Latest news with #Prabodhini
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
National Interest is Supreme
Keshav Upadhye, a young, dynamic and prominent face, has been working with the Bharatiya Janata Party for over two decades. In 2014, the then state president Devendra Fadnavis had appointed Upadhye as the spokesperson in his team. Owing to his journalistic background and better understanding of the socio-economic issues of the state, Upadhye made a mark as a spokesperson in a short span. He articulates the views of the party and aggressively defends the party on various platforms including the Marathi and Hindi national news channels. Keshav Upadhye worked for the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and after completing his degree in Journalism from Ranade Institute, Pune, he began his career as a journalist with daily Pudhari, Loksatta and Mumbai Tarun Bharat. Knowing the pulse of the news, he writes on varied topics and on various platforms like the newspapers, blogs and other social media platforms. He was involved in two study groups formed by the Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini in 2006 to study the naxalite movement and its adverse impact on the development of Chhatisgarh. The Prabodhini later published this report. He was also a part of the Prabodhini's fact-finding committee formed to study the Solapur riots. LESS ... MORE US President Donald Trump has recently announced to increase import duty on Indian goods up to 50 percent. Trump's announcement is being discussed at various levels on international platforms. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reacted to this US sanction in very clear terms. 'I will never compromise with the interests of India's farmers, animal husbandry sector and the fishermen', with this response, Prime Minister Modi has sent a direct message to the whole world that India will not bow to anyone's pressure. India's oil purchase from Russia in international trade is an objectionable issue for the US. The US insists that India should not buy oil from Russia. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has given a blunt reply to the Trump administration by releasing the details of the US's purchase from Russia. The Trump administration has decided to impose a 50 percent import duty on Brazil along with India. While discussing the sanctions imposed on India by a superpower like America, the message that the central government will not compromise with India's interests has been given very calmly without any fuss. Industrialists like Anand Mahindra and Harsh Goenka have openly supported this stance of the Modi government. The picture that has emerged on this occasion is that the entire nation has decided not to bow down to America. America has used its economic empire to impose sanctions on India many times before. In the very recent past, i.e. in 1998, after the Pokhran test, the then Bill Clinton administration had imposed sanctions on India. Even then, the National Democratic Alliance government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee had not bowed down to America. As India has become a significant player in the global political scene, various powers have consistently attempted to corner it over the last 11 years. Despite these efforts, there are no signs of India's development momentum slowing down. As a result, pressure tactics such as increasing import restrictions are now being employed. Donald Trump's recent language towards India has become extremely ugly and derogatory. Prime Minister Modi has preferred to respond to this language with calm actions rather than aggressive responses. After India's strong response to the Pahalgam massacre in the form of 'Operation Sindoor', the US's stance has suddenly become anti-India. Donald Trump had often boasted that he himself intervened to stop the conflict between India and Pakistan and brokered the ceasefire. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also responded to that as well in a very moderate language. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has given a befitting reply to Trump, who announced that he is increasing import duty on India to 50 percent in order to stop the purchase of oil from Russia. