Regional disputes must quit India
There is nothing wrong with being proud of your regional roots, language, culture etc. but this cannot be allowed to prevail over our Indian identity. Likewise politicians and their minions who insist on a Hindu - Hindi Rashtra are emulating the same divide and rule policy that the British used to exploit and plunder India. This is inexcusable and we cannot keep blaming the Mughals and the Brits for our failures post Independence, especially our tendency to squabble endlessly over everything which has led to us amounting to nothing.
Petty parochial interests being chosen over national welfare reflect poorly on us especially when there is so much at stake for India. Surely it is possible for us to preserve our unique regional as well as national identities without letting one subsume the other? If we can pull this off, perhaps we will stop the perennial bickering which has served absolutely no useful purpose and finally realise the dreams of our freedom fighters who fought and died for the vision of a better India where all have freedom, dignity and none are fractious fools.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
15 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Atal turned politics into a medium of service: UP CM
Atal Bihari Vajpayee was born in a humble family, believed in karma, turned politics into a medium of service and left his mark in every field he touched, said Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath. The CM also released a book 'Atulniya Atalji (Vyaktitva, Vichar aur Virasat)' authored by deputy CM Brajesh Pathak. UP CM Yogi Adityanath releasing dy CM Brajesh Pathak's book on former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee in Lucknow. (HT photo) He was addressing a gathering at an event at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Convention Centre organised by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Foundation on Saturday to mark the seventh death anniversary of the late PM. Calling it Uttar Pradesh's good fortune that Bateshwar in Agra was Vajpayee's ancestral land, the CM recalled that the former PM pursued higher education in Kanpur and began his political journey from Balrampur. 'Atal Bihari Vajpayee was elected to Parliament from Lucknow five times, served 10 terms in the Lok Sabha, two in the Rajya Sabha, and three terms as Prime Minister, giving the nation glorious leadership,' Yogi said. He said the state government has reached out to various sections of society Vajpayee cared for, establishing Atal Residential Schools in all 18 divisions, where 18,000 children of workers are receiving modern facilities. The CM said the state government is committed to preserving the late PM's legacy. He said the state cabinet recently approved a scheme under which five students will be sent to Britain every year for higher education, with half of their scholarship funded by the state government. The scholarship has been dedicated in the name of Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee. In his welcome speech, deputy CM Brajesh Pathak described Vajpayee as a stalwart in Indian politics who was revered by all. Pathak highlighted the former PM's exceptional leadership and commitment to public service. He said Vajpayee maintained the highest standards of integrity in politics and served as a role model for future generations. Deputy CM's book on late PM unveiled On the occasion, the CM released a book 'Atulniya Atalji', written by deputy CM Brajesh Pathak that explores Vajpayee's life, personality and legacy. The book includes excerpts from Vajpayee's selected poems and personal anecdotes. The book also focuses on the ex-PM's ideological contributions. The work contains three articles written by Vajpayee in the 1960s on nationalism, Indianness and promotion of Indian languages. It also compiles three notable speeches, including his first address to the United Nations General Assembly in Hindi as the external affairs minister, his first Red Fort address as PM and his inaugural speech as the president of the Bharatiya Jan Sangh. Pathak said the book is aimed at introducing the younger generation to Vajpayee's thoughts and legacy, while portraying him as a poet, writer, thinker, people's leader and freedom fighter. Tribute from poet Renowned poet Padma Shri Surendra Sharma paid tribute to Vajpayee, recalling his inspiring words and phrases. Sharma described him as a towering figure in Indian politics. The ceremony also recognised the achievements of talented students and emerging young poets, who were awarded for their outstanding work. Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya, BJP state president Chaudhary Bhupendra Singh, Rajya Sabha MP Dinesh Sharma and ministers in the UP government were also present at the event.
Indian Express
15 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Dharmasthala secret burials case: Karnataka govt likely to table response in Legislative Assembly tomorrow
With the opposition BJP mounting pressure on the Karnataka government over the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the Dharmasthala secret burials case, the state government is expected to table a response on the matter in the Legislative Assembly on Monday. The response has also gained significance following the remarks made by Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, who has described the case to be a 'big conspiracy' to tarnish the reputation of the temple town. By these remarks, Shivakumar lent his voice to the allegations made by BJP legislators regarding the case over the past week. On Sunday, a delegation of around 20 legislators under BJP state president B Y Vijayendra visited Dharmasthala and demanded an apology from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for failing to curb the 'misinformation campaign' targeting the temple town. This was in reference to the social media posts by some groups about the alleged crimes that took place around Dharmasthala. The delegation met Rajya Sabha MP Dr Veerendra Heggade, who is also the Dharmadhikari of Dharmasthala. Vijayendra criticised the government for failing to act against those making false allegations against Dharmasthala. On the remarks by Shivakumar, he urged him to 'immediately disclose information about those behind the conspiracy against Dharmasthala,' if the deputy CM was truly a devotee of the Sri Manjunatheshwara Temple located in the town. Last week, the BJP had demanded that the state government table an interim report on the investigation carried out by SIT. On Thursday, during a discussion on the case at the Legislative Assembly, BJP MLA Sunil Kumar had contended that Left groups were carrying out a smear campaign against Dharmasthala and other Hindu places of worship. The exhumation carried out near the town, he said, would eventually 'shake the government'. 'The entire Cabinet should go to Dharmasthala and apologise,' he added. The probe is based on a complaint filed by a whistleblower, who has alleged that he was forced to bury several bodies between 1998 and 2014. After exhuming multiple locations since July 29, the SIT is said to have found two skeletons.
The Hindu
15 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Following opposition by teachers, govt. reduces LBA marks
In the wake of strong opposition from teachers, the Department of School Education and Literacy (DSEL) has reduced the marks allotted for Lesson Based Assessment (LBA) to 15 for students of classes 1 to 5 and 20 for students of classes 6 to 10. Earlier, it had announced that the LBA would have 25 marks for all students. The Commissioner of Public Instruction has recently issued an order that the LBA for classes 1 to 5 should be assessed for a total of 15 marks, including a written test for 10 marks and an oral test for five marks. Students of classes 6 and 7 should be assessed for 20 marks, including objective and descriptive questions. And, students of classes 8 to 10 should be asked questions for 20 marks, including multiple choice and descriptive questions. The districts implementing the Maru Sinchana programme should conduct assessment for a total of 20 marks, considering LBA for 15 marks and Maru Sinchana programme questions for five marks, except for Hindi language from classes 6 to 10. It has been stated that one LBA should be conducted for every three lessons in the subject of Social Science from classes 6 to 10, the order said. The department has implemented LBA from the current academic year. According to this, government, aided, and private schools following the State curriculum are required to conduct LBA without fail and update marks obtained by the students and lesson plans online on the Student Achievement Tracking System portal. However, teachers across the State had opposed LBA, saying that this was creating unnecessary pressure. The Hindu reported the same on July 30, 2025. Following this, the department has now reduced LBA marks.
