THE WEEK India - December 29, 2024

In this issue

ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL DOUBLE ISSUE

CLASH OF THE CIVILISATION

As the discovery of the Indus Valley Civilisation marks its centenary, many aspects of this ancient culture remain mysterious, including its script. While the theory of an Aryan invasion disrupting the civilisation has largely been discredited, debates over the ancestry of the Indus people and their contemporary links continue.

SLAVERY TO DIVINITY

Did you know there is a unique and largely obscure African sacred landscape on India’s western coast? THE WEEK explores these remarkable sites that serve as living memory-keepers of the Afro-origin men and women who had once arrived in the Indian subcontinent as slaves, soldiers and traders

Also read

A photojournalist dives deep into the flourishing world of craft chocolate,
hopping from farm to fermentery to factory, and comes back with India’s untold cacao story

Innovative entrepreneurs are reshaping the restaurant landscape, ushering in a fundamental transformation in the way Indians eat, drink and celebrate

Renowned flautist Rakesh Chaurasia remembers tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain, who was his mentor and collaborator

THE SHIP HAS NOT SAILED

As India transitions to the Amrit Kaal, the development of its maritime economy is going to be essential. In this context, the proposal to set up a Maritime Development Fund (MDF), with a corpus of ₹25,000 crore, is a brilliant idea.

10+ mins

LOW POINT

The suicide of Atul Subhash is symptomatic of deeper problems of the law and its implementation

4 mins

CITY OF WAILS

At the Mujtahid Hospital in Damascus, people grapple with death, despair and the overwhelming brutality of the Assad regime

5 mins

Future belongs to those who hustle

In the bylanes of small towns and boardrooms of big cities, young India is no longer walking the conventional path of a single job, predictable paycheck and a quiet march towards retirement.

2 mins

Rekhaji, time to rock

Older women enjoying a second season of visibility, success and relevance has been one of the nicest trends of the past decade or so.

2 mins

CONGRESS SHOULD RECOGNISE THAT IT IS NO LONGER THE NATURAL PARTY OF GOVERNANCE - MANI SHANKAR AIYAR former Union minister

Mani Shankar Aiyar says the biggest reason for his success and fall from grace was his gift of the gab. In his latest book, A Maverick in Politics (Juggernaut), Aiyar, true to form, does not mince words. He takes a no-holdsbarred look at the last three decades plus of his high-profile public life.

10 mins

NEW YEAR.NEW HOPE

EQUITY MARKETS HAVE TURNED VOLATILE OF LATE. WHAT TO EXPECT IN THE NEW YEAR

4 mins

PARTNERS IN GROWTH

CO-BRANDED CREDIT CARDS CREATE VALUE FOR BOTH CUSTOMERS AND PARTNERING ORGANISATIONS

3 mins

THE NEW TASTE OF INDIA

Innovative entrepreneurs are redrawing the restaurant scene. In the offing is a fundamental change in the way Indians eat, drink and make merry

9 mins

BE THE CUSTOMERS' FRIEND, NOT THEIR SERVANT

You may not see Manu Chandra on reality cook shows or hawking his line of ladles and spatulas, but that has not stood in the way of this Delhi-born, New York-bred, Bengaluru resident from becoming a 'celebrity' chef who has won multiple 'Chef of the Year' awards and been noticed by the likes of The New York Times and Time magazine.

5 mins

SMALLER CITIES OFFER GREAT GROWTH OPPORTUNITY

When A.D. Singh transformed a decrepit haveli near the Qutub Minar into a Mediterranean-themed fine dining restaurant in the early 2000s, nobody thought that the place, Olive Bar and Kitchen, would be a harbinger of a restaurant revolution.

2 mins

STARDUST ON THE MENU

Celebrities and eateries are made for each other

2 mins

Seeking middle ground in Middle East

The collapse of assumptions is like the end of the world-or worldview. We assumed conwith the 20th century. But wars in Russia-Ukraine, Gaza, Yemen, Sudan, Somalia and Lebanon prove us wrong. Western defence officials now raise the nuclear threat level.

2 mins

CLASH OF THE CIVILISATION

Even as the discovery of the Indus Valley Civilisation completes a century, some key aspects of this ancient culture remain mysterious, including its script. While the controversy over whether it was disrupted by an Aryan invasion may now be discredited, the debate over Indus ancestry and current links continues

10+ mins

DID HARAPPAN MYTHOLOGY INVENT AHIMSA?