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has shown evidence that the US and the European Union are still trading with Russia. The Trump administration is trying to penetrate a huge market like India. There is an insistence on opening up India's agricultural sector to US imports. The Trump administration is also trying to ensure that there is a large amount of American investment in the sectors of animal husbandry, dairy farming, and fishing. The Trump administration is taking an insistent stance to bring genetically modified crops (GM crops), corn, wheat, and ethanol to India, which can impact Indian agricultural sustainability. The ongoing trade negotiations between the two countries have made it clear what America is fighting for. That is why Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given a clear message to the Trump administration that he will never compromise with the interests of Indian farmers, and that he is ready to pay any price for it. India is getting crude oil from Russia at a discounted rate, which is benefiting the country, that is why we have been buying crude oil from Russia for the last 3 years. Even after the war with Ukraine, European countries have not stopped buying oil from Russia. America's duplicity has been proven by imposing a mere 15 percent import tax on European countries that buy oil from Russia and a 50 percent import tax on India. Trump has vented his disgust with India by stating that India's economy is dead. Every person in India has a debt of Rs 4.8 lakh. In a country like America, there is a debt of 90 thousand 400 dollars per person which is about 80 lakhs. The Trump administration, which is striving to maintain its dominance in the global trade arena, has started a vigorous attempt to put pressure on India by increasing import tariffs. The Trump administration has announced the increase in import duties even as trade talks between India and the US continue. One could say that the Trump administration, which is under the illusion that India will succumb to its pressure tactics, has clearly not understood the Modi government. The industry and trade sector of the country is firmly behind the Modi government. In the last 11 years, the Modi government has focused on increasing domestic production in the sectors of defence, automobiles, electronics, and medicines to implement the concept of 'self-reliant India'. In the last 11 years, India's imports have been decreasing step by step and exports have been increasing significantly. While building trade relations, the role of 'national interest is paramount' will be maintained as a priority. This is the true identity of the new India. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
Time of India
05-08-2025
- Time of India
MP woman scales Mount Elbrus, unfurls banner to promote anti-drug campaign
Bhopal: Anjana Singh , a 26-year-old resident of Amarpatan in Maihar, unfurled a banner reading "Nashe Se Duri Hai Zaroori" (Say No to Drugs) atop Mount Elbrus, the highest peak in Europe, standing at 18,510 feet above sea level on July 27. This message is part of a campaign launched by Madhya Pradesh Police to make people aware about drugs and wean away those addicted from it. Singh took about 72 hours to reach the summit. "I unfurled the banner of the 'Nashe Se Duri' campaign there. I've always been vocal about promoting Hindi— most of the banner content was in Hindi. Even when abroad, I prefer speaking in our native language and often request people to translate," she told TOI. In addition to her mountaineering achievement, Singh serves as the brand ambassador for the 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' campaign in the district. After returning from Mount Elbrus on August 4, she was felicitated by senior police officials. "I will continue supporting the police in their ongoing drive to create awareness among girls," she added. The Maihar Police are concurrently running a special awareness initiative named 'Prabodhini', aimed at educating adolescent girls in the district about safety, social risks, and encouraging them to pursue educational and career goals. On Tuesday, a special event was organised at the SP office to energise the campaign, where Singh was honoured for both her mountaineering feat and her contribution to the police's anti-drug awareness efforts. Speaking about the initiative, SP Sudhir Agrawal stated that 'Prabodhini' was launched in October 2024 and has since involved teams visiting schools and villages to disseminate information. "The campaign aims to reduce vulnerability among girls and help them understand how to safeguard themselves in today's environment," he said. As part of the expansion, a dedicated WhatsApp group will be created for schoolgirls to stay connected, share updates, and act as peer ambassadors in both urban and rural areas. "The goal is to build a strong network of informed and empowered young girls who can identify and report abuse while inspiring others to do the same," Agrawal added.
