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India Today
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- India Today
Anupam Kher, victim of terrorism, applauds Operation Sindoor: Felt vindicated
Actor Anupam Kher spoke about his personal experience with terrorism, describing himself and his family as victims. He recalled the plight of Kashmiri Pandits who were forced to leave their homes on the night of January 19, 1990. Speaking exclusively to India Today, the actor-director also commended the Narendra Modi-led government's Operation Sindoor, an attack against terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied expressed his feelings of anger rather than helplessness, especially after seeing distressing visuals such as a woman sitting beside her deceased husband during the Pahalgam attack on April 22. He said seeing the distressing images evoked anger in him like that of any common Indian."I am a victim of terrorism. My family is a victim of terrorism. For 32 years, nothing happened to the Kashmiri pundits, who had to leave their homes one night on January 19, 1990. And then again, there's something like this [referring to the Pahalgam incident] happening after the abrogation of Article 370. Lots and lots of people are going over there [to Kashmir]. I've stopped feeling helpless. I get angry because when I see the visual of a woman sitting next to her dead husband, it makes me angry like any other common Indian," he explained."I stopped feeling helpless. I get angry now. I get angry when I see the visual of a woman sitting next to her dead husband. When I see something like that, it makes me angry like any other common Indian. So you expect your leadership to act. And when they did that, I felt IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) May 31, 2025advertisement Applauding the government's retaliation by launching Operation Sindoor against Pakistan, he said, "You expect your government or your leadership to act and when they did that, I felt vindicated. I don't know whether that's the right word, but I did feel that that's how it should have happened. Within two days, we know what happened there. People have their own theories, but now we are getting to know the facts and how precise our attack was."Kher also appreciated our Indian Armed forces for their precise attack on nine terror bases in Pakistan. "How wonderful our armies, how intelligence worked. It is the leadership which takes the decision. Unfortunately, when 26/11 happened in Mumbai, the leadership did not do anything about it and it was unfortunate. Now we know that we have people who will not take things for granted," he people were killed in one of the worst terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir that took place on April 22. India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 and attacked nine terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Watch
News18
2 days ago
- Politics
- News18
Acceptance Of Caste Census Not Necessarily A Defeat Of BJP's Hindutva Agenda
Last Updated: Hindutva needs the support of the OBCs, including the marginalised castes within the group, and the government realises that The Narendra Modi-led NDA government has finally agreed to conduct the caste census. This will be the first such exercise in independent India as the last caste census was done in 1931 when the country was a colony of the British. Though the previous Congress-led UPA government tried to count caste in its Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) in the last census of 2011, the data on caste population was never published as the UPA lost power in 2014 to the BJP-led NDA whose government, citing anomalies, withheld the data on caste population. While the populations of Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) were counted in the past censuses, the new caste census will count the populations of Other Backward Castes (OBCs) and the general castes (so-called upper castes). OBCs are the biggest caste bloc, which is a collection of many different castes and sub-castes. The OBCs, who are given 27 per cent reservation in Union government jobs and central educational institutions, believe that they are denied their proper share as their population is much higher than the reservation quota given to them. A caste census will give the population of the OBCs as well details of the many castes and sub-castes within the OBC bloc. It is this reason that the OBCs have been vocal supporters of the caste census. Now that BJP has agreed for caste census, after being initially reluctant to the idea, the opposition INDIA bloc has claimed credit for this. Additionally, there has been commentary to conclude this as the victory of social justice over BJP's Hindutva agenda. While it can't be denied that the BJP's central leadership had to agree with the caste census after witnessing INDIA bloc's pitch getting traction on the ground, particularly in the most politically significant state of Uttar Pradesh, the commentary that BJP's Hindutva agenda has been overpowered by the agenda of social justice, advocated by the socialist, Bahujan parties and now by Congress also, is based on simplistic arguments. The BJP came to power in 2014 by securing a majority of its own for the first time and was able to repeat this feat, with a bigger mandate, in 2019. One of the main factors behind these achievements was, undoubtedly, the agenda of Hindutva. While Hindutva helped the saffron party, if one watched closely, one will realise that these victories also had the caste factor, which was shrewdly exploited while being kept under the Hindutva carpet. In 2014, while the BJP projected its then prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, an OBC, as a Hindutva face, he was also projected as a representative