Darda | 07-12-2016

Legend has it that Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa was referred to as “Ammu” by her mother Sandhya and her mentor and former Tamil Nadu chief minister M G Ramachandran. But by the time the 68-year-old breathed her last, she had become “Amma” to millions of her followers across the state. Her adult...

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12/05/2016

Congress gropes for answers to saffron surge

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  By Vijay Darda | 05-12-2016

If the results of the local body elections in Maharashtra and the parliamentary and assembly by-elections that preceded these polls are to be taken as an indication of the political state of affairs, then the BJP’s dominating trend that began in the 2014 general elections is firmly on the ascendant. It is not ge...

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11/28/2016

Critical economists, silent PM

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  By Vijay Darda | 28-11-2016

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs1000 currency notes has literally stunned the country. It is his declared intent that the decision has been taken to unearth the black money that is eating into the vitals of the economy. The reality is that there is no reason to oppose the decis...

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11/21/2016

Ignoring Indira and other icons

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  By Vijay Darda | 21-11-2016

We are very well aware that when it comes to icons, every regime has two lists - a negative list that it plans to ignore and a positive list that it wishes to promote. The current NDA regime has its preferences well-defined and the logic is also pretty uncomplicated. It is guided by the approach of the previous Co...

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11/14/2016

Uncertainty after Trump’s triumph

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  By Vijay Darda | 14-11-2016

The American establishment and by its extension the rest of the world was preparing for an era where a woman would be the president of the oldest democracy. This was supposed to be a natural transition in a modern country that had elected a ‘black’ Barack Obama for two terms. There is a feeling of regret that ...

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11/11/2016

Modi’s disruptive innovation

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  By Vijay Darda | 11-11-2016

Special Report 

In the field of business and technology, this is the era of disruptive innovation. Displaying his quintessential Gujarati entrepreneur’s character, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has unleashed the most disruptive innovation for the economy. He fully understands that India is a predominantly cas...

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11/07/2016

Bhopal shoot-out & the rule of law

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  By Vijay Darda | 07-11-2016

It seems that by some unwritten law the long standing chief ministers of the Bharatiya Janata Party have to graduate as efficient administrators through a rite of passage - ruthless encounters. The bar had been set by the then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi to show that he had the steely resolve to take on a...

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11/03/2016

Turmoil in house of Tatas

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  By Vijay Darda | 03-11-2016

Special Report

Succession issues in families, political parties and business houses have always demanded extremely skilled handling of the complexities involved. There can be no set formula for success, and every situation evolves itself depending on the way the players acquit themselves in the process.

It is ...

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11/01/2016

Remembering martyrdom, but selectively?

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  By Vijay Darda | 01-11-2016

A small reference has been made in the autobiography of former foreign secretary of the country Shiv Shankar Menon, published, recently. He writes that soon after the Mumbai terror attack in 2008, the UPA government was contemplating a direct attack on Pakistan. But it was thought that observing restraint instead ...

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10/26/2016

Come on, let us all dig ditches together!

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  By Vijay Darda | 26-10-2016

Only a few years ago an anecdotal joke was in circulation. The driver of a car while being on the road suddenly encounters a notice board. Written on it is the message, “Please use the main road, the repair work of the diversion road is in progress. Thank you”!

Today this joke has become a reality. Go anywher...

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10/24/2016

How far does misguided patriotism take us?

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  By Vijay Darda | 24-10-2016

After the Uri attacks, shocking as they were, we have seen a surge of jingoism in almost all walks of life. The hysteria in some sections of the electronic media would have us believe as if there is real war going on across the border. Yes, it is true the violence from across the border had been stepped up which s...

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10/17/2016

Russia has stood by India’s interests

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  By Vijay Darda | 17-10-2016

India's strategic relationship with the erstwhile Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and then its successor state of Russia has a historic background that dates back to early mid-fifties and the sixties. The relationship was literally cast in stone when the then prime minister Indira Gandhi signed the India-USSR ...

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10/10/2016

The usurpers of professional cricket

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  By Vijay Darda | 10-10-2016

Do the elected office-bearers of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) think that this institution is their landed property and they have the ownership rights over all its assets and sources of revenue? Sitting on the cash-rich body, these people have got so much enamored of the wealth, power and prestige t...

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10/03/2016

Need to start second phase of Swadeshi movement

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  By Vijay Darda | 03-10-2016

“What could we give to the country in the last 60-65 years? We could not remove poverty, could not provide healthcare, water, electricity, education, employment to our people. We could not do anything that could put the country on the path of progress. We have done just one thing- spread hatred and enmity. But w...

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09/19/2016

Kudos to Mumbai police for ensuring peaceful Ganeshotsav

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  By Vijay Darda | 19-09-2016

After ten days’ blissful stay, the Lord of wisdom Ganpati has left for his spiritual abode promising to come back early next year. He is the one who removes all obstacles. But does he remove the obstacles all by himself and fill the world with joy and happiness? He gives us the wisdom to do all this, because he ...

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09/12/2016

The ‘Her’ Ganapati, society and wisdom

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  By Vijay Darda | 12-09-2016

Ganeshotsav which once was confined to Maharashtra has today become popular all over the country. Besides Maharashtra, other states have also adopted Ganeshotsav with equal enthusiasm. This 11-day festival is reaching the last stage of celebration. This is the right time to take stock of the relevance of the festi...

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09/05/2016

Not anarchy, but veering towards inhumanity!

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  By Vijay Darda | 05-09-2016

There is an old adage in Marathi that says how man is becoming brutal and how he is developing animal instincts. For the last few years, the country is facing a piquant situation, which indicates how man, who is considered to be the highest creation among all living creatures, has started behaving like a beast. Ma...

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08/29/2016

Who is to shoulder the responsibility?

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  By Vijay Darda | 29-08-2016

‘Ram Rajya’ is not just an ideal concept. It was the dream of Mahatma Gandhi and it was the duty of each one of us to fulfil that dream. But this dream has not been fulfilled in the last seven decades after independence and now that dream is getting even more distant. Is it becoming an impossibility? This is t...

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08/22/2016

Who blocks India’s medal hunt at Olympics?

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  By Vijay Darda | 22-08-2016

Going by our previous performances, we should be glad that our athletes have performed well in Rio Olympic 2016. Even when some of them have not won medals, they have delivered a performance that is quite creditable even in the international arena. In terms of medal, the silver for shuttler P V Sindhu is a truly g...

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08/15/2016

India@70: Time to bridge India-Bharat chasm

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  By Vijay Darda | 15-08-2016

It is celebration time and the Bharat Parv is on. This is in the fitness of things. The festivities are in full flow. From a newly independent free country, whose future was beset with doubts about the stability of its integrity and unity we have marched on to being a regional super power and a force to reckon wit...

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08/08/2016

Dalit crisis gets lip service, fails humanity test

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  By Vijay Darda | 08-08-2016

We have a Dalit crisis since time immemorial. It is not that we have done nothing to solve it, but the fact remains that it persists in spite of all our efforts. Whenever an incident takes place of Dalit atrocity, the responses may be on partisan lines, but these are usually politically correct. When it comes to l...

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08/01/2016

Let us end our low medal tally Olympics syndrome

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  By Vijay Darda | 01-08-2016

With 120 athletes participating in 16 Olympic events at the two week long Rio Games that get underway on August 5th this is India’s biggest contingent in this four yearly event that tests the sporting prowess of nations. Indians would participate in archery, athletics, badminton, boxing, golf, hockey, gymnastics...

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07/25/2016

The need to fight negativity

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  By Vijay Darda | 25-07-2016

Temperamentally, I am an optimistic person. I can find positivity even in some of the most difficult situations. After all it is optimism that makes all of us get past all the hurdles in life. But of late, I am discerning that there is a growing negativity all around us, and this is almost getting institutionalise...

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07/18/2016

Resolving the Kashmir tangle

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  By Vijay Darda | 18-07-2016

There are strong political reasons both at the bilateral level and internationally that the Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan has remained unresolved for almost seven decades. Beginning 1948 when it first harboured the ambition of capturing Srinagar, Pakistan has repeatedly made unsuccessful attempts to r...

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07/12/2016

Modi makes the India-Africa link work

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  By Vijay Darda | 12-07-2016

Just take a look at this bit of information. India and Africa account for 2.5 billion people and yet neither has a seat on the United Nations Security Council. Of course there is a history behind this distortion. When the UNSC was formed in 1945, neither India nor most of the countries in Africa were independent n...

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07/06/2016

As terror comes to Dhaka

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  By Vijay Darda | 06-07-2016

Terror attacks across national capitals are becoming increasingly frequent. So, whether it is Paris or Brussels, Istanbul or Kabul or for that matter Baghdad or Peshawar all remain vulnerable to such violence. We may evolve a cliche that terror has no religion or that these acts of violence have nothing to do with...

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07/05/2016

‘I have full faith in your sense of justice’

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By Vijay Darda | 05-07-2016

My dear brothers and sisters of Yavatmal,

The management of Yavatmal Public School immediately suspended the two monsters who committed an extreme atrocity against the minor girls of the school. The matter was reported to the police authorities as soon as all the information became available. Everyone has taken...