Time of India
04-08-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Congress – singing the tune of Pakistan
Keshav Upadhye, a young, dynamic and prominent face, has been working with the Bharatiya Janata Party for over two decades. In 2014, the then state president Devendra Fadnavis had appointed Upadhye as the spokesperson in his team. Owing to his journalistic background and better understanding of the socio-economic issues of the state, Upadhye made a mark as a spokesperson in a short span. He articulates the views of the party and aggressively defends the party on various platforms including the Marathi and Hindi national news channels. Keshav Upadhye worked for the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and after completing his degree in Journalism from Ranade Institute, Pune, he began his career as a journalist with daily Pudhari, Loksatta and Mumbai Tarun Bharat. Knowing the pulse of the news, he writes on varied topics and on various platforms like the newspapers, blogs and other social media platforms. He was involved in two study groups formed by the Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini in 2006 to study the naxalite movement and its adverse impact on the development of Chhatisgarh. The Prabodhini later published this report. He was also a part of the Prabodhini's fact-finding committee formed to study the Solapur riots. LESS ... MORE Parliament recently held a discussion on 'Operation Sindoor', a joint operation by the Indian armed forces against terrorist outfits in Pakistan. Entire opposition including Congress were consistently demanding a discussion in Parliament on this issue. Congress' prince Rahul Gandhi and his sidekicks were also alleging that the government is not ready to discuss this subject in the parliament. The Modi government refuted the opposition's allegation by discussing this issue in detail. Rahul Gandhi's objection that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not speaking a word on this matter also turned out to be totally false. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar also shed light in detail on various aspects related to 'Operation Sindoor' and the subsequent developments. This helped expose Congress' pro Pakistan stand in front of the nation once again. Congress' prince, while speaking in Lok Sabha, questioned why the action by armed forces against Pakistan was stopped and also bragged that the bravery and courage should have been shown like his grandmother Indira Gandhi. There is absolutely no doubt that Mrs Indira Gandhi showed the courage of breaking Bangladesh from Pakistan and making it an independent nation in 1971. Jan Sangh, the main opposition party at that time, had given its complete support to Indira Gandhi. The world could see the proud picture of the entire opposition standing in solidarity behind Indira Gandhi. The same picture was expected during the time of 'Operation Sindoor'. However, the behaviour of opposition parties over the last eleven years has shown time and again that they do not hesitate to take even an anti-national stand just to oppose Modi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi completely exposed the Congress' stand during his speech in the Lok Sabha. Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, while speaking on this matter in Rajya Sabha, showed another example of his love for Pakistan by raising a question 'Why do you assume that they came from Pakistan?' At the same time Praniti Shinde, daughter of another senior Congress leader and former Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, while making her point in Lok Sabha insulted the Indian armed forces by calling 'Operation Sindoor' a 'Tamasha' performed only for the media. She revealed Congress' traditional love for Pakistan by blatantly lying that the government is not giving information on how many terrorists were killed in 'Operation Sindoor'. In the press conference held immediately after 'Operation Sindoor', the Indian armed forces had clearly stated that the only purpose behind this operation was to destroy terrorist camps in Pakistan. In this operation India targeted 4 terrorist camps located 100 km inside Pakistan and destroyed 5 camps in POK with great precision. Officials of the Indian armed forces had informed in a press conference in New Delhi that the bases of the terrorist organizations Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba have been destroyed. Despite that, a public representative like Praniti Shinde in Lok Sabha by asking questions like 'what exactly was achieved by this operation' and calling 'Operation Sindoor' a 'Tamasha', cast a doubt on the actions of the Indian armed forces. Congress has this old habit of insulting the armed forces. Pakistan launched missile attacks targeting civilian settlements in India after 'Operation Sindoor'. However, the Indian armed forces repelled all these attacks. After that the Indian armed forces showed its strength by targeting army bases in Pakistan. Terrified by these attacks, Pakistan pleaded with India to stop the attacks. The Indian armed forces had also clearly stated that they have temporarily stopped 'Operation Sindoor' at Pakistan's request as the aim of teaching Pakistan a lesson had been achieved. Leaders of the ruling party, ministers at centre were not briefing the media throughout this period. All the briefings regarding this operation, losses suffered by Pakistan in this operation were officially done by representatives of the Indian armed forces itself. A modern technique of PowerPoint presentation was used while sharing information about this operation. In spite of this Congress leaders have no shame in doubting the bravery of the Indian armed forces by making statements like what was achieved through 'Operation Sindoor' at the supreme level like Lok Sabha. Few days back, Rahul Gandhi had demanded information on the number of aircrafts shot down by Pakistan in 'Operation Sindoor'. The Indian armed forces had already given a clear explanation on this. Pakistan's Prime Minister had made the ridiculous claim that their army had shot down Indian planes. However, the government of Pakistan failed to provide a single evidence of this. Instead of demanding information about the damage done to Pakistan, Rahul Gandhi was asking for the information on the number of Indian aircrafts that were shot down. Today, Rahul Gandhi is making childish remarks like asking why 'Operation Sindoor' was stopped?, Modi Government lacks courage to take action against Pakistan, but he will conveniently forget that no action was taken against Pakistan after the Mumbai attacks in 2008 despite the readiness of Indian armed forces only because of the weak stand taken by Sonia Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi also forgot that his grandmother unconditionally released over one lakh Pakistani soldiers. The prince is even oblivious to the fact that he is speaking the language of Pakistan just to oppose Modi and BJP. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
Time of India
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Who played the ‘band' for the ‘brand'?