The scarcity of weapons, armies and indicators of monarchs or dictators in Harappa suggests a culture that minimised violence, and used trade as a tool to avoid conflict

6 mins

PRESSURE OF HISTORY

India's collective cultural history is shaped by continuous experiences stretching back to prehistory. Any attempt to build a singular narrative around its plural identities is fraught with danger

5 mins

HARAPPAN FOOD WAS RICH IN FLESHY DELIGHTS

INTERVIEW Dr Nayanjot Lahiri, historian, archaeologist and author

4 mins

PRESERVING A LEGACY

Pakistan needs to unlock the immense potential of archaeology, which remains one of the least prioritised fields in both policy and investment

5 mins

ALL OF US ARE DESCENDANTS OF THE HARAPPANS

Vasant Shinde led the excavation of Rakhigarhi (Haryana) and co-authored two landmark papers published in Cell and Science, in 2019, based on the DNA analysis of a 4,500-year-old female skeleton recovered from the site. The study grabbed eyeballs as it provided the first genetic insights into our ancestry, and the findings were included in NCERT textbooks.

4 mins

USTAD ZAKIR HUSSAIN 1951-2024: HIS MUSIC WAS THERAPY TO THE WORLD

Flautist and Grammy co-winner Rakesh Chaurasia remembers the maestro

6 mins

The magic of indigo

I really can't imagine why more of us don't throng Goa each December for the Serendipity Arts Festival alone. The festival, in its ninth year now, has the entire Panjim town celebrating.

2 mins

Good fences make good neighbours

When fences erode, or nobody is at home, neighbours tend to take advantage.

2 mins

Double engine trouble

Omar Abdullah struggles to define his turf as Jammu and Kashmir awaits new business rules

3 mins

Caste-ing a net

While the battle for the dalit vote is heating up in Tamil Nadu, the community is silently asserting itself

4 mins

THE BURDEN OF HATE

How foolish are we to view ourselves through the prism of caste, creed and colour!

3 mins

SAINTS SPIRITS AND SACRED STONES

ON INDIA'S WESTERN COAST LIES A UNIQUE, YET LARGELY OBSCURE AFRICAN SACRED LANDSCAPE. THE WEEK TRAVELS TO THESE PLACES, WHICH SERVE AS MEMORY-KEEPERS OF SCORES OF AFROORIGIN MEN AND WOMEN WHO CAME TO THE SUBCONTINENT AS SLAVES, SOLDIERS AND TRADERS

10+ mins

A PROVEN PATHWAY TO PEACE

Low-cost, easy to implement, immediate results, and scientifically verified.

10+ mins

THE TONGUE THAT TURNED

Why Greek survived while Latin and Sanskrit declined

9 mins

Fortoon tellers

IF CARTOONISTS ARE THE VANGUARDS OF DEMOCRACY, THEIR FREEDOM IS ESSENTIAL FOR OUR FUTURE

9 mins

THE FUTURE IS MURKY

When I started thinking about the future of India, I got only questions, not answers.

1 min

RISING IN LOVE

As a political cartoonist with 35 years of experience, I have seen various governments come and go.

1 min

A LIFE IN COMMUTE

Every morning, millions of Indians wake up to embark on their journey to work. Inside a packed bus or a local train, the atmosphere is electric with passengers jostling for a seat or a secure spot to stand.

1 min

POSTERS OF PROTEST

Appupen is a cartoonist who has published a few graphic novels, the latest being Dream Machine, about how AI can be a great 1 tool for an! authoritarian regime.

1 min

BATTLE FOR TOMORROW

Over the past decade, much has been said about India's potential as a leading global power.

1 min

SO WHAT'S THE PLAN?

When THE WEEK approached me with an invite to do an elaborate illustration on the future of India, I was a little confused because the theme was broad.

1 min

WE WILL OVERCOME

Our nation's dazzling diversity of cultures, religions, and languages is both a strength and a challenge.

1 min

WAR SCARS AND CHOCOLATE BARS

A photojournalist dives deep into the flourishing world of craft chocolate, hopping from farm to fermentery to factory, and comes back with India's untold cacao story

7 mins

SAVING OUR SOLDIERS

The porters of Siachen are the unsung heroes who put their lives on the line to help the Army defend the world's highest battlefield

7 mins

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THE WEEK India Magazine Description:

THE WEEK is an Indian English-language news magazine published by The Malayala Manorama Co. Pvt. Ltd. It was founded in 1982 and is the largest circulated English news magazine in India.

THE WEEK covers a wide range of topics, including politics, business, society, and culture. The magazine is known for its in-depth reporting and its balanced coverage of the news.

THE WEEK has won numerous awards, including the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism and the National Magazine Award for General Excellence.

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THE WEEK is a must-read for anyone interested in Indian politics, business, and society.