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06/28/2016

Victory on Yoga day, setback at NSG

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  By Vijay Darda | 28-06-2016

On the International Day of Yoga, when millions of people - young and old - twist, bend and stretch themselves into postures it is undoubtedly a victory for the soft power of India’s ancient traditions. As the mover of the resolution in the United Nations that got the record support of 175 countries, prime minis...

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06/21/2016

Raghupati Raghav Rajaram: Hey Ram!

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  By Vijay Darda | 21-06-2016

In historical records Mahatma Gandhi was murdered on January 30th 1948, his killer was recorded as Nathuram Godse. The name Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh does not figure among the Mahatma’s assassins. Now nearly 68 years later when Raghuram Rajan has been denied a second term as the governor of Reserve Bank of Ind...

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06/14/2016

The Rajya Sabha poll bazaar

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  By Vijay Darda | 14-06-2016

One of the most enchanting features of our democracy is the bicameral legislature that we have in the Parliament. The Lok Sabha represents the will of the people as its members are directly elected through universal adult franchise. The Rajya Sabha is an indirectly elected House, as its members are elected on the ...

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06/07/2016

Understanding neighbours & friends

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  By Vijay Darda | 07-06-2016

I have met and interacted with Pakistan’s High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit on several occasions and can take the liberty of calling him a friend. He is a professional diplomat - warm knowledgeable, friendly yet firm and persuasive. It was at a dinner for the visiting delegates of the Pakistan Institute for...

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05/31/2016

An unfinished journey to fulfil tall promises

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  By Vijay Darda | 31-05-2016

Political parties have the luxury of promising the moon when they are seeking our votes. But governments do not deliver even a smoothly functioning service delivery mechanism. This is a saga that is well known to voters in every democracy. Two years ago, the dreams promised by Narendra Modi and the BJP were Rs 15 ...

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05/24/2016

Post-election 2016: The bite of regional parties

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  By Vijay Darda | 24-05-2016

In a democracy, the periodic elections serve many purposes. Through their mechanism, we not only choose the governments that would be running our affairs, but we also get a sense of their hopes and aspirations. It is through the choices that the people make at the electronic voting machines that we get an idea of ...

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05/21/2016

Remembering a visionary

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  By Vijay Darda | 21-05-2016

To be the prime minister of the world’s biggest democracy at the age of 44, and to be assassinated within seven years just on the verge of the second term can only spell the irony in the life of Rajiv Gandhi. It is exactly 25 years ago, that his promising life was cut short by the cruel assassin when it was clea...

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05/17/2016

As I look back and see the future

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  By Vijay Darda | 17-05-2016

Last week, I completed 18 long years of my parliamentary career. In the customary tradition of the Rajya Sabha, I had the opportunity to deliver my farewell speech. It was a moment to look back on these years spent in the temple of democracy. To say the least, I was simply overwhelmed by the magnitude and the impo...

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05/11/2016

The spectre of Trump presidency

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  By Vijay Darda | 11-05-2016

True, the American presidential election is still some months away. But the Republicans who will challenge the ultimate Democratic nominee (former secretary of state Hillary Clinton in all probability, barring some unexpected happening) are badly divided over their presumptive nominee Donald Trump.

Lest it be for...

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05/07/2016

Remembering Gurudev: Celebrating creativity

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  By Vijay Darda | 07-05-2016

We all know that Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore was the first non-European to win a Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913, for the English translation of his own poetic work Gitanjali - An Offering of Songs - in Bengali. We also know that he is the creative mind behind our national anthem 'Jana Gana Mana...” But we do...

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05/03/2016

Defaming Gandhis: Same old target practice

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  By Vijay Darda | 03-05-2016

Their advent into the position of unchallenged power has not changed the ways of the BJP leaders. They still continue to indulge in their old game of levelling allegations against the Congress, and its leadership, notably the Gandhi family. Their latest weapon in this armoury is the AgustaWestland helicopter deal....

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04/26/2016

Bhutan: Small neighbour, big ideas

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  By Vijay Darda | 26-04-2016

When the royal couple from Britain Prince William and Princess Catherine recently visited the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan they presented a new rose “Queen of Bhutan rose” to the hostess queen for her English garden. It was fitting tribute to a kingdom that is fiercely protective of its culture, festivals, monk...

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04/19/2016

The foreign policy disarray

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  By Vijay Darda | 19-04-2016

A lot of our energy is usually expended in deliberating over our troubles with Pakistan and China whenever attention is focused on foreign policy affairs. This is quite natural because bulk of our security and strategic challenges emerge from Islamabad and Beijing. The fact is that these two countries in our neigh...

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04/14/2016

Saluting the liberator par excellence

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  By Vijay Darda | 14-09-2016

For all of us April 14th is a red letter day. It was on this day that India’s liberator par excellence Dr Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar was born in 1891 in a poor family. As we remember him reverentially we salute him for all his contributions. He is the crowning jewel in the long tradition of the great Indian lead...

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04/11/2016

Not by doubting everyone’s patriotism

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  By Vijay Darda | 11-04-2016

It is a given that every Indian is a patriotic citizen. No one has to pass any test of patriotism. That is simply an anathema. It is like being asked to prove your loyalty to your parents. Of course, there are ways and means prescribed in the law and also by the unwritten rules of the society for the delinquents. ...

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04/04/2016

No way to fight terror

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  By Vijay Darda | 04-04-2016

Sometime in January this year at an international event, Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif told his audience: "Pakistan has paid a very heavy price in terms of lives. There is a huge economic loss also. But our resolve to fight against terrorism is getting stronger every day. " Prime minister Narendra Modi has ...

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03/28/2016

The message from Brussels

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  By Vijay Darda | 28-03-2016

Is the world losing the war against terror? Will it be a new normal for people to live under the shadow of a terror attack? Will Europe have to remain suspicious about the migrant populations? Don’t we have any method to fight radicalism? These are just some of the questions that have been haunting the world for...

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03/21/2016

As Mother Teresa becomes Saint

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  By Vijay Darda | 21-03-2016

When we think of Mother Teresa our mind almost compulsively also recalls Princess Diana. Though we know that physically there is no comparison between the two. The Princess was tall, elegant and simply charming, Mother was short hunched and perhaps born old. We remember her wrinkled hands in prayer and Diana’s g...

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03/14/2016

India-Pakistan dialogue beyond official talks

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  By Vijay Darda | 14-03-2016

We are all conditioned to an atmosphere of ‘enmity’ when it comes to Pakistan. If anyone has any doubt about it, then it is erased by any exposure to a media debate on an issue related to India and Pakistan - like the recent terror attack on the Pathankot air base. The noise levels are such from our side, and ...

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03/07/2016

With Kanhaiya, ‘Azaadi’ gets a new meaning

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  By Vijay Darda | 07-03-2016

Last week we witnessed one of the wonders of Indian democracy. A 28-year-old young student whose name would not have even ring a bell hardly a month ago, emerged after three weeks in the Tihar jail on an alleged sedition charge, and within two hours saw that his extempore speech to his student friends was beamed l...

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02/29/2016

Rule only through constitutional democracy

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  By Vijay Darda | 29-02-2016

The last week witnessed turbulent scenes in the parliament. Of course, these took place during the course of debates, and in that sense the situation was much better than the past sessions when the proceedings were washed out due to disturbances. But the emerging scenario was no less disturbing. On the contrary, s...

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02/22/2016

JNU crisis: A self-goal

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  By Vijay Darda | 22-02-2016

If the crisis managers of the Modi government were to sit back and take a detached and relaxed look at the events that have followed since the arrest of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar under sedition charges, they would be the first ones to accept that this is a self-goal. T...

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02/15/2016

Check the education slide, or…

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  By Vijay Darda | 15-02-2016

A fact sheet accompanying this article quantifies the challenge of educating the millions of our youth and preparing them to grab the opportunities that lie ahead of them. But the numbers tell us only one side of the story. There is the other missing qualitative dimension that is experienced only through different...

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02/08/2016

Seize the opportunity: Cleanse BCCI

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  By Vijay Darda | 08-02-2016

The game of cricket is the real secular religion of India. Its millions of fans follow the course of every ball, and every wicket taken and every run scored with passionate zeal. It is the devout Indian cricket fan across the globe whose commitment to the game has brought untold riches to the body that controls cr...

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02/01/2016

Redeem the Padma awards

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  By Vijay Darda | 01-02-2016

Right at the outset, let me make a statement. I am not among those who believe that the Padma awards or for that matter all the honours should be abolished. On the contrary, I have a firm belief in the inspiring value of these honours and strongly believe that these do go a long way in pushing people to do well in...

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01/25/2016

An avoidable Dalit atrocity

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  By Vijay Darda | 25-01-2016

Atrocities on Dalits are not an unusual occurrence in our society. There was the incident when two dalit children were burnt to death when their family was attacked by their upper caste rivals near Faridabad. There is that infamous Khairlanji incident that shocked the collective conscience of the society some year...