Keshav Upadhye, a young, dynamic and prominent face, has been working with the Bharatiya Janata Party for over two decades. In 2014, the then state president Devendra Fadnavis had appointed Upadhye as the spokesperson in his team. Owing to his journalistic background and better understanding of the socio-economic issues of the state, Upadhye made a mark as a spokesperson in a short span. He articulates the views of the party and aggressively defends the party on various platforms including the Marathi and Hindi national news channels. Keshav Upadhye worked for the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and after completing his degree in Journalism from Ranade Institute, Pune, he began his career as a journalist with daily Pudhari, Loksatta and Mumbai Tarun Bharat. Knowing the pulse of the news, he writes on varied topics and on various platforms like the newspapers, blogs and other social media platforms. He was involved in two study groups formed by the Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini in 2006 to study the naxalite movement and its adverse impact on the development of Chhatisgarh. The Prabodhini later published this report. He was also a part of the Prabodhini's fact-finding committee formed to study the Solapur riots. LESS ... MORE Former ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Mr. Uddhav Thackeray, recently stated in an interview given to his party mouthpiece that some bands are orchestrating to end the 'Thackeray brand'. UBT seems to have a great fondness for issuing sarcastic so-called quips. And only he believes his quips are sharp, meaningful, and clever. In pursuit of this habit, he has now paired the word 'brand' with 'band' attempting a play on words. Recently, during a unity gathering held in the name of Marathi pride, the same UBT made a rather baffling statement saying, 'Devendra Fadnavis lifted the wedding veil between us,' trying to imply a newfound closeness. However, this statement left many people stunned. To use such a metaphor at an event centered around Marathi identity and saying that the wedding curtain between the brothers has been lifted to describe political reconciliation, only demonstrated that UBT urgently needs a Marathi professor to guide their so-called linguistic enlightenment. Anyway, the main point is about this self-proclaimed 'brand' of UBT. The revered Balasaheb Thackeray was a truly iconic brand. This 'brand' was created due to the fearless, outspoken nature of Venerable Balasaheb and his attitude of never compromising with Hindutva. In the 1980s, Venerable Balasaheb strongly advocated Hindutva and expanded Shiv Sena's reach across Maharashtra. In the backdrop of all these incidents, such as the Ram Mandir movement, the Karseva in Ayodhya and the subsequent riots in Mumbai, and the 1993 bomb blasts, Venerable Balasaheb's 'brand' of fiery Hindutva rose to prominence. In the wake of this powerful brand, the false secularism of the Congress was thoroughly exposed. Hinduism was the common thread in the alliance between Bharatiya Janata Party and Shiv Sena. The fearless stand taken by Venerable Balasaheb during the Mumbai riots of 1992-1993 was revealed in the then issue of 'Saamana'. In 1995, the BJP-Shiv Sena coalition government came to power. For the success of the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance, venerable Balasaheb had travelled across Maharashtra and created a stir through public meetings. Mr. Uddhav Rao became active in the organization built by his father with great effort after 1995-1996. While Venerable Balasaheb was fighting for the establishment of Shiv Sena and the just rights of the Marathi people, Uddhav Rao was not even active in Shiv Sena. In 2002-2003, Uddhav Rao took over the reins of the organization. Since then, Shiv Sena's influence began to wane. Balasaheb's 'Thackeray brand' was created because of his credibility. After 1996, the Bharatiya Janata Party formed the National Democratic Alliance. Many regional parties across the country participated in it. Balasaheb never obstructed the BJP leadership for power at the Centre. Once Balasaheb gave a word, he would not go back on it. Despite being a constituent party of the National Democratic Alliance in the 2007 and 2012 Presidential elections, Venerable Balasaheb publicly supported Mrs. Pratibha Patil and Pranab Mukherjee. Despite taking a stand against the Bharatiya Janata Party, the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance remained intact. This was because Balasaheb had very clearly conveyed his position regarding supporting Pratibha Patil and Pranab Mukherjee to the BJP leadership. When Venerable Balasaheb was alive, he sometimes had differences