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Time of India
19 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
The Weekly Vine Edition 45: DRONE-ACHARYA, Royal Challenge Completed, and Manufacturing Consent
Nirmalya Dutta's political and economic views vacillate from woke Leninist to Rand-Marxist to Keynesian-Friedmanite. He doesn't know what any of those terms mean. Hello and welcome to this week's edition of The Weekly Vine. In this week's edition, we look at Ukraine's Drone-acharya–inspired tactical move, celebrate Virat Kohli finally breaking his IPL duck, discuss the art of manufacturing consent, explain why Magnus Carlsen lost his cool against Gukesh, and finally take a look at Trump's 'mad philosopher'. DRONE-ACHARYA 2.0 In Keerthik Sasidharan's The Dharma Forest, a fabulously loquacious retelling of the Mahabharata, Drona tells Bhisma: 'It's only the grammar of violence that allows for the pretence that this is war for the sake of a civilisation. Without it, war would be just mass murder.' When Bhisma chides him for laughing about it, Drona replies: 'Grandfather, as a penniless Brahmin who built his own life thanks to arms, war and violence—and after a lifetime of doing this, I can only laugh at the world.' For those who missed out on the greatest story ever told, Drona – a true Master of War – was a penniless Brahmin who sought revenge by training the Kuru princes against an old friend who had belittled him. Over the years, the Master of War – one who hides in his mansion after building the death planes (to borrow a line from Bob Dylan) – has taken many avatars. The last was Barack Obama, whose deep baritone made you forget his drone-strike rate. And now we have the former stand-up comic who refuses to say, 'thank you.' The new Drone-Acharya in town is Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Reports – hopefully real and not another Ghost of Kyiv propaganda piece – claim that Ukraine launched an audacious drone attack involving 117 drones, each costing less than $500. These drones struck Russian war machines across five regions, spanning 6,000 kilometres and three time zones (or roughly the time it takes to get from Noida to Gurugram after 6 PM). In sheer breadth and depth, it even outdoes the audacious pager attack on Hezbollah launched by Israel's Mossad. This low-budget, independent assault didn't use any NATO weapons or Western intelligence. The drones were ostensibly launched from modified shipping containers, smuggled into Russia aboard civilian trucks, bypassing multi-billion-dollar air defence systems entirely. The attack was also carried out remotely – much like the Sovereign's fleet of drones in Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2 – with no Ukrainian personnel captured. What makes this a game changer is its replicability and scalability at minimal cost. It heralds the age of drones as the new instrument of warfare. As analysts like Mike Ryan argue, supremacy in modern war is no longer about airfields, but Wi-Fi. Time will tell how Russia responds to this 'Pearl Harbor–style attack.' But the world must now live with the knowledge that $500 drones can disable billion-dollar fleets. Where we go from here, even the bard – Dylan or Valmiki – doesn't know. Royal Challenge Completed (With apologies to legendary football commentator Peter Drury, but read in his voice) It is done. After 18 years of endless sprints, narrow misses and heartbreak… Virat Kohli is the IPL Champion. He arrived a round-faced, wide-eyed youth, fresh off the Under-19 crown, arriving with swagger and intent: the next big thing in Indian cricket. And over the years, the boy became myth, the prototype of the modern Indian cricketer. Arrogant, confident, bearded, and with a love for sororal greetings. He shed his baby fat, he carved sinew from sacrifice. He took every challenge head-on, becoming a modern cricketing great— leading the Indian team to new frontiers as he unleashed the dogs of war. He made fitness a faith, and his beard a banner— emulated on every gully, every Instagram post, every generation that saw in him not just a cricketer, but a creed. He fought with fire. He bared his soul at deep midwicket, at Lord's, at the Wanderers, at the MCG. He took on SENA giants not with politeness, but with pupils dilated in combat, his rage not a flaw but a fuel—dragging India and RCB through trenches and tempests. But for all the fables, all the hundreds, this trophy—this wretched, elusive, shiny little grail— mocked him every April and May. And still, he stayed. He stayed with RCB. No glamour transfers. No shortcuts. He chose heartbreak on home soil over triumph elsewhere. He gave them his youth, his prime, his decline—and his