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01/18/2016

Start-up India beware of hurdles

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  By Vijay Darda | 18-01-2016

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcements regarding the incentives for start-ups at the high profile show Start-Up India, it is surely time to say two cheers for the new bunch of entrepreneurs. The third and full throated cheer would come only when these dreams are realised. True technology and innovati...

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01/11/2016

Post-Pathankot: Not by words alone

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  By Vijay Darda | 11-01-2016

It does appear that the six Pakistani terrorists embarked on their mission to attack the Pathankot airbase with the idea of derailing the peace process that was highlighted with much fanfare by the Christmas day dash to Lahore by prime minister Narendra Modi and all that followed in the media glare. To the extent ...

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01/04/2016

Comrade who worked out a President

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  By Vijay Darda | 04-01-2016

For most Nagpurians and the rest of us in Maharashtra, from the 60s onwards Comrade Ardhendu Bhushan Bardhan was a loser. He would lose election after election, but was still the CPI candidate. Yet, he is the only comrade who worked out a President of India.

Roll back to the years of the first UPA government, whe...

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2015
12/28/2015

Searching peace via Kabul and Lahore

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  By Vijay Darda | 28-12-2015

For the last 68 years, dealing with Pakistan has been a major challenge for New Delhi. There is the border dispute on Kashmir, there have been four wars, and the two sides are nuclear armed nations. If these are the negatives, then the most important positive is the shared cultural history of the two neighbours. T...

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12/21/2015

The hard work after Paris deal

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  By Vijay Darda | 21-12-2015

Several years down the line, when we shall look back at the route followed by the world to fight climate change, the agreement in Paris among 196 countries would look like the easier part of the battle. The more difficult part would be implementing it. To begin with the Paris agreement has very modest goals. It ai...

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12/16/2015

Horrors of Paris exclude none

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  By Vijay Darda | 16-12-2015

Whether it was 9/11 in America, or 26/11 in Mumbai or the latest terror incident in Paris, the fact is that such attacks target us all - in the sense of us being peace loving citizens defenceless against determined terrorists who kill indiscriminately. Political leaders the world over have called it a war, but it ...

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12/14/2015

Sushmaji in Islamabad is fine, but why?

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  By Vijay Darda | 14-12-2015

The good news first. Our external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj has travelled to Pakistan. She is the first foreign minister from India to go to Islamabad after the long forgotten S M Krishna in September 2012. Better news still awaits us when in nine months Prime Minister Narendra Modi could well become the firs...

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12/07/2015

Chennai: Nature’s fury, man’s failures

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  By Vijay Darda | 07-12-2015

When India’s fourth largest metropolis comes to a complete standstill - no flights, no trains, no phone services, no electricity with people dying in hospitals as the generators have stopped functioning - then you have the definition of a total collapse. When this happens for days, without any relief from the cr...

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11/30/2015

All of us are worried, Aamir

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  By Vijay Darda | 30-11-2015

Aamir Khan is an iconic Bollywood actor. He is also well-known as thinking actor, and the entire clutch of his movies is beyond the song and dance around the trees routine. Right from his debut film Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988) that got him the best male actor award to the present he has a string of films through...

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11/23/2015

Looking beyond oath taking at Patna

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  By Vijay Darda | 23-11-2015

In true celebrations of democratic victory, oath taking ceremonies are now grand public affairs beyond the high formality of reciting vows to follow the Constitution, and discharging the responsibilities of office. Prime minister Narendra Modi sent out a clear message to all the SAARC countries that he was prepare...

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11/14/2015

Nourishing his idea of India is vital for democracy

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  By Vijay Darda | 14-11-2015

Remembering Panditji

As the year-long 125th birth anniversary celebrations of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of independent India and rightly called the architect of our modern nation, conclude today, my mind goes back to an event that took place in the mid-fifties. At that time in 1958, Pand...

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11/09/2015

Diwali: A universal celebration

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  By Vijay Darda | 09-11-2015

In our every day colloquial language, when someone has a good day, we say that he is celebrating Diwali. This is true for the more fortunate sections of the society. But for the average citizen, the real time for celebration on this festival of lights is with its different elements - that of the dhanteras, the day...

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11/02/2015

A year of mixing realpolitik with growth ambitions

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  By Vijay Darda | 02-11-2015

When it comes to Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, first impressions and looks could be deceptive. With an almost boyish, cherubic face he does not look like a ruthless boxer in the arena of power politics. Besides, his academic curriculum vitae does not cut him out to be the practitioner of the art of...

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10/26/2015

Simply not done, Sir!

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  By Vijay Darda | 26-10-2015

Our Union minister of state for external affairs Gen ( retd.) V K Singh is held in high esteem as he rose to the position of the chief of our army. But his conduct as a minister of the union, constrains us to point out that some things are not simply not done, sir! He has erred twice in his interactions with the m...

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10/19/2015

Supreme Court accepts case for judicial reform

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  By Vijay Darda | 19-10-2015

Last week a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court with a 4-1 majority delivered a momentous judgement. It made headlines and a message got conveyed that the court’s verdict was a setback to the government’s efforts to change the way in which the judges to the Supreme Court and the high courts are appointed. Th...

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10/12/2015

Hate is no recipe for progress

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  By Vijay Darda | 12-10-2015

The entire chain of events during the last few days leaves us with one simple conclusion-hate is no recipe for progress. No one wants to slaughter cows, let there be no confusion in anyone’s mind about it. There are state laws banning it, and there is a provision for harsh punishment too. But let it not be forgo...

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10/05/2015

PM’s foreign travels, need domestic action

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  By Vijay Darda | 05-10-2015

The blips about his habit of making comments on domestic political issues apart, prime minister Narendra Modi is unquestionably the most hard working person on his foreign trips. He sets himself a punishing schedule and relentlessly pursues his agenda of promoting India as an attractive investment destination. He ...

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09/29/2015

Consumer at mercy of big business

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  By Vijay Darda | 29-09-2015

Volkswagen tale

It has taken just one week for one of the biggest automobile brands Volkswagen to come down crashing. The symbol of trust and solid German engineering efficiency that had its origins in a 1937 project to build a people’s car with the blessings of Adolf Hitler is now under a cloud. It has been ...

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09/21/2015

Pretence of helping the sick

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  By Vijay Darda | 21-09-2015

There is a huge paradox about doctors and hospitals in our world. In the event of a medical crisis, that invariably falls indiscriminately on every citizen at various points of time in every one’s life, they are only people and places we rush to. If a life is saved, and the pain and the crisis averted, then it i...

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09/14/2015

The unending water woes

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  By Vijay Darda | 14-09-2015

To say that we are living in an era of water crisis is to make an understatement of mammoth proportions. To observe that our responses to this situation are knee jerk and lack the depth and understanding required to solve the problem is to be more than generous in criticism. The reality is that when it comes to wa...

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09/07/2015

1965 war victory: Golden celebrations get back veterans

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  By Vijay Darda | 07-09-2015

The calculations of territorial gains or losses apart the 1965 Indo-Pak war was decisive event in the history of independent India. Pakistan had chosen a particularly vulnerable moment to launch an attack. There was the humiliation of the 1962 debacle against China, and the loss of the first Prime Minister Pandit ...

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08/31/2015

Caste based reservations: Enough is enough

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  By Vijay Darda | 31-08-2015

When the concept of reservations for the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes was proposed at the time of drafting the Indian Constitution under the leadership of its architect Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar even those who were opposed to the idea for different reasons went along with it because the provision was to last ...

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08/24/2015

Not a mature way

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  By Vijay Darda | 24-08-2015

Once the two prime ministers agreed at Ufa to further the dialogue process, then it was incumbent on the other members of the teams on both sides to ensure that the next steps, howsoever miniscule in size are taken to achieve the best results under the circumstances. We can discuss the finer points ad nauseam, but...

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08/13/2015

Privacy brooks no compromise

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  By Vijay Darda | 13-08-2015

Our attorney general Mukul Rohatgi has a flair for the dramatic and when even he stated the obvious in the Supreme Court that the right to privacy is not a fundamental right in the context of the Aadhar card, the common folks in the country were rather shocked and surprised. For so long, the assumption was that al...

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08/10/2015

The terror factory of Pakistan

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  By Vijay Darda | 10-08-2015

The last few weeks have been an extremely difficult period on the line of control and the international border with Pakistan. The brunt of Pakistan’s terror factory has been borne not just by the security forces but also by innocent unarmed civilians. The fact that there has been an accelerated activity after th...

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08/03/2015

From Bajrangi Bhaijaan to Geeta!

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  By Vijay Darda | 03-08-2015

In our public domain, we always perceive the image of Pakistan as an enemy. After all for the last 68 years we have been at loggerheads with each other. There have been four wars, and the two nuclear-armed countries aren’t really making any friendly moves towards each other. Recently, we had the terror attack in...