with the BJP leadership over the distribution of seats in elections. However, Balasaheb also had the policy of not escalating these differences until they were resolved. Against this backdrop, what do we see when we look at Uddhav Thackeray's political career? Since the 2004 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, all the party's elements have converged on UBT. From 1990 to 2004, BJP-Shiv Sena used to campaign jointly in the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. Workers of both parties used to hold joint rallies. Uddhav Thackeray stopped this practice and showed that he lacked political wisdom. Since then, the downward spiral of Shiv Sena began. In 2005, a figure like Narayan Rane decided to separate from Shiv Sena. In 2005, Raj Thackeray also left Shiv Sena. UBT was the reason for both of them leaving Shiv Sena. In 2009, under the leadership of UBT, Shiv Sena had contested more than 160 seats but had won only 44 seats, while the Bharatiya Janata Party had contested 117 seats and won 46 seats. In that election, UBT's Shiv Sena received 16 percent votes and the BJP 14 percent. After taking over the reins of Shiv Sena, Uddhav Rao had damaged the relations with the BJP leadership. Only out of respect for the venerable Balasaheb, the BJP leadership never spoke publicly about these issues. In 2014, UBT ended the long-standing alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party in the assembly elections over 15-20 seats. He continued to criticize the central leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party in an indecent manner even after the alliance had ended. Despite tolerating this behavior, the BJP leadership, in the interest of Hindutva, extended a proposal for cooperation with the Shiv Sena. Accepting that proposal, Uddhav Thackeray joined the state government, yet continued to take a stance against both the BJP leadership and the central and state governments. Balasaheb never showed such double standards during his lifetime. That is why his 'Thackeray brand' had value. Despite contesting the elections together in 2019, UBT betrayed the Bharatiya Janata Party after the assembly elections and grabbed power in the state. UBT, under the illusion that this power would last a lifetime, had to give up the post of Chief Minister in two and a half years. Rather than anyone else orchestrating the band, it is UBT himself who will go down in history as the destroyer of the Thackeray. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
Time of India
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
UBT trapped in the Chakravyuha of political ‘Situationship'
Keshav Upadhye, a young, dynamic and prominent face, has been working with the Bharatiya Janata Party for over two decades. In 2014, the then state president Devendra Fadnavis had appointed Upadhye as the spokesperson in his team. Owing to his journalistic background and better understanding of the socio-economic issues of the state, Upadhye made a mark as a spokesperson in a short span. He articulates the views of the party and aggressively defends the party on various platforms including the Marathi and Hindi national news channels. Keshav Upadhye worked for the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and after completing his degree in Journalism from Ranade Institute, Pune, he began his career as a journalist with daily Pudhari, Loksatta and Mumbai Tarun Bharat. Knowing the pulse of the news, he writes on varied topics and on various platforms like the newspapers, blogs and other social media platforms. He was involved in two study groups formed by the Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini in 2006 to study the naxalite movement and its adverse impact on the development of Chhatisgarh. The Prabodhini later published this report. He was also a part of the Prabodhini's fact-finding committee formed to study the Solapur riots. LESS ... MORE Uddhav Thackeray has entered into an image-building game for the Mumbai Municipal Corporation by trying to create misunderstandings among Marathi speaking people over the decision to learn Hindi and by unnecessarily creating an atmosphere against North Indians. Before that his cousin Mr Raj Thackeray had already raised this issue. The UBT faction suddenly awakened after Raj Thackeray took up the issue. Uddhav Thackeray had to appeal to his brother for a reunion, who had been forced to leave the party 19 years ago. During this period there were many reports of these two brothers coming together. However, Uddhav Thackeray had no interest in shaking hands with his brother then. There seems to be no remorse for Uddhav Thackeray behind this sudden desire for joining hands with his