resurrection. And so tonight, when the sky cracked open and the last ball disappeared, he didn't leap. He sank. To his knees, hands to face, fingers trembling. Not in shock—but in stillness. The silence of a man who gave everything… and finally received. And how fitting—Bengaluru, his karmabhoomi. The city of lakes, of monsoon evenings and overflowing dreams. The Silicon Valley of India, where code meets coffee, and cricket conquers all. Where strangers speak ten tongues but cheer in one voice. Where IT parks and idli stalls erupt in chorus when RCB walks out. A city that gave him a home, and tonight, he gave it a reason to roar. Eighteen years. One franchise. One man. And now the elusive title. At long last… it is challenge completed. Like, Share, Collapse The following excerpt is from my fellow cartoonist Prasad Sanyal's excellent blog. There's something perversely elegant about a society that can manufacture both iPhones and ideologies with the same ruthless efficiency. Yanis Varoufakis [a Greek politician and economist], riffing off Chomsky's Manufacturing Consent, tosses us a neat little paradox wrapped in economic angst: that the more financialised our lives become, the more agreeable we get—and the more spectacular our breakdowns. Consent, it seems, isn't what it used to be. Once upon a time, it had to be extracted—with religion, kings, or gulags. These days, it's delivered via push notification and monetised outrage. Capitalism doesn't just want your labour; it wants your belief system bundled in prime-time infotainment and Facebook Lives. Read more. Losing His Cool On a chilly Stavanger evening, the unthinkable happened. The great Magnus Carlsen—the Viking overlord of modern chess—slammed his fist on the board as his pieces scattered like confetti. Across the table, D Gukesh, all of 19, calmly watched history unfold. He'd just become the first reigning world champion to beat the world No. 1 in classical chess since Kasparov terrorised the board. This wasn't just a win—it was a psychological decapitation. Carlsen had dominated for 50-odd moves. The engine showed +4 in his favour. But chess doesn't award runs for style. One blunder under time pressure (52…Ne2+) and the predator turned prey. Gukesh, who had already sensed blood, picked up his queen with the swagger of a man who knew the match was over. The Norwegian, suddenly mortal, banged the table, sending pawns flying and egos bruised. He extended a sheepish hand, then patted the teen on the back, half in apology, half in awe. Gukesh had done what Anand, Kramnik, and Karpov never could—beat the reigning world No. 1 while holding the crown. This wasn't just about the win. It was about grit, patience, and playing the long con in a brutal 62-move Ruy Lopez Berlin slugfest. Carlsen, ironically, played with his king like a warrior—marching him to the first rank. But Gukesh wasn't buying the intimidation. He met fire with ice. Trump's Mad Philosopher Before Trump made democracy optional and Elon turned government into a venture-backed LARP, there was Curtis Yarvin—part-time monarchist, full-time troll, and Silicon Valley's in-house necromancer. Back in 2008, while liberals were still drunk on hope and change, Yarvin—then known as Mencius Moldbug—was quietly uploading 120,000-word blogposts that read like a cross between Machiavelli and a Reddit meltdown. His central thesis? Democracy is a bug, not a feature. Harvard is the Vatican of Woke. And America would be better run by a startup CEO with nukes and Marc Andreessen on speed dial. You may scoff—but Peter Thiel didn't. J.D. Vance didn't. Trump definitely didn't. Yarvin is not your usual right-wing grunt. He's the Dark Elf of the dissident right, whispering digital manifestos in faux-Elizabethan prose. He cries during lunch and dreams of putting San Francisco's homeless in VR exile. He builds political theology disguised as software. Urbit, his failed feudal internet project, raised millions—proof that in America, bad ideas just need a charismatic front-end. But what makes Yarvin dangerous isn't his ideology. It's his aesthetic. He doesn't write policy; he performs it. His blog is cosplay for crypto kings. His politics? Brutalism meets biodynamic wine. And while liberals hold book clubs about authoritarianism, Yarvin's drinking biodiesel with the guy rewriting immigration law. In 2025, the joke's over. The man who called elections a mistake is now shaping what comes after them. He's not storming the castle. He's redecorating it. And if you squint, you'll see the future peeking out from under his high-collared Substack. It's not democratic. It's draped in velvet and lit by vibes. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