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07/29/2015

Alvida Kalam Sir

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  By Vijay Darda | 29-07-2015

At 83, with his youthful energy former president Dr APJ Abdul Kalam showed no signs that he was living in the sunset years of his life. Indeed, moments before the missile man actually flew into the stars, he was preparing to offer an assignment to the students of the Indian Institute of Management at Shillong - ho...

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07/27/2015

Three cheers for Shashi

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  By Vijay Darda | 27-07-2015

In so far as parliamentary sessions go, now for years we are accustomed to disruptions on one count or other. All of us prepare extensively to participate effectively in the proceedings, and do end up disappointed when the House does not function regularly. It is a sad commentary on the way we conduct our politics...

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07/20/2015

Why not a year long Ramzan?

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  By Vijay Darda | 20-07-2015

All of us eagerly look forward to festivals. We want to forget our regular concerns and get into celebratory moods whether it's Diwali, Eid, Holi or Christmas. Every festival has a legend and irrespective of everything else we wish to enjoy that moment. Of course there are religious connotations and associations w...

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07/13/2015

PM ties Central Asia bonds, eclipses Sharif headlines

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  By Vijay Darda | 13-07-2015

It has been a week of quiet diplomacy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spent days with the leaders of five Central Asian countries - Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan as compared to the few hours he devoted with the Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on the sidelines of the Shangh...

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07/06/2015

Digital India: Our logical future course

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  By Vijay Darda | 06-07-2015

With over 10 million people working in the sector and capturing more than 52 per cent of the global share of 130 billion US dollars, India is the world’s largest provider of outsourcing in the information technology sector. It thus makes eminent sense for the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to launch an ambitious D...

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06/29/2015

Can we toy with people’s faith?

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  By Vijay Darda | 29-06-2015

The emerging political developments of the last few days will make every conscientious citizen ponder over the question: Can we toy with people’s faith? One of the basic strengths of any democratic polity is its election system. We have an electoral system that has surprised the West and holds the rest in awe. T...

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06/22/2015

Advani’s shrewd calculated barb

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  By Vijay Darda | 22-06-2015

Among the politicians, Lal Krishna Advani stands the tallest for his track record to change the political discourse of the country. Way back in the 1990s, he brought in the Mandal versus Mandir discourse to the polity. Then he began his assertion that the BJP is the principal pole of the anti-Congress formations i...

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06/15/2015

A strategic victory against terrorists

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  By Vijay Darda | 15-06-2015

Without an iota of doubt the Indian Army scored a magnificent victory against the forces of terror with its surgical strike against the Naga militants along the Indo-Myanmar border. The battle capabilities of the commando force were in full evidence as it completed a neat operation within 40 minutes taking on mili...

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06/08/2015

Not just Maggi alone

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  By Vijay Darda | 08-06-2015

Over the week, a big global brand has been brought down to its knees. When a giant falls it is not a happy feeling. Nestle, the food giant is down in the dumps. It is a company that owns the Maggi brand. It is a 92 billion dollar company, with profits over 14 billion dollars. Its Indian turnover at about Rs 9,800 ...

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06/01/2015

Celebrating Babasaheb, punishing his lads

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  By Vijay Darda | 01-06-2015

This is the 125th birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna Dr Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar, the chief architect of our Constitution. He is an iconic figure on the thought landscape, and his ideas, values and thinking have altered the lives of millions of socially oppressed citizens. It is to him that they owe their conside...

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05/25/2015

Delivery needed for India’s sake

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  By Vijay Darda | 25-05-2015

A year is almost like an eternity in politics. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is completing a year in office. But this does not sound like such a long time and it appears that things are still tentative. There has been an articulation of ideas and there is also the temptation to draw a conclusion that he continues t...

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05/18/2015

A surprise result in United Kingdom

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  By Vijay Darda | 18-05-2015

Not many pollsters and pundits were willing to give another five-year term to prime minister David Cameron and his Conservative Party when the United Kingdom went to polls early this month. Indeed, the pre-poll collective wisdom was that the Tories would be thrown out of office, and the opposition Labour supported...

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05/11/2015

Vulnerable Salman, convicted but free

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  By Vijay Darda | 11-05-2015

All principles and morals apart, there is no doubt that life is unfair. All of us are not equal at the hands of fate. There are every day experiences in our life trajectories to substantiate this proposition. We often take cover under the expression ‘individual destiny’ to come to terms with this reality. We k...

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05/04/2015

Nature’s wrath in Nepal: Avoidable suffering

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  By Vijay Darda | 04-05-2015

For more than a week now global attention has been focused on the trail of death, devastation and suffering that is hurting millions of people in the Himalayan region of Nepal after a severe earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale rocked its capital Kathmandu and other neighbouring areas. As a natural coroll...

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04/27/2015

Net neutrality is a 21st century battle

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  By Vijay Darda | 27-04-2015

To say that all of us using smartphones in India, and in 2014 this number was pegged at 117 million, and is expected to cross 200 million 2016, are all for a unhindered access to the internet is to say that we as people do not want to have anyone restricting our right to sunlight. Just as sunlight is the birth rig...

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04/20/2015

Now that he is back…

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  By Vijay Darda | 20-04-2015

For the last two months or so, we witnessed an interesting spectacle. Normally, unless it is a disaster of gigantic proportions or something like a war, media outlets do not chase a story for days on end without break. But here was the case of a person who had sought ‘leave of absence’, yes, initially for a pe...

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04/13/2015

Coming to terms with the future

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  By Vijay Darda | 13-04-2015

We always find it engrossing when some predictions made about the future start coming true during our lifetime. In this respect, the Tofflers-Alvin and Heidi -- an American couple that began writing best-selling books like the Future Shock, The Third Wave, War and Anti-War- from the 1970s onwards have been particu...

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04/06/2015

Insulating Annadata from inclement weather

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  By Vijay Darda | 06-04-2015

Let us get a few things clear right at the outset. We may debate the pros and cons of global warming, climate change, its impact on the economy and apportion blame for it in international conferences. But at the level of individual citizen we do not have this luxury. The individual citizen, especially the farmer h...

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03/30/2015

Our World Cup loss no disgrace

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  By Vijay Darda | 30-03-2015

That we are a cricket crazy nation, and the game is our only secular religion need not be over-emphasised. This is something that is internalised by the millions of fans who have imbibed all the nuances of the game from the live coverage and bi-lingual commentary that beams into the remotest corners of the country...

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03/23/2015

Gender bias: A problem of faulty attitudes

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  By Vijay Darda | 23-03-2015

Recently, there have been two prominent episodes in our public discourse that have highlighted the chronic curse of gender bias in our society. The first was the knee jerk reaction of the Union government banning the BBC documentary India’s Daughter narrating the story of that 23-year-old braveheart who was gang...

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03/16/2015

Winning foreign friends: Not by words alone

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  By Vijay Darda | 16-03-2015

You can draw your own preferred conclusion. The top three: Prime Minister Narendra Modi (Indian Ocean countries), finance minister Arun Jaitley (United Kingdom) and home minister Rajnath Singh (Japan) all decided to go abroad at the same time. No one can accuse these responsible men holding such crucial posts, tha...

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03/09/2015

Jammu & Kashmir: Handle with care

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  By Vijay Darda | 09-03-2015

For 68 years we have had a problem called Kashmir. It does not offer itself to any easy solution. In fact, a difficult one is also tough to discern on the horizon. We have fought wars across the border, and our armed forces maintain an eternal vigil within our own territory. Pakistan has played a major role in kee...

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03/02/2015

Two budgets, one theme: Dream and hope

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  By Vijay Darda | 02-03-2015

On the face of it, you cannot really find much fault with the two budgets presented in parliament last week. Both the Rail Budget from Suresh Prabhakarrao Prabhu and the General Budget from Arun Jaitley have a clutch of good features. But as an ordinary citizen you cannot really go ga-ga over these exercises unles...

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02/23/2015

White collar crimes against national interest

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  By Vijay Darda | 23-02-2015

It is not for nothing that capitalism gets a bad name. One of its traits is a fierce no-holds barred competition with all ethical considerations being damned and the desire to win at any cost. On the eve of the budget session, we have seen the eruption of a case that is being mistakenly labelled as a corporate esp...

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02/16/2015

AAP stuns BJP; is it really good?

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  By Vijay Darda | 16-02-2015

In the first place, a huge round of applause is in order for the Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal and his team. No amount of praise would be adequate enough for the manner in which they have surmounted the odds against them. They have overcome the combined might of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s persona, th...

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02/09/2015

As Big B goes on getting bigger

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  By Vijay Darda | 09-02-2015

Bollywood films are always larger than life and their influence on our life is also in the same proportion. Indeed, these films have an extraordinary presence in our daily lives that goes beyond much their screen life. For instance, lines from film songs are remembered spontaneously to describe current situations....

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02/02/2015

An election out of the ordinary

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  By Vijay Darda | 02-02-2015

Over the next week, the people of Delhi will vote for their state assembly, and then during the mid-week the results would also be known. The electoral battle essentially began as a cakewalk for the Bharatiya Janata Party under the almost unchallenged leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the party presid...