of the OBCs. This was done after getting support from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, BJP's ideological parent, and its associated fronts on the ground. To be fair, this strategy to weave caste equations within the Hindutva umbrella by the saffron party and the Sangh Parivar dates back to the 1990s when then party's general secretary KN Govindacharya first implemented social engineering—mixing Hindutva (Kamandal) with caste politics (Mandal). This Kamandal-Mandal strategy brought OBC leaders like Kalyan Singh, Uma Bharti, Vinay Katiyar to prominence in the saffron party. This strategy helped the saffron party to come to power for the first time in Uttar Pradesh in 1993 and Kalyan Singh became the chief minister. However, the strategy later failed to move forward with the sidelining of OBC faces like Kalyan and Uma Bharti, who led the party to a gigantic victory in Madhya Pradesh in the 2003 elections, within the party with Govindacharya himself being sidelined in the early 2000s by the saffron party then led by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-Lal Krishna Advani duo. After facing back-to-back electoral setbacks in 2004 and 2009, the saffron party returned to the formula of social engineering and this helped it return to power in 2014 and then in 2019 and 2024. The party particularly targeted the non-Yadav OBCs, which otherwise aren't politically dominant, unlike the Yadavs. But the reduced mandate in 2024 elections once again served as a reality check to the BJP regarding its social engineering project. It was because the OBCs, who started to rally towards the saffron party from 2014, felt they weren't given the proper representation when it came to power sharing. These were legitimate concerns. Despite OBCs being the dominant group in BJP's tally in the 17th Lok Sabha, they lagged behind the 'upper castes" in Modi 2.0, even after increasing OBC representation after reshuffling of council of ministers in 2021. This was reflected at the state level too. Take the example of Uttar Pradesh, where upper castes are over-represented in the BJP's power structure in terms of legislators and ministers. It was only after the setback in 2024 that the BJP made more ministers from the OBCs in the third term of the Modi-led government, surpassing the 'upper castes" who had a majority in the first and second terms of the Modi government. This was a significant change, reflecting the efforts of the Sangh Parivar to accept the concerns and aspirations of the OBCs, who remained the largest caste bloc in the country. Later, in the national conclave of the RSS held from August 31 to September 2 in Palakkad last year, the organisation announced its support for the caste census, arguing its importance for various government-sponsored welfare schemes. Before this, it had announced support for the caste census in 2023, when the Opposition started pitching for the idea. No one can deny that caste is a reality. The BJP and the Sangh Parivar are also aware of this bitter truth. Hindutva needs the support of the OBCs, including the marginalised castes within the group. For that, the saffron party needs to accommodate the aspirations of the OBCs—and to do this, it had no other option but to accept the caste census. The announcement of the caste census by the Modi government reflects this thinking. top videos View all As of now, it is futile to draw the exact consequences post-the caste census, which is yet to be conducted, but the conclusion that the caste census is necessarily a defeat of BJP's Hindutva is based on simplistic and hollow arguments. The author is a political commentator. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18's views. First Published: May 29, 2025, 14:37 IST
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Cabinet hikes MSP of Kharif crops for 2025-26
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel The Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Cabinet on Wednesday announced Minimum Selling Price for kharif crops for the 2025-26 marketing season, amid worries of above normal monsoon impacting the sowing Cabinet approved hike in paddy MSP by Rs 69 per quintal to Rs 2,369 for 2025-26 Kharif season, said Union Minister Ashwini increase in MSP for Kharif Crops for Marketing Season 2025-26 is in line with the Union Budget 2018-19 announcement of fixing the MSP at a level of at least 1.5 times of the All-India weighted average cost of production, The expected margin to farmers over their cost of production are estimated to be highest in case of bajra (63%) followed by maize (59%), tur (59%) and urad (53%). For rest of the crops, margin to farmers over their cost of production is estimated to be at 50%.During the period 2014-15 to 2024-25, the MSP amount paid to 14 Kharif crops growing famers was Rs. 16.35 Lakh Crores while during the period 2004-05 to 2013-14, MSP amount paid to farmers was Rs. 4.75 Lakh typically need a dry window of 15–20 days to prepare land for planting. This ye ar, pre-monsoon showers began in early May and haven't let up, leaving the soil too wet for tractor weather experts earlier cautioned that while the early onset is encouraging, the real impact will depend on how steadily and uniformly the monsoon progresses across the country in the coming weeks. A consistent spread and distribution of rainfall are essential to ensure a successful kharif rainfall or prolonged dry spells can offset the benefits of an early start. If the monsoon maintains its pace and spreads evenly to central and northern India by mid-July — its usual schedule — the country could be on track for a strong agricultural output, which would also help keep food inflation in check and boost overall economic growth.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
