INDIA
OPINION | Tiger! Tiger! In fading sight
Two decades ago, tigers had been poached out of existence in Sariska Tiger Reserve. They were later re-introduced through a complicated translocation process. Now they face a renewed threat: mining
POLITICS
Rajasthan’s Green Crisis: Mass deforestation sparks fears of ecological disaster in desert state
Rajasthan's government plans to cut thousands of trees in Jaipur and Baran for commercial and industrial projects, despite public protests and ecological concerns, contradicting its environmental commitments and ongoing tree-planting campaigns
INDIA
Ranthambore’s faith versus forest is a false dichotomy. Political sagacity can restore balance
An increasing incidence of conflict between tigers and humans in Ranthambore is on account of the presence of over 350 shrines within its habitat zone. A surge of pilgrims, especially on auspicious occasions, makes it hard to avoid conflict. Politicians are wary of finding a balanced solution out of the fear of hurting religious sentiments. However, there is no other way but to sensibly regulate the flow of human traffic to ensure that the iconic tiger reserve remains a haven for wildlife without preventing pilgrimage
POLITICS
Post-Pahalgam trolling raises questions about our moral compass
Taken together, the Vikram Misri-Himanshi Narwal episodes reflect a grave moral decline. The cruelty of the trolling - laden with misogyny, moral judgment, and character assassination - reveals a frightening erosion of basic humanity. Civilized societies adhere to certain norms of behaviour, even in times of conflict
POLITICS
Giving Hindutva hardliners a free rein lands BJP in a fix in Rajasthan
A basic contradiction BJP faces is that while communal rhetoric is overlooked as it often gets political/electoral gains, casteist slurs and notions of ritual purity are frowned upon as they could alienate Dalit voters and lead to serious electoral consequences
POLITICS
Rajasthan vs. coaching industry: One step forward, half-a-step back
In a bid to protect students from the pressure cooker atmosphere of the coaching ecosystem, Rajasthan government tabled a bill in the Assembly. Criticised by both treasury benches and opposition for bending backwards to satisfy the coaching industry, the proposed law falls short of adequately safeguarding vulnerable students
POLITICS
Vasundhara Raje’s last gamble
She has been absent from the campaign for the seven Rajasthan assembly by-elections. Her reluctance to campaign across the state during the Lok Sabha polls undermined the BJP’s performance but highlighted her importance. At loggerheads with both state and national leaders, her best and possibly last chance for a comeback is if the BJP fares poorly in the by-elections.
ASSEMBLY-ELECTION
Rajasthan casts a long shadow on Congress's efforts to retrieve ground in Haryana
As Congress races to present a coherent front to the Haryana electorate, here’s a look at how the party’s factionalism in Rajasthan can undermine it. Ashok Gehlot and Ajay Maken, the two central observers sent to paper over cracks in Haryana, have for a while been rivals on the Rajasthan stage
BUSINESS
Jat anger which singed BJP in Rajasthan now widens faultlines in state unit
Party’s local leadership is perceived to be dominated by a narrow social bloc. A reshuffle in Rajasthan government is possible
TRENDS
Women and Salt Satyagraha: Recalling their impactful entry in India’s public space
International Women’s Day: The Salt Satyagraha was the first occasion when women’s participation in the freedom struggle became a mass movement. As women inspired by Gandhi came out in droves to protest against the British Raj, they also set off winds of change that culminated in the Constitution enshrining gender equality, universal female suffrage and a guarantee against discrimination in employment
ASSEMBLY-ELECTIONS
Rajasthan: Bhajanlal’s elevation, Raje’s eclipse and a triumph for RSS
For over 20 years, Vasundhara Raje foiled RSS attempts to place those rising from its ranks in the CM’s chair. The epic battle has finally concluded with Bhajanlal Sharma’s elevation. The appointment of others from the RSS stable like Prem Chand Bairwa as Deputy CM and Vasudev Devnani as Speaker spells the dawn of a new era in Rajasthan
BUSINESS
Rajasthan: Time is running out for the Congress high command to resolve the Gehlot-Pilot rift
Sachin Pilot has planned a rally on June 11, his father’s death anniversary, in Dausa where the disillusioned Congress leader may announce a break with the party if the high command doesn’t offer him an acceptable deal. A week has passed since the central leadership’s photo-op in Delhi projecting “unity” but why has a solution to the imbroglio not been made public yet?
BUSINESS
Rajasthan Dilemma: Will Vasundhara Raje be BJP’s CM face after Karnataka debacle?
The BJP central leadership has promoted many junior leaders but none have succeeded in matching former CM Vasundhara Raje’s connect with the masses. With Karnataka revealing the limits of the Modi factor and the importance of regional satraps, Raje, out of favour since 2018, may regain pole position
BUSINESS
Mission Rajasthan: PM Modi plots BJP’s comeback via tribal votes on Karnataka polling day
The Rajasthan election is already on PM Modi’s sights as he targets the southern region of Mewar which is also the tribal belt. The BJP has assiduously wooed tribal voters since Droupadi Murmu’s presidential election last July but the absence of a tall local tribal leader is a serious handicap for the saffron party
POLITICS
The bitter battle between Ashok Gehlot and Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in Rajasthan is going down to the wire
The spectacle of a Chief Minister and Union minister baiting each other and taking their battle to investigating agencies and courts has its roots in their attempts to dominate the Marwar region from where both hail. But Shekhawat’s alleged role in the Pilot rebellion may just have been the last straw for Gehlot