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01/26/2015

Forging strategic global partnership

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  By Vijay Darda | 26-01-2015

When American President Barack Obama stands as the chief guest at the Rajpath this year with the Republic Day parade passing before him, the event will go beyond the symbolism of the world’s most powerful democracy acknowledging the largest democracy in the world. The firsts involved in this landmark occasion by...

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01/19/2015

An opportunity like never before

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  By Vijay Darda | 19-01-2015

At the age of 44, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has an unparalleled opportunity to make a lasting contribution to the development of the State. Never before in the recent past, has a young person come to such a high office in the State with such a tremendous bank of goodwill, and such a varied exper...

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01/12/2015

A democratic coup in Sri Lanka

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  By Vijay Darda | 12-01-2015

Last week, Sri Lanka got a new democratically elected President Maithripala Sirisena. His victory is at once a surprise performance that was written on the wall. The element of surprise comes from the fact that when the now ex-President Mahinda Rajapakse called for elections in the late 2014, he had gone for that ...

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01/05/2015

In 2015, Pakistan must change

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  By Vijay Darda | 05-01-2015

We have all stepped into a New Year. We have all exchanged good wishes with each other. The common theme is a fervent hope that the coming year would be substantially better than the one that has gone by. This quest for better times is not just in the domain of our personal lives. Indeed, it extends to conditions ...

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2014
12/29/2014

Rich culture, poor values

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  By Vijay Darda | 29-12-2014

As a country, I think we can very easily claim the first prize for being populated by persons who do brag about their ancestral ownership over a rich culture and an ancient civilisation rooted in eternal humane ideals, yet practise the poorest sense of values. Here I do not single out individual incidents of selfi...

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12/22/2014

Peshawar massacre won’t be the last

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  By Vijay Darda | 22-12-2014

The first thing that needs to be said about the massacre of innocents at Peshawar’s Army Public School is that this would not be the last of such tragedies in the region. We have to admit, whether we like or not that terrorists have struck deep roots here. The second thing to be stressed is that this is no longe...

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12/15/2014

Promoting saffron causes, derailing development

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  By Vijay Darda | 15-12-2014

In the past seven months after the advent of the Modi government, there have been a series of statements and actions from the entire saffron brotherhood. This is the only expression that covers amorphous umbrella network of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS)-linked organisations and outfits right from the the B...

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12/08/2014

Sadhvi, Didi and venom

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  By Vijay Darda | 08-12-2014

These are sure signs of the falling standards of our public discourse. A Union minister talks of “Ramzade versus Haramzade” and a chief minister refers to a bamboo, of course without making the shoving part explicit. Making the situation even more damning is the fact that both are ladies. As if adding fuel to ...

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12/01/2014

Just a handshake for SAARC’s sake

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  By Vijay Darda | 01-12-2014

On 26th May this year, Narendra Modi began his tenure as India’s prime minister with a grand diplomatic move. He invited all the SAARC heads of state to his swearing-in ceremony. This was a first for any Indian prime minister. The fact that even Pakistan’s prime minister Nawaz Sharif also gave a positive respo...

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11/24/2014

The terror of ‘criminal’ man-gods

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  By Vijay Darda | 24-11-2014

All faith is supposed to be blind. But just as wilfully leading a blind person into a ditch is a crime, similarly among all the emotionally exploitative deeds that are committed in our society, the worst form is the one that can be safely described as the betrayal of faith. Even in this category, the most reprehen...

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11/17/2014

Remember, honour, defend: Nehru the democrat

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  By Vijay Darda | 17-11-2014

It is nothing less than a national tragedy that on the occasion of the 125th birth anniversary of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the founding father of our democratic traditions, we have a polity divided over his legacy. No Nehruvian Indian will ever claim that there can be no debate over his policies, but pray let us n...

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11/10/2014

Derailing Modi's growth agenda

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  By Vijay Darda | 10-11-2014

First as the BJP's prime ministerial candidate and then as Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has been working on an inclusive and developmental agenda. One of his first gestures even before taking office was to invite all the SAARC leaders for his swearing-in ceremony. The fact that even Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of...

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11/03/2014

Devendra: A welcome new beginning

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  By Vijay Darda | 03-11-2014

Look at it from any standpoint you may like, the fact that the 44-year- old Devendra Gangadharrao Fadnavis has taken office as the 27th chief minister of Maharashtra is a welcome new beginning. There are several well-known elements of his persona that have the ingredients to make a fresh start as compared to the r...

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10/27/2014

Black money: Make good the promise

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  By Vijay Darda | 27-10-2014

We are witnessing a sharply divided political debate on the issue of black money. Both the sides are putting forth their viewpoint vigorously. There are some debates about the quantum of the black money stashed abroad. Some experts are also talking in legalese. But for me as a parliamentarian and a public represen...

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10/20/2014

BJP: Well-deserved win

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  By Vijay Darda | 20-10-2014

Congress: Self-inflicted loss

The assembly elections in Maharashtra and Haryana had assumed a significance beyond the ambit of merely determining the shape of the political formation that would be ruling these two states. Coming within four months of the biggest success achieved by prime minister Narendra Modi ...

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10/13/2014

Nobel lessons for India-Pakistan

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  By Vijay Darda | 13-10-2014

It is well-known that the Nobel Peace Prize is among the most controversial of the awards conferred by this committee. Its selections have often invited criticism, and the most durable one being its consistent refusal to honour the greatest apostle of peace and non-violence Mahatma Gandhi. The facts associated wit...

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10/06/2014

Swachh Bharat: PM gets just a cheer

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  By Vijay Darda | 06-10-2014

Prime minister Narendra Modi has a way of doing things that grabs attention. Whether it is his address on Teachers’ Day or his show at Madison Square or the launch of the Swachh Bharat mission on Gandhi Jayanti, Modi ensures that he has the eyeballs. Not a mean feat for a politician considering that the general ...

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09/29/2014

Make in India: A welcome mission

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  By Vijay Darda | 29-09-2014

Through his long drawn election campaign, Narendra Modi promised to redeem the economy from the slide of the UPA-era. He had a long list of the acts of omission and commission by the previous regime, and he roundly slammed them for all these. His oratory won the day for him, and now that he has the power and oppor...

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09/22/2014

Alliances: Living beyond expiry date

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  By Vijay Darda | 22-09-2014

Quite in sync with the coalition era, we are accustomed to alliances and grand alliances in our state politics, and have never dreamt of an era of a single party rule, so we cling to the belief that whatever be the internal and external tensions these arrangements would survive them all. Thus, when news reports re...

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09/15/2014

Only jawans defend Kashmir against nature’s fury

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  By Vijay Darda | 15-09-2014

At the last count, 1,42,000 people had been rescued by the Indian Army in an on-going operation after unprecedented floods literally drowned the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Lest, we forget it is called the place that is heaven on Earth. Its people have faced death by drowning in furious flood waters that have not ...

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09/08/2014

Making judges suspect post-facto

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  By Vijay Darda | 08-09-2014

In April 2013, when Chief Justice P Sathasivam ordered the quashing of the second FIR against Amit Shah in the Tulsiram Prajapati case nobody could have predicted that he had a ‘deal’ with the BJP. Indeed, at that time the Modi campaign had not even started, so the question of some kind of reward for this favo...

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09/01/2014

Shake off lethargy: Repair this neglect

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  By Vijay Darda | 01-09-2014

We are all aware of the fear that the sight of a lowly police constable strikes in the hearts of anyone who tends to cross the line on the road. The most coordinated response for any checking on the road by these constables, comes from the auto-drivers who make a quick U-turn and then advise all others to avoid th...

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08/25/2014

Confrontations we can do without

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  By Vijay Darda | 25-08-2014

Let us first get the size of the task clear at the outset. When the parliament passed the first constitutional amendment of the Modi government that seeks to replace the collegium system of appointing judges to the Supreme Court and high courts, it was not just an administrative or judicial reform. It was a shift ...

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08/18/2014

If words were all

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  By Vijay Darda | 18-08-2014

In the few months that elapsed between the 68th Independence Day and his royal coronation-like swearing-in as Prime Minister, the most significant worry for his supporters was that Narendra Modi the person who had a speech or a tweet ready for every occasion had somehow gone tongue-tied. Come August 15, and Modi n...

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08/11/2014

CSAT: A spurious linguistic debate

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  By Vijay Darda | 11-08-2014

Way back in the 90s, brother Rajendra (now the education minister of Maharashtra) and myself went to Germany in search of latest printing machinery for our newspaper. A German salesman was giving us the usual pitch about the ‘excellent’ qualities of the machines. In an aside, the two of us wondered in Hindi as...

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08/04/2014

Natwar’s memoirs: Seeking revenge through betrayal

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  By Vijay Darda | 04-08-2014

During the course of everyone’s life, relationships do run through several phases. There are ups and downs. The major difference for those in public life, is that they are critically exposed to the probing eyes, especially when they are down. These days, we are witnessing a public exposure of the events that too...