brother whom he had often mocked for his political failures. So it must be said that the only reason behind this is the Mumbai Municipal corporation elections due in the next 6-7 months. Uddhav Thackeray may have opted for the easy path of reunion as he is trapped in his own Chakravyuha and sees no other way out of it. In 2014, Uddhav Thackeray created a situation that put an end to the 25 year alliance with Bharatiya Janata Party by taking an adamant stand on seat sharing. Uddhav Thackeray had tried to reunite with Raj Thackeray at that time. However, he suddenly changed his mind and decided to contest the assembly elections independently. After the formation of government under the leadership of Devendra Fadnavis, Uddhav Thackeray who had declared that they will work as an effective opposition party, took a u-turn within next 2-3 months and once again joined hands with Bharatiya Janata Party. The journey that started from there reached the formation of a government in 2019 by joining hands with the Congress and Nationalist Congress party. The political landscape in the state changed once again after the collapse of the UBT government in coalition with Congress and NCP in two and half years. But Uddhav Thckeray decided to continue his alliance with Congress and NCP even after he was unable to save his government. The unexpected narrative about changing the constitution in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections paved the way for the huge success of Maha Vikas Aghadi in Maharashtra. However, the bubble of false propaganda burst within 6 months and the Maha Vikas Aghadi was swept away in the assembly elections along with UBT. In the backdrop of the recent joint rally held by Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray on the issue of Marathi it became necessary to review these events after 2019. Even after joining the state government in 2014, Uddhav Thackeray had suddenly intensified his stand against Bharatiya Janata Party. Uddhav Thackeray, while enjoying power at both centre and state and simultaneously taking a constant stand against the Modi government and the state government, contested the Mumbai Municipal Corporation elections independently in 2017. He did not even hesitate to make statements like 'we will finish Bharatiya Janata party'. Even at that time, talks of two brothers coming together made some rounds. In the 2017 elections, voters dismissed Uddhav Thackeray's all misconceptions about his political might in Mumbai. In the 2024 assembly elections voters gave a big blow to Uddhav Thackeray. He has still not recovered from this setback and is now skeptical about the future course of his party. He, who has remained in power for consecutive 25-30 years in Mumbai Municipal Corporation, is afraid about his future in this election. Therefore, until 2-3 months ago, Uddhav Thackeray was faced with the dilemma of whether to remain in alliance with Congress and senior leader Sharad Pawar or fight independently. Raj Thackeray's comeback has added a new angle to this dilemma. Raj Thackeray's personality and oratory skills will definitely overshadow Uddhav Thackeray. Unsure of how useful the help of the Congress and Sharad Pawar faction will be in the Mumbai Municipal Corporation, UBT has started considering new options. Today's generation is greatly attracted towards concepts like live-in and situationship. Situationship is a popular concept in the lifestyle of this generation. This concept is born from the combination of two words: situation and relationship. Situationship simply means deciding whether to continue or end the relationship based on the situation. UBT is now facing the dilemma to choose between his brother and MVA. Choosing Raj Thackeray is definitely advantageous for him and his supporters. However, the future of the reunion of MNS and UBT, in other words their relationship, will depend on whether in this situation Raj Thackeray will also benefit from this reunion or not. Shiv Sena Chief Balasaheb Thackeray won the 1985 municipal election on the basis of the issue of Marathi Manus and the future of Marathi Manus in Mumbai. UBT is now dreaming of repeating the same result. But Uddhav Thackeray fails to understand the radical change between the situation back then and the current political scenario. Whether he was in power with Bharatiya Janata Party and MVA or out of power, UBT never felt the need of Raj Thackeray. This election is definitely for the political existence of Uddhav Thackeray, who does not want to free Mumbai Municipal Corporation from his clutches. Therefore he has to consider all the possibilities before forming any coalition. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