Caste, dynasty and state capital: Three factors that have shaped Andhra Pradesh politics
In Andhra Pradesh, three factors have shaped the contours of contemporary politics: the Capitalist economy, dynastic politics and the question of the state capital. These factors influenced the dominant castes' role in politics and the formation of political parties. Broadly, there are three phases in the political process of Andhra Pradesh: One, the consolidation of the Telugu identity from the early 20th century, resulting in separation from the Madras state in 1953; two, the phase of dominant caste politics from the 1950s right until the bifurcation of the composite state into Telangana and residual AP in 2014; three, the rise of dynastic politics from 2014. In the last phase, political power in the state has been in the hands of three families. The growing phenomenon of dynastic politics needs to be explained in the historical context of the political economy. The building of irrigation infrastructure from the late 19th century onwards by the colonial rulers in coastal Andhra, like the Dhavaleswaram project across the Godavari, and the Nagarjuna Sagar and Srisailam dams across the Krishna after Independence, turned drought-prone areas into rice bowls. Subsequently, the Green Revolution contributed immensely towards the rise of rich capitalist farmers from dominant castes such as Kamma, Kapu, Rajus and Reddys. With the spread of Western education during the colonial period, the educated Brahmin community took the lead in creating awareness about the importance of nationalism and the Telugu regional identity. The Andhra Mahasabha came into existence in 1930 to advocate for the rights of the Telugus in the Madras state. In 1937, the Sri Bagh pact was signed with the feudal lords of Rayalaseema, which was more backward compared to the prosperous coastal region. Over time, the linguistic movement intensified, and the prominent Gandhian Potti Sriramulu went on a fast unto death to carve Andhra out from the multilingual Madras state. Andhra State was created in 1953, and the Reddy community prevailed upon Jawaharlal Nehru to make Kurnool in Rayalaseema the state capital. However, the move was opposed by N G Ranga, a veteran freedom fighter-cum-Congress leader from the Kamma caste of Guntur district. He demanded that Vijayawada be made the capital of Andhra. By 1956, political conditions favoured the creation of Vishalandhra by merging the Telugu-speaking parts of Hyderabad State (Telangana) through the Gentleman's Agreement. Initially, the electoral fray saw a Congress vs Communists contest, both controlled by the Reddys and Kammas. In fact, from 1956-1983 until the emergence of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Congress was in power. After matinee idol NT Rama Rao floated the TDP, Congress was defeated for the first time in composite AP, and from the 1980s onwards, the state swung between Congress and TDP. From 1956 to 2014, Reddys, who formed 6.5 per cent of the population, held 27 per cent of the political representation and the Kammas, who were 4.5 per cent of the population, held 13 per cent of the political representation. For more than 30 years, the chief minister's position was captured by the Reddys and more than 20 years by Kammas and the rest of the period by the Brahmins, Vaishyas, Velamas and a Dalit. As a result of the dominant and upper-caste rule of more than five decades, the regional fragmentation was aggravated by the bifurcation of the state, while class and caste politics were suppressed. Elections became costly affairs, with a social deficit of representation created due to the disproportionate representation of the landed dominant castes in political power and the conversion of Hyderabad into a centre of global capital at the cost of opportunities for the local population. With the bifurcation of AP, the TDP and Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) have emerged as the contenders for political domination in the residual state, with both dominated, in turn, by the dynasty. In 1995, TDP was captured by NTR's son-in-law Chandrababu Naidu, who has been the party president for the last three decades and is now promoting his son Lokesh as the future of the party. YS Jagan Mohan Reddy (Jagan) is the son of the former chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy, who died in a helicopter accident in 2009. When the Congress party refused to make him the chief minister, he floated the YSRCP in 2011. The party contested in the 2014 election to encash YSR's political legacy, but that only resulted in opposition status. The TDP, as a ruling party from 2014 to 2019 and 2024 onwards, has been concentrating on building a highly centralised capital at