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07/28/2014

Sena MPs add insult to injury

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  By Vijay Darda | 28-07-2014

Last week we witnessed some very unpalatable scenes. Even as television channels were showing visuals of Shiv Sena MP Rajan Vichare force-feeding a canteen supervisor at the Maharashtra Sadan, the MPs were denying that any such incident took place. Later, when they realised that such a denial was not tenable, MP V...

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07/21/2014

Vaidik’s two ill-fitting hats

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  By Vijay Darda | 21-07-2014

I am quite in agreement with the argument that we have over-blown the controversy surrounding the meeting between freelance journalist Ved Pratap Vaidik and the 26/11 terror mastermind Hafeez Saeed. By, we I mean the politicians and mediapersons. After all, journalists do meet all sorts of people, and it is also a...

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07/14/2014

Union Budget: Jaitley’s burden of expectations

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  By Vijay Darda | 14-07-2014

If you go by the first week of the Budget Session for the Modi-led NDA government, then the set of disappointments over the much touted ‘acche din’ among various segments of the population is clearly understandable. The rail fares have gone up, food and vegetable prices are running high, and the budget is alre...

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07/07/2014

Getting better from worse: The Congress challenge

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  By Vijay Darda | 07-07-2014

After the May 2014 General Elections, the Congress party has been reduced to its worst-ever position in the history of democratic politics in our country. In states like Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra where it has been holding an unchallenged position for decades, it has been brought down to a humiliatingly low st...

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06/30/2014

Is Dr Harsh Vardhan worried about education or….

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  By Vijay Darda | 30-06-2014

Union health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan (a medical doctor by profession) has made two sensitive statements that convey a bothersome mindset. First, he made the, “fidelity is better than condom”, declaration in an interview to the New York Times. Then, before this controversy could die down it emerged on his web...

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06/23/2014

Price rise: Same logic, different voices

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  By Vijay Darda | 23-06-2014

In the one month that Modi Sarkar has been in power, the common consumer has been hit hard. There has been no let-up on the price front. Food and vegetable prices have continuously risen, and on top of it there has been hefty hike in rail fares-both passenger as well freight, with the Mumbai suburban traveller bei...

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06/16/2014

Missing Brazil-a national failure

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  By Vijay Darda | 16-06-2014

The excitement in faraway Brazil around the 32-nation World Cup Soccer (football) has begun and in the weeks to come is bound to reach a feverish pitch. There will be several tell-tale signs through flags of participating nations, their team jerseys all marking their dominating presence, with animated discussions ...

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06/09/2014

Good opening for Modi-fied India

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  By Vijay Darda | 09-06-2014

After his stunning victory, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a good opening, as the show biz people will tell you. There was the emotional touch at his being elected the leader of the BJP Parliamentary Party, followed by an international array of politicians at his swearing-in that had the air and aura of a king...

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06/04/2014

The void will never be filled

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  By Vijay Darda | 04-06-2014

The sudden and unexpected death of veteran political leader and my dear friend Gopinath Munde has caused big void in Maharashtra. His departure has caused an irreparable loss not just to Marathwada but to the entire Maharashtra state and the country. Munde was a truly mass-based leader who rose through the ranks. ...

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06/01/2014

A new era of opportunities and challenges

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  By Vijay Darda | 01-06-2014

It is not just a coincidence that Narendra Modi begins his tenure as a Prime Minister on the eve of 50th death anniversary of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru -- India’s first Prime Minister. The results were declared on May 16, and he had got a clear majority. So, there was no need to wait for such a long period of abou...

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05/31/2014

Cong self-goals mount Rahul’s losses

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  By Vijay Darda | 31-05-2014

After the UPA-II got power in 2009, the common perception in political circles was that at some point of time during the course of the next five years the Congress leadership in government would pass from the hands of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to Rahul Gandhi. This was based on the premise that Dr. Singh wo...

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05/30/2014

Modi - big campaign, bigger victory

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  By Vijay Darda | 30-05-2014

Although the formal notification of the election schedule came much later, the campaign for general elections was kicked off when the then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi was anointed as the Bharatiya Janata Party’s prime ministerial candidate in its Goa conclave on September 13, 2013. From then onwards til...

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03/31/2014

BCCI gets away again

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  By Vijay Darda | 31-03-2014

For the sake of headlines, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has two new interim presidents -- both former Test cricketers -- Sunil Gavaskar and Shivlal Yadav - in place of the terminally powerful N Srinivasan. But then let the irony not be missed by anyone. “Srini” cannot function as BCCI chief...

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03/24/2014

Modi’s quest to be BJP

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  By Vijay Darda | 24-03-2014

There was a time when a Congress president Dev Kant Baruah became infamous for a slogan -- “India is Indira”. Those were the days of post-1975 Emergency. It is something that the BJP never forgets to remind us. But then the last week has conclusively proved that Modi is BJP. It has also established that howsoe...

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03/17/2014

Kejriwal: Anarchy as strategy

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  By Vijay Darda | 17-03-2014

Let us face it. After the Delhi assembly elections in December 2013, when the Aam Aadmi Party emerged with 28 seats as a major player it shocked politicians, media players and a lot of other know-alls. But the common people did heave a sigh of relief. There was a ray of hope that here could be the beginning of an ...

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03/10/2014

Electing 16th Lok Sabha, onus on the people

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  By Vijay Darda | 10-03-2014

The high democratic ideal of a government, of the people, by the people and for the people places a great responsibility on the people. They have to use their collective sovereign power wisely when electing a government. Through more than six decades of working with the largest democracy in the world, and at times...

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02/24/2014

Not the way to run a democracy

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  By Vijay Darda | 24-02-2014

We had the last session of the 15th Lok Sabha this week, and now we are getting ready for another General Election to create the 16th one. When I say that it a testing time for our democracy, then I am using a mere regular cliché. From my experience as a parliamentarian, I can certainly say that the functioning o...

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02/17/2014

Telangana: Doing the right thing, the wrong way

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  By Vijay Darda | 17-02-2014

The legitimacy for separate Telangana is an issue beyond debate. There is historical evidence to establish it, and there is an increasing amount of documentation to assert that political leaders too have accepted it.

But then we know from experience, that the right thing seldom gets done. The people from the Seem...

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02/10/2014

Satya Nadella is software’s Sachin Tendulkar

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  By Vijay Darda | 10-02-2014

One of Satya Nadella’s college mates Faiz Khan has described him as software’s Sachin Tendulkar. We do not know much about Sachin’s links with software, but then Satya was a cricketer during his school days. But the link is very interesting. Satya became the chief executive officer (CEO) of the $ 78 billion ...

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02/03/2014

The essence of a sincere man

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  By Vijay Darda | 03-02-2014

The Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi made himself available to the most intense grilling at the hands of the country’s acutely aggressive television anchor for over 80 minutes. There was no question under the Sun that was not put to him, and by any standards it went on for such a long time that is pretty unu...

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01/28/2014

Decency needed in dialogue

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  By Vijay Darda | 28-01-2014

In recent times we have seen a flurry of some very unbecoming public conversations. There has been the scenario of the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi daring the Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav to transform UP into a Gujarat, and then observing that the latter cannot do it, because it ...

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01/20/2014

As Rahul’s generation takes over

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  By Vijay Darda | 20-01-2014

There was never any doubt about it, but you get a confirmation only when such things actually happen. So, Rahul Gandhi, the great grandson of India’s first prime minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru took over the leadership of the Indian National Congress last week. He is following the illustrious footsteps of his f...

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01/13/2014

Indo-US ties need course correction

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  By Vijay Darda | 13-01-2014

Now that the dust has settled and the Indian Foreign Service officer Devyani Khobragade has come back from New York with her ‘head held high’ as her lawyer claimed, it is time for a cooler reflection for the wise heads that supposedly decide the course of relationship between the two biggest democracies in the...

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01/06/2014

AAP: Hope and revolution combine

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  By Vijay Darda | 06-01-2014

Way back in the 1980s, it was the then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi who spoke of India marching into the 21st century on the wings of information technology. The rest of the world scoffed at him. When he spoke about computers, the rest of the politicians used to argue about the negative impact they would have on th...

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2013
12/30/2013

2013 - A less than memorable year goes by

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  By Vijay Darda | 30-12-2013

Landmark events are seldom neatly compartmentalized into calendar years. The now departing 2013 calendar year also fits into this description. We entered the year under the shadow of that grim gang-rape of the 23 year old Delhi brave heart whose name has been sadly buried under our complex attitudinal fault lines,...

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12/23/2013

A thing to cherish - the Lokpal moment

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  By Vijay Darda | 23-12-2013

Over the last few years, the Indian political class, especially the parliamentarians have been at the receiving end of the stick. We have been rapped for every possible cause. As a parliamentarian, I reserve my judgment about the quality of criticism. But I have no hesitation in asserting that when the parliament ...

