
TRENDS
Himachal’s recurring monsoon tragedy is a manmade disaster
Unchecked construction, flawed development models, and ecological disregard have turned Himachal into a zone of recurring devastation

INDIA
Pahalgam attack was well-planned, intelligence missed it: Lt Gen Hooda
Following the Pahalgam attack, India has suspended the Indus Water Treaty and visas to Pakistani national. Would India also opt for military action is a question many have on their minds given PM Modi’s upfront approach vis-à-vis Pakistan -- surgical strikes after the Uri attack, Balakot strikes after the Pulwama attack.

INDIA
Goons in khaki and a timid government blight Punjab
Shubh Karman te Kabahun Na Tarun (never dread to tread the righteous path), the motto of Punjab Police, is alien to policing in the state. Assault of a serving army officer and his son by police personnel and the subsequent cover-up reveal the extent of rot in the system. Also, the deafening silence of the AAP government raise the question if the political executive in Punjab is in control of the state’s police force

POLITICS
A ‘Badal’ over Akali revival in Punjab
Sukhbir Singh Badal and his colleagues in Shiromani Akali Dal may have finished the atonement prescribed by the Akal Takht, the supreme temporal seat of Sikhs. However, it may be a case of too little, too late for Badal who confronts a sceptical electorate. Even SAD may stand no chance if it avoids a leadership change

POLITICS
Haryana’s election heads for a bipolar face-off
Congress and BJP strategies revolve around political mobilisation anchored by Jats and OBCs respectively. Also, high profile crime, unemployment and inflation will have a bearing

POLITICS
Imploding Akali Dal pushes Punjab politics into an unsettled state
AAP, and the radical forces have occupied the political space that once belonged to the Akalis, and BJP is trying its best to use the molten state of Punjab politics

TRENDS
Himachal: Shaky Sukhu survives but tough Congress action will sting Virbhadra clan
The Sukhu government can breathe a sigh of relief for now, but it will face the Lok Sabha elections and the six bypolls on a weaker wicket. Congress has sent a strong message to its 34 remaining MLAs by not wooing the six rebels back. The mother-son duo of Pratibha and Vikramaditya Singh will be stung by the six disqualifications. Unless a Congress Jodo ensues, BJP will be dangling more baits

POLITICS
Truth of Congress’s Feb 26 Shimla Dinner: Fake handshakes, hugs, and smiles Abhishek Manu Singhvi failed to read
There was much bonhomie which would have set at ease any fears the Congress leadership and its high command had of cross-voting. But lurking beneath was an old party rivalry that has now culminated in minister Vikramditya Singh’s resignation after a humiliating Rajya Sabha defeat for chief minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu

BUSINESS
Punjab: AAP fancies a sweep, Congress in delusional mode, Akali Dal & BJP fear public memory
After its impressive Jalandhar victory, Aam Aadmi Party believes a four-cornered fight in Punjab may end up benefiting it. Congress fears that an alliance will reduce it to AAP’s junior partner in Punjab. Shiromani Akali Dal is still scarred by the sacrilege incidents, and BJP by the farm law protests

BUSINESS
Suspension of visa services to Canadian citizens: The curveball Trudeau didn’t see coming
Canada stands to lose more than gain in this tit-for-tat between two countries. Here is why

BUSINESS
Trudeau’s dependence on Jagmeet Singh explains Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s importance in Canada’s politics
Justin Trudeau is beholden to the NDP led by Jagmeet Singh for keeping his government afloat, which forces him to turn a blind eye to Khalistani activities. While Trudeau can play a blow hot and cold game with the Indian dispensation, he cannot afford the same back home. After all, Canada is home to close to eight lakh Sikhs

TRENDS
Parkash Singh Badal: Tehsildar-aspirant who became five-time CM, forged alliance with BJP amid peak Hindu-Sikh polarisation
Badal learned from a young age that his destiny lay in politics. He was quick to grasp the consequence of events, forging an alliance with BJP that served the Akali Dal well for two decades, and severing it just as quickly when the farm reform laws were passed

TRENDS
Amritpal Singh: A 'manufactured' product of TRP-driven media swooning at his Bhindranwale-like looks
With Amritpal Singh’s arrest, another chapter on Punjab’s unsettled socio-political milieu has written itself. The people of Punjab were quicker to see through Amritpal than the media and the politicians who sought to make the pretender bigger than his actual abilities and fanned his rapid rise