India & US may finalise interim trade deal by June 25 ahead of Donald Trump's tariff deadline
India-US trade deal: The focus remains on securing an interim trade arrangement before finalising the first phase of the bilateral trade agreement. (AI image) India-US trade deal: A bilateral trade agreement between US President Donald Trump-led US and PM Narendra Modi-led India could be sealed as early as the end of June. A delegation of US officials is scheduled to visit India in June for trade discussions. The focus remains on securing an interim trade arrangement before finalising the first phase of the bilateral trade agreement (BTA), particularly as the USA's 26 per cent reciprocal tariff on India remains suspended until July 9 this year. This tariff was implemented by the US on April 2. Currently, Indian exports continue to face America's standard 10 per cent baseline tariff. Sources told PTI that a potential interim trade agreement could be reached by June 25. "Talks are moving. Things are on track," according to these sources. Also Read | Explained: Why India is well positioned to deal with negative effects of Trump's tariffs & top reasons it will be at an advantage Special Secretary Rajesh Agrawal from India's Department of Commerce, who serves as the country's primary negotiator, recently completed a four-day diplomatic mission to Washington. During his stay, he engaged in discussions with his American counterpart regarding the proposed agreement. Additionally, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal visited Washington recently to advance the trade negotiations. His agenda included two meetings with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. India-US trade deal talks In the ongoing trade negotiations, India seeks complete relief from the 26 per cent reciprocal duty imposed on its domestic products. India and the US have established a target to finalise the initial phase of the suggested BTA before autumn (September-October) this year. India seeks to negotiate duty reductions in the proposed agreement with America, focusing on sectors that employ a significant workforce, including textiles, gems and jewellery, leather products, garments, plastics, chemicals, shrimp, oil seeds, chemicals, grapes and bananas. The United States, in return, is requesting tariff reductions across various sectors, including industrial products, automobiles (particularly electric vehicles), wines, petrochemical items, dairy products and agricultural goods such as apples, tree nuts and GM (genetically modified) crops. India maintains strict regulatory standards regarding GM crop imports from the US, making their entry unfeasible. However, New Delhi remains receptive to importing non-GM products, including Alpha alpha hay, which serves as cattle feed. The United States maintained its position as India's main trading partner for the fourth straight year in 2024-25, with two-way trade reaching $131.84 billion. The US constitutes approximately 18 per cent of India's overall goods exports, 6.22 per cent in imports, and 10.73 per cent of the nation's total merchandise trade. Also Read | Forced to destroy! US rejects 15 mango shipments from India, exporters estimate losses of $500,000 India registered a positive trade balance (exports surpassing imports) with the US, amounting to $41.18 billion in goods during 2024-25. Previous figures show $35.32 billion in 2023-24, $27.7 billion in 2022-23, $32.85 billion in 2021-22 and $22.73 billion in 2020-21. The US has expressed apprehension regarding this increasing trade imbalance. Both trading partners aim to increase bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030, which will be a more than a twofold increase from current levels. A finance ministry report suggests that a successful trade deal between India and the US could transform existing challenges into opportunities, potentially creating new avenues for market access and enhancing exports. Also Read | Remittances tax: How Donald Trump's 'The One Big Beautiful Bill' may turn out to be ugly for Indians in the US Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Hans India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
May 26 marks the day when Modi took oath as PM for the first time
New Delhi: With three successive terms in power, the Narendra Modi-led NDA government is one of the most powerful dispensations in the history of India, with such a feat limited to the country's first PM Jawaharlal Nehru only. The journey of this 'new era of politics' began on this day, ie, May 26, 2014, when Modi took the oath of office and secrecy for the first time, as the country's Prime Minister. Modi became the country's 15th Prime Minister of India after the BJP's thumping victory in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, described by many political pundits and analysts as a watershed moment in Indian politics. Interestingly, Modi also took note of the red-letter day while addressing a public rally in Gujarat's Dahod on Monday and spoke about his 'new beginnings' at the 7 Lok Kalyan Marg, the Prime Minister's official residence in the national capital. 'Today is May 26. It was on this day in 2014 that I took the oath as the Prime Minister for the first time. With the strength of your blessings, I have been tirelessly serving the people of the nation day and night. In these years, the country has taken decisions that are unimaginable and unprecedented. In all these years, the country has broken decades-old shackles,' the PM said. He also thanked the residents of his home state, saying, 'All of you in Gujarat gave me your abundant blessings; later, millions across the country also blessed me without any hesitation,' pointing to an outpouring of support that led to his shifting from state politics to the national level.