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12/16/2013

No room for politics as usual

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  By Vijay Darda | 16-12-2013

At times, it is instructive to look back at things to have an assessment of the future. For instance, three years ago no one could have foreseen the rise of a party called the Aam Aadmi Party as the main fulcrum of power in the city state of Delhi. For the simple reason that there was no AAP. But now we have a sit...

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12/09/2013

Warning bells ring loud and clear

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  By Vijay Darda | 09-12-2013

There is an emphatic clarity in the 4-0 verdict against the Congress party in the results of the assembly elections from the Hindi heartland. It’s a dark Sunday for the ruling party and for the next General Elections due within six months. The warning bells could not have been sounded with more clarity. The Cong...

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12/02/2013

A long wait for the people’s verdict

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  By Vijay Darda | 02-12-2013

Amid all the hue and cry over sexual harassment cases in high places, it seems to have been forgotten that five states are in the midst of elections that could very well define the agenda for the next Lok Sabha elections in 2014. In fact, by the time the next week’s column appears the people’s verdict in five ...

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11/25/2013

No excuses only punishments

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  By Vijay Darda | 25-11-2013

Any expression used to condemn these acts would be mild. In recent days, we have read reports of a retired Supreme Court judge, a chief minister aspiring to be the prime minister, and a senior editor with a holier than thou moral stance all indulging in acts that violate the dignity, integrity and sanctity of wome...

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11/18/2013

The use of word power

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  By Vijay Darda | 18-11-2013

All of us went through a collective emotional experience recently when the master blaster Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar retired from international cricket after creating such a stunning record of playing 200 Test matches, and being the only international cricketer to have scored 100 centuries and 30,000 runs. All of us ...

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11/11/2013

Wages of coalition politics

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  By Vijay Darda | 11-11-2013

When the founding fathers of our constitution gave us a federal structure with unitary features, they were clear in their mind that subjects like foreign policy and defence belong to the domain of the Centre. But like everything else there has been an erosion in these values as well. Now, foreign policies no longe...

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11/03/2013

Diwali: The festival that extinguishes all darkness

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  By Vijay Darda | 03-11-2013

There is hardly any soul that does not suffer from pains and sorrows. As the poet put it eloquently in a couplet: “Woh kaun hai duniya mein jise gham nahin hota, kis ghar mein khushi hoti hai matam nahin hota”. 

Ups and downs, sorrows and joys are like inseparable twins in our life. Even the best of joys is ...

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10/28/2013

Rahul hit where it hurts most

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  By Vijay Darda | 28-10-2013

One can sense an air of a frustrated annoyance in the election speeches of BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi. He has always been aggressive and contemptuous of the Gandhi family. He deploys a mocking tone, and is loved by his loyalists for it. But now he has been moved to refer to the Congress vice...

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10/21/2013

Socialist Sonia wins in reform era

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  By Vijay Darda | 21-10-2013

By popular corporate perception, India embraced the market mantra in 1991 when it opted for the reforms route. An idea was then sold that we should kiss good bye to all socialistic spending as growth would lead to a trickle-down effect and tackle all the economic problems including poverty. So, the organised voice...

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10/15/2013

Sachin: The man-god

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  By Vijay Darda | 15-10-2013

We all know that in India cricket is a religion. The fan following for this game cuts across all barriers and unites us with the same must win spirit that binds devotees of a religion. For 24 years one man Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar has been the presiding deity of this religion. He has been talked about in superlativ...

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10/13/2013

Freedom of expression

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  By Vijay Darda | 13-10-2013

It is a truth universally acknowledged that no society, state or country in this world can advance on the path of development without the freedom of expression. Since the individual's expression lacks the strength of collectivity, it is the media that gives voice to the thought of common people which is what we ca...

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10/07/2013

Telangana: The crisis after solution

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  By Vijay Darda | 07-10-2013

Right from the time, the Congress Working Committee resolved that a separate state of Telangana would be carved out from the unified Andhra Pradesh, the people of Seemandhra have been restless. They have been raising a cry that they would not allow the bifurcation of the state. I appreciate their zeal, but then I ...

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09/30/2013

Rahul works in tandem with Supreme Court

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  By Vijay Darda | 30-09-2013

There were two landmark events last week. First the Supreme Court allowed the right to reject for voters, and then the Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi rejected the ordinance that seeks to protect tainted netas. The best part of these two unrelated events was that after a long time it appeared that the apex co...

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09/23/2013

For a slice of life in India at New York

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  By Vijay Darda | 23-09-2013

Not long ago, the image of India in the West was that it is a country of elephants and snake charmers. No doubt it was true that elephants did walk and still walk on the Indian streets, as did the snake charmers enthral people and still continue to do so with their skills. But then the India story changed for the ...

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09/16/2013

Modi: BJP's only option for 2014

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  By Vijay Darda | 16-09-2013

One can easily comprehend the sense of self-congratulation that prevails in the RSS-BJP after they have nominated the Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi as their prime ministerial candidate for the 2014 general elections. Ever since Modi was appointed the chairman of the party's national campaign committee in Go...

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09/09/2013

A long overdue move

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  By Vijay Darda | 09-09-2013

The welcome Judicial Appointments Commission Bill

It has become fashionable to criticise the parliamentarians for merely politicking, and ignoring their more serious responsibilities of law making. But I am glad to report that in the just concluded Monsoon Session, a lot of path breaking legislative work was do...

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09/02/2013

What’s this crisis after all?

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  By Vijay Darda | 02-09-2013

There was the usual critical response from the opposition in the Rajya Sabha, after prime minister Manmohan Singh made his statement on the falling rupee. Nothing surprising about the opposition going full throttle against the prime minister, it is their job. But in the din, some key messages were lost. The most i...

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08/26/2013

Our rupee related woes

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  By Vijay Darda | 26-08-2013

It may sound like a case of told you so, when some calamity strikes and a friend tells you that he had warned about it beforehand, and you had dismissed his caution with derision. You are left with no option but to wring your hands, and live through the situation with a hope that you would emerge out of it with mi...

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08/19/2013

Missing the spirit & essence of I-Day

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  By Vijay Darda | 19-08-2013

I have to admit that this Independence Day we did not acquit ourselves with the dignity that is demanded by the sanctity of the occasion. We as a nation collectively forget that our freedom from the colonial rule and imperial dominance of centuries came at a great price. We seem to be taking this freedom for grant...

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08/13/2013

A much deeper problem

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  By Vijay Darda | 13-08-2013

Not a mere ceasefire violation

The internal political heat generated by the brutal attack by Pakistanis who violated the Line of Control (LoC) and ambushed our jawans to kill five of these bravehearts has subsided. Union defence minister A K Antony has rightly laid the blame at the doorsteps of the Pakistani Ar...

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08/05/2013

Be gracious and grant Vidarbha without much ado

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  By Vijay Darda | 05-08-2013

As a practicing politician, and a media person, I am aware that the suggestion that I am making will sound amateurish. But cooler reflection on the part of everyone concerned will reveal that sooner or later this is the only right course of action, and taking any other route will have costly and avoidable repercus...

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07/31/2013

Now, Vidarbha can’t be put off

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  By Vijay Darda | 31-07-2013

It is a historic day today. The Congress Working Committee has resolved that a separate state of Telangana should be formed. It has also laid out a road map for the creation of the new state.

We the people of Vidarbha welcome this decision with just a cheer. The CWC resolution refers to the 1956 situation in the ...

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07/29/2013

As Amartya rejects Modi

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  By Vijay Darda | 29-07-2013

When Nobel laureate economist Amartya Sen rejected Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi for the prime minister’s job, we witnessed a very instructive episode for our polity. The unambiguous rejection came in the backdrop of a determined effort by the BJP-RSS combine, as well several sections of the media and the...

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07/22/2013

Mid-day murder or meal scheme

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  By Vijay Darda | 22-07-2013

It would be unfair to dismiss the recent Bihar tragedy as a case of food poisoning, in the right perspective it is simply an act of murder. This was not a case of poison in food, but actually a case of food in poison. It was sheer criminal negligence. But then Bihar may be grabbing the headlines, but it is by no m...

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07/08/2013

Food security: Ordinance last resort

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  By Vijay Darda | 08-07-2013

Last week, we crossed a major milestone in the evolution of the rights-based architecture for our people. We already have a constitutionally guaranteed right to work, education and information paradigm and now to this we have added the right to food element. Under the UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and prime ministe...

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07/01/2013

Disturbing distortions: Mindset malady

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  By Vijay Darda | 01-07-2013

I am aware that some comparisons are not apt. For instance, there is nothing that is common between the army fighting a war, and the cricket team playing an international tournament. True in both cases the prestige of the nation is at stake, but that is the end of the comparison. In a war lives are lost. Our brave...

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06/24/2013

Nature’s fury, human failures

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  By Vijay Darda | 24-06-2013

It is now more than a week since nature’s fury struck the Himalayan states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. For want of a better description we can stick to the expression ‘Himalayan Tsunami’, but then let us not ignore the fact that very little is known about the magnitude of death and destruction in th...

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06/23/2013

From the first lesson of simplicity in Srinagar to the Taj in Mumbai...