Amaravati, which is located in the green belt of coastal Andhra, with 34,000 acres of land already acquired. When it was in power from 2019 to 2024, the YSRCP proposed three capitals at Amaravati, Visakhapatnam and Kurnool. However, Jagan's proposal failed in the 2024 election, and Naidu's plan to build a global city is back in full swing. Thanks to TDP joining the NDA coalition, Amaravati is getting support from the centre. Therefore, the entire exercise of global capital has been characterised by Carol Upadhya as the 'reterritorialisation of the deterritorialised Kamma caste' in the form of building a world-class capital. The writer teaches in the department of Political Science, University of Hyderabad
Hans India
3 days ago
- General
- Hans India
Tirupati district Brahmin Associations service committee formed
Tirupati: In a significant development aimed at uniting all Brahmin associations across Tirupati district, a new Brahmin Associations' Service Committee has been formed. The inauguration ceremony of the newly elected executive committee was held with grandeur, marking a fresh chapter of collaboration among Brahmin communities. As part of this initiative, over 50 underprivileged Brahmin families were provided with essential groceries and vegetables during the event, underscoring the committee's commitment to social welfare. The movement, led by Vedam Hariprasad, who is State youth president and now the general secretary of the Tirupati District Brahmin Associations' Service Committee, has been in the making since February. He toured various areas across the district, mobilising Brahmin communities under a united platform. His efforts culminated in the formal oath-taking ceremony, which took place at Srikalahasti on Saturday evening. The event was graced by the presence of State general secretary Vasudev Rao and Discipline Committee chairman Kothapalli Ajay Kumar as chief guests, while Prakasam, president of Srikalahasti Brahmin Association, presided over the proceedings. More than 200 members from various associations participated in the programme, which also included the swearing-in of the newly elected members of the committee. The new executive body comprises honorary presidents PPSS Pratap (Babu Swamy) and president Dr Nossam Narasimhacharya, treasurer D Tulasiram Sharma, and working presidents Kothapalli Vijayakumar and K Mallikarjuna Sharma. Vice-presidents and other representatives were also elected to strengthen the committee's activities across the district.
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Govt working to strengthen Sikh-Hindu brotherhood in state: Saini
Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini on Friday said that the government is working to strengthen the Sikh Hindu brotherhood in the state by following the teachings of Guru Arjan Dev. Along with this, a Sikh museum will be built on 3 acres of land in Kurukshetra to preserve the memories and teachings of the Gurus. Saini reached Baoli Sahib Gurudwara in Pehowa of Kurukshetra to pay tributes to the fifth Sikh Guru, Guru Arjan Dev on his 419th martyrdom day. On the occasion, Saini partook of the langar and later served at a chhabil counter. Saini said that Guru Arjun Dev's martyrdom will continue to inspire us for ages like a beacon of light, generation after generation, to struggle and sacrifice against injustice, exploitation, and oppression. On this occasion, HSGMC president Jagdish Singh Jhinda, deputy commissioner Neha Singh, superintendent of police Nitish Agarwal, BJP district president Tejender Singh Goldy and other dignitaries were present. ₹51 lakh grant announced for Gaur Brahmin Vidya Pracharini Sabha Nayab Singh Saini said that the state government will give a three-times amount as generated by the Gaur Brahmin Vidya Pracharini Sabha in village Pahrawar in Rohtak for the construction of campus-III educational institution. Addressing a gathering on the occasion of Lord Parshuram's birth anniversary, Saini announced to give ₹51 lakh grant to Gaur Brahmin Vidya Pracharini Sabha, besides promising to forward demands raised by the Brahmin Sabha to various departments and those feasible will be fulfilled. 'I urge the Gaur Brahmin Sabha to raise funds from the society to construct a campus of education institute at Pahrawar village and the state government will give three-times funds raised by the sabha,' he added. Earlier, Saini inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for nine projects worth ₹61.23 crore. This includes laying the foundation stones for five projects valued at ₹54.26 crore and inaugurating four projects worth ₹6.97 crore. He paid tribute to Lord Parshuram on his birth anniversary, and martyrdom day of Sikh Guru Arjan Dev and the birth anniversary of Arut Maharaj. He said that all these great personalities dedicated their entire lives to the establishment of religion, social unity, harmony and culture. 