GLOWING IDEA

Collar Up aims to reduce road accidents involving stray dogs

Fans worse than foes

PMO BEAT

THE EDGE OF NOWHERE

Sunjeev Sahota channels his immigrant past and the pain of unbelonging into the Booker Prize long-listed China Room

A beautiful mind

In Home in the World, Amartya Sen, a dear friend and contemporary, has achieved the impossible. We are with him in Shantiniketan, savouring its unique ambience. Tagore is there, and encourages our brave Amartya to improve his competence in Sanskrit. At another time he is cycling from Shantiniketan to old farm sheds and warehouses in neighbouring villages, transporting a weighing machine to weigh boys and girls up to the age of five, to collect data related to the Bengal famine of 1943. We then follow Amartya at the age of 19, sailing to the UK, filled with wonderment at the endless ocean he sees around him. Then the great leap forward as he explores, debates and redefines the various elements that makeup economics—ethics, politics, statistics.

Kakori's Blood Brothers

The men behind the Kakori train action of 1925 embodied the most sterling attributes of nationalism—fearlessness, discipline and communal harmony

Revolt That Lit The Fire Of Freedom

They defied the begum and the British to establish a parallel government, only to be brutally killed. But the sacrifice of the 356 rebel sepoys of the Bhopal contingent remains all but forgotten

Monsoon spring

Rahul Gandhi’s newfound proactiveness gets his party elated but mixed responses from other opposition parties

WAITING FOR REVOLUTION

Supporters of the Naxalbari movement believe hat a new left is coming up in India and its idea is to save democracy and the working class

Turf masters

THE PHYSICAL FITNESS AND MENTAL TOUGHNESS OF THE PLAYERS HELPED INDIA REALISE THE DREAM OF AN OLYMPIC MEDAL IN HOCKEY AFTER 41 YEARS

THE LAYERS OF HISTORY

THE WEEK discovers voices from places that shaped the Indian polity since independence

INDIA, THE UPRISING

India’s path to free dom was not entirely nonviolent.There were violent outbursts against the British across the country. And, many of them were led not by kings or rulers, but by ordinary people

Tiger's share

The turmoil in China’s financial markets could be India’s big opportunity

Golden arm

NEERAJ CHOPRA’S JOURNEY FROM TALENTED TEEN TO OLYMPIC CHAMPION

FLAIR POWER

The IAF’s superior fleet, experienced pilots and integrated defence systems give it an edge over the Chinese air force

DREAMS FOR INDIA@100

Though India has made several impressive strides, her emergence as a potential superpower is far from being a reality

Tightrope to Kabul

India’s aim should be to ensure that while the Taliban becomes part of Afghanistan’s legitimate future, it does not become the absolute power in Kabul

Changing gear

Will K. Annamalai help the BJP reverse its flagging fortunes in Tamil Nadu?

Mind, Games

SIMONE BILES’S DECISION TO STEP AWAY COULD BE A WATERSHED MOMENT IN SPORTS

It was harder to win medal in Tokyo

Having the entire nation’s eyes on her is nothing new for P.V. Sindhu. She was 21 when she won her first Olympic medal—a silver at Rio 2016. In the next five years, she added more medals to her collection, including the World Championships gold and an Olympic bronze. If anything, the latest medal needed more work, sweat and strength. Work on the court aside, she had to navigate several controversies, including a spat between her father P.V. Ramana and national coach Pullela Gopichand, and questions about her changing her coach. But Sindhu kept her head down and focused on her game.

Booster shot

REGARDLESS OF THE RESULT, THE PERFORMANCE OF THE WOMEN’S TEAM WILL GIVE A HUGE FILLIP TO HOCKEY IN INDIA

India's role in Afghanistan has not been good

For the Taliban, peace is the first option, says Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesperson for the group. The 40-something Mujahid is in an undisclosed location, from where he spoke to THE WEEK. In a 45-minute-long interaction, Mujahid spoke with elegance and courtesy, expressing the Taliban's desire for a progressive Afghanistan. He said the group welcomes every initiative towards a peaceful solution, as long as there was no meddling in the internal affairs of Afghanistan. As Mujahid prefers to remain faceless, he did not share his photos. Excerpts from the interview:

GOING, GOING... WAIT!

India and the US have only a month to resolve the deadlock over the ₹750-crore Lincoln House in Mumbai. Failure could result in the Poonawallas walking out of the deal

Bitten by the spy bug

Phone tapping and bugging used to be dirty games. Snoopers used to leave bugs in target offices, and cover them up with chewing-gum blobs. Janitors in high offices often spotted disgusting gum blobs over grooves and cavities on chairs, tables, shelves, sides of air-conditioners, corners of skeleton-containing cupboards, and over dead ‘flies on the walls’. Governments spent huge sums to get offices ‘swept’, phones debugged, floors scrubbed, furniture replaced, and walls painted periodically.

The horse whisperer

Imitiaz Anees’s memoir is an ode to his horses and mentors, and a call to arms for the dreamer

Dividing with deadlines

Union Home Minister Amit Shah thunders at the Chinese that India will not yield them “an inch” of Indian territory. His acolyte, Himanta Biswa Sarma, the spanking new chief minister of Assam, echoes him: “Not an inch of Assam will be conceded…. People have sacrificed their lives, but boundary has been protected, which we will continue to do at any cost.” No, he is not warning the Chinese. He is threatening his neighbouring state of Mizoram. This is his version of faithfully implementing Amit Shah’s impassioned call on July 25, at a meeting of northeast chief ministers in Shillong, to “amicably” resolve their border issues before the 75th anniversary of India’s independence.

Mamata Banerjee's Mission Delhi

Mamata Banerjee is eyeing the possibility of leading the anti-BJP alliance nationally. There is growing support from regional parties, which are impressed by her electoral success

LAW AND BEHOLD

Governments have used the anti-sedition law to quell dissent. Several writers, journalists, cartoonists, politicians, activists and students have got entangled. The Supreme Court has now asked the Union government why it is not repealing the provision

Too hot to handle

Raj Kundra’s arrest reveals the ugly underbelly of filmdom

Trigger, happy

A NURSE WITH THE PRECISION OF A SURGEON WINS IRAN ITS FIRST SHOOTING MEDAL AT THE OLYMPICS—A GOLD

Twin win

Basavaraj Bommai, with his Lingayat link and connect with Yediyurappa, was BJP’s safest pick for chief ministership