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  By Vijay Darda | 23-06-2013

I was reminded of these lines of Mahatma Gandhi while conversing with that 16-year-old boy in Pune. The name of that boy is Ayush Bamb. He was narrating to me an interesting snippet about his meeting with Ratan Tata. I was thinking what better achievement one can have than influence a teenager. Ratan Tata is not o...

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06/17/2013

Modi’s coup dethrones Advani, but..

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  By Vijay Darda | 17-06-2013

There is a touch of irony in the developments within the BJP. Both the Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi and the senior patriarch Lal Krishna Advani have built their political careers on an anti-Muslim platform. But curiously the battle of succession between the two has been on lines of the wars between the Mug...

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06/10/2013

Politics before security: The NCTC debate

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  By Vijay Darda | 10-06-2013

In our country the multi-faceted forces of terrorism  regularly serve reminders of the grim consequences of  their acts. The security forces do fight the challenge bravely, but then the brutality and the escalating scale of violence is such that it does not allow the public mind to have any feeling of safety. We...

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06/03/2013

All with a pinch of salt

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  By Vijay Darda | 03-06-2013

If the flurry of surveys appearing in diverse publications is to be taken seriously then the UPA-2 has all but lost the next general elections to be held in 2014. Moreover, without getting into the details, the Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi has also become the prime minister!. The assumed air of authority a...

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05/27/2013

The muck in our sports

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  By Vijay Darda | 27-05-2013

Only the naive and the foolish would be surprised by the revelations of the spot-fixing scandal in IPL. Given the way we have been managing our games and sports, this is the only possible outcome. After all, didn’t the IOC throw us out of the Olympic games? People have a tendency to blame the big bucks in cricke...

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05/20/2013

Democracy in Pakistan: Not a few reasons to cheer

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  By Vijay Darda | 20-05-2013

In our country, we have become used to democratic transition of power. More than six decades after the British left our shores, and we gave ourselves a Westminister style parliamentary democracy, governments have changed hands both at the state and the Central level with a maturity that has earned us the ungrudgin...

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05/11/2013

Karnataka verdict: A time for humility

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  By Vijay Darda | 11-05-2013

These are testing times for the Indian polity.  It is under fire from every possible quarter. The judiciary seldom misses an opportunity to slam politicians; the media enjoys bashing politicians of all shades. To top it all, the rival political parties are engaged in bitter contests that transcend all limits of d...

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02/08/2013

Why make a Khan less of an Indian?

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  By Vijay Darda | 08-02-2013

And then mock at the idea of India!

I have been mulling over this question for quite some time now. Even before the Bollywood Khan spoke out his mind on this sensitive issue. To quote, he said: “I sometimes become the inadvertent object of political leaders who choose to make me a symbol of all that they thin...

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01/24/2013

The challenge after Chintan

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  By Vijay Darda | 24-01-2013

On a personal note, it was unfortunate that I could not attend the Congress party's Chintan Shivir at Jaipur last week due to health reasons. But this personal absence does not detract anything from the level of involvement either from the process or the course that shall follow from its outcome.

After the Jaipur...

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2012
12/30/2012

Rape: Indian mindset needs to change

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  By Vijay Darda | 30-12-2012

As I write this, information is streaming in that the 23-year old physiotherapy student who was brutally gang-raped by half a dozen men in a moving bus and then dumped on the road has been airlifted to Singapore for treatment. She is a brave-heart. She has demonstrated extraordinary tenacity and will to live after...

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08/29/2012

Knowing your limits is knowing the Constitution!

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  By Vijay Darda | 29-08-2012

Vacuum does not auger well for the places of power and authority. Those places should always be occupied. If the persons or officials occupying any place of power or authority are not powerful enough and fail to exercise their authority properly, there are always efficient people in their area to replace them.

Wh...

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08/15/2012

A SAD DAY - Vilasrao a multifaceted personality

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  By Vijay Darda | 15-08-2012

Vilasrao’s untimely death is the culmination of a successful administrator of the country, a development- oriented leader of Maharashtra and an ever smiling activist who had not lost his zest even after a long tenure in politics. Sarpanch of Babhalgaon village, chief minister of Maharashtra and then Union minist...

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08/11/2012

Modi, media and me...

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  By Vijay Darda | 11-08-2012

I have been a practising politician and a mediaperson for far too long. I have gathered the experience of 14 years as a parliamentarian and have led a media house for 40 years now. I am fully aware of the price you have to pay, even when you inadvertently land yourself into situations that can be fully exploited b...

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07/22/2012

THE DADA - I know & respect

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  By Vijay Darda | 22-07-2012

As 'Dada' Pranab Kumar Mukherjee is all set to walk into the Rashtrapati Bhawan and brings his 43-year-long political career to a logical conclusion, I have a deep sense of personal privilege and happiness. After all the ups and downs that are an integral part of any political career and indeed life itself, he has...

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06/29/2012

The NDA’s prime ministerial puzzle

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  By Vijay Darda | 29-06-2012

In a democracy it is a good sign when the Opposition gets ready for the next round of the electoral battle and names it’s prime ministerial candidate in advance. The people then get adequate notice about the choice they have. In 2004, the Congress was in the Opposition and though it’s president Sonia Gandhi wa...

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06/15/2012

A year of hype sans substance

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  By Vijay Darda | 15-06-2012

It would be quite apt to say that Anna Hazare has only flattered to deceive the common masses of the country. Just about a year ago when he catapulted on the national stage as the shining white knight who promised to rescue the masses from the devil of all-pervading corruption Hazare generated a lot of hope and hy...

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05/20/2012

Criticism must be constructive

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  By Vijay Darda | 20-05-2012

Media & Politicians TUG OF WAR!

My book 'Straight Thoughts' attempts to review contemporary issues, problems and also personalities and I have put up my views without any fear or favour in articles carried in the book. I know the importance of adopting a firm stand and I have done it on several occasions even t...

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05/13/2012

My cup of joy is half full!

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  By Vijay Darda | 13-05-2012

As a parliamentarian, my heart is not exactly overflowing with joy as we celebrate 60 years of parliamentary democracy. I certainly hold my head high when I look back at the initial years of our nascent democracy when the Western world had given us very little chance of surviving even as a unified nation, not to t...

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2011
12/21/2011

Lokpal: A remedy worse than the malady?

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  By Vijay Darda | 21-12-2011

There is hardly any person who would argue that we do not need to fight corruption. No one would claim that the public services are in the pink of health, and corruption does not eat into their vitals. Truly, corruption is a malady that needs an urgent cure. But the developments of the last few months have been bo...

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12/05/2011

Har Fikr Ko Dhuen Mein Udata Chala Gaya

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  By Vijay Darda | 05-12-2011

It is said there are only seven immortal individuals. An immortal is nothing but a person near whom even the shadow of old age and death does not lurk. If you ask any Hindi cine lover, particularly one who has been tracking Indian cinema from the fourth-fifth decade of the last century, s/he will tell you without ...

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10/16/2011

Why talk of referendum in Kashmir now?

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  By Vijay Darda | 16-10-2011

No right thinking person will ever support the brutal physical attack on Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan in his chambers. We are a free democratic country, and freedom of expression is a fundamental right. So, quite rightly the attack has been condemned by all political parties, and it is rightly seen as an ...

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10/11/2011

Why oppose a Communal Violence Bill?

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  By Vijay Darda | 11-10-2011

After the Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi went on a three-day sadhbhavna fast for the ostensible purpose of demonstrating his goodwill towards the minority community, we can safely say that at least as a matter of public policy there is no politician who wants to preach any discriminatory treatment towards pe...

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09/25/2011

Let us not forget what our founding fathers told us

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  By Vijay Darda | 25-09-2011

Recently, two issues fired the imagination of our society in an unprecedented manner. As Anna Hazare's agitation got its agenda, setting 24x7 live coverage from television channels, these issues reached our drawing rooms, and then captured our daily discourse. The first issue was of course corruption, and the seco...

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09/18/2011

A less sensational CAG would be better

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  By Vijay Darda | 18-09-2011

In the post-Anna Hazare anti-corruption agitation phase, there is an increased public sensitivity on all these issues. So, the normal parliamentary processes are also being short-circuited, and there is a public hue and cry even when there is a whiff of a scandal.

All of us know that there is a set procedure abou...

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09/05/2011

Now it’s time to say three cheers for Anna

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  By Vijay Darda | 05-09-2011

I am tempted to call it the biggest victory for our democracy. But then one should be cautious while using superlatives in the context of history. Yet, I feel confident in asserting that both the Gandhian crusader Anna Hazare and Parliament demonstrated extraordinary courage and understanding to bring a historic c...

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08/25/2011

Two cheers for Anna

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  By Vijay Darda | 25-08-2011 AND WHY I HOLD BACK THE THIRD ONE

A man from a village in Maharashtra, Ralegaon Siddhi has captured the imagination of the entire nation, like no one has done in recent times. Indeed, right now his name Anna reverberates even across the borders. Even in countries like Pakistan and China that have remained other...

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