'Their life journeys continue to inspire us to follow the path of righteousness and serve humanity,' he added. Describing Lord Parshuram as a mighty warrior and a great social reformer, Saini said that despite being a Brahmin, he took up arms to eradicate injustice and unrighteousness. 'Lord Parshuram Ji teaches us that balance of knowledge and strength can lead society in the right direction. Parshuram Ji had said that even taking up arms to protect religion is a form of penance,' he added. He further said that inspired by Parshuram's spirit, the Armed forces under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, carried out Operation Sindoor after the inhumane Pahalgam incident and destroyed the haven of terrorists in Pakistan. Saini said that the medical college in Kaithal has been named after Lord Parshuram to inspire future generations with his teachings and ideals. 'Our government has declared a gazette holiday on the birth anniversary of Lord Parshuram. The longstanding land dispute of the Gaur Brahmin College in Pahrawar village, which had persisted since 2013, has been resolved. The government has also approved 100 seats of Bachelor of Ayurveda Medicine and Surgery at the Gaur Brahmin Ayurveda College, and classes have commenced. A postage stamp in the name of Lord Parshuram has been issued, besides allocating land for a Brahmin dharamshala in Karnal,' he added.
Time of India
28-05-2025
- Time of India
Engineering student sexually exploited over false promise of marriage in Bengaluru
Bengaluru: A 22-year-old engineering student in the city has filed a police complaint against her former male partner whem she had met on Instagram, accusing him of sexually exploiting her under a false promise of marriage, before quietly slipping out of the country. After moving out of India, accused Nandan (name changed) concocted a story about him getting arrested in Dubai. However, his bluff was called when the victim, Shreya (name changed), using his passport number, tracked him down to Austin, United States. A senior police officer said a case was registered against the accused and his parents under multiple sections of BNS. "We will be issuing a lookout notice against Nandan. When he lands at any of the airports in India, he will be detained," the officer added. Shreya, a final-year college student and resident of South Bengaluru, said in her police complaint that Nandan, 28, a software engineer, had befriended her on Instagram in 2023. Later, in Jan 2024, they met near her house. A month later, when Nandan proposed to her, Shreya told him she won't be able to accept his proposal as she was from the Scheduled Caste, while he was a Brahmin. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Don't Bother With An Expensive Will (Do This Instead) Local Will Finder Undo However, claiming he was madly in love with her, Nandan said he already knew about her caste and it mattered little to him. He then put an "engagement" ring on her. In July 2024, Nandan visited Shreya's house on her birthday and got introduced to her mother. He assured her that he would marry Shreya, and the mother accepted their relationship. Thereafter, Nandan was a frequent visitor to their house. He also claimed to have bought an apartment in R R Nagar, which, according to Nandan, would be the couple's home post-wedding. Often, he used to take Shreya to his house in Banashankari, while his parents were away, and also to his R R Nagar apartment. Last September, Nandan forcibly had sex with the victim, saying they were getting married anyway. Thereafter, he had sex with her on multiple occasions. A formal engagement was scheduled at Shreya's house earlier this month, with the wedding slated for June. A pre-wedding photoshoot was also done. Meanwhile, Nandan suddenly started singing to a different tune, telling Shreya that they both ought to give the caste issue a serious thought. On April 23, he messaged her, saying he had landed in Dubai to hide from the authorities he worked for in Russia and China, but got caught. Thereafter, his phone was switched off. Realising that something in Nandan's tale wasn't quite adding up, Shreya used his passport number and found out that he was in Austin, Texas, in the United States, and not in Dubai. She and her father then confronted Nandan's parents with the pre-wedding photos, but Nandan's father didn't let them into his house and allegedly insulted them over their caste. He even told them in as many words that Nandan was sent to the US to avoid getting married to Shreya.
