On January 15, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar took one of his rare strolls down the road from his official residence to Lalu Prasad’s residence at 10, Circular Road, for a Makar Sankranti feast the latter had organised. On the outside, it seemed a festive gathering of two alliance partners. There was Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu holding hands with Nitish, son and deputy CM Tejashwi overseeing the platter for the CM, praise for the kodhe ki sabzji (pumpkin stew), Nitish tapping Lalu’s shoulder to whisper an aside, and everyone posing for pictures.
But all of it could not hide the veil of unease over it all. The Janata DalUnited (JD-U) chief left soon and did not speak to the media. And though Tejashwi saw him off, the bonhomie of the past 17 months had clearly fizzled out. Rumours of a rift between the two alliance partners continued to spiral.
It took just four days for trouble to surface, so much so that Lalu and Tejashwi paid a visit to Nitish’s residence on January 19. Tejashwi later told the media that all was well and the grand alliance will contest the Lok Sabha polls unitedly. The next day, the cabinet coordination department issued a notification, announcing portfolio changes for three RJD ministers, including education minister Dr Chandrashekhar, whose sparring with his additional chief secretary had irritated Nitish. As it turned out, it was only a diversionary tactic.
Denne historien er fra February 12, 2024-utgaven av India Today.
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Denne historien er fra February 12, 2024-utgaven av India Today.
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He gave the beat to the world
He would pick up the rhythms of each experience of mobility and weave them into his taals. Thus it was that he reflected joy and laughter in rhythmic cycles...such was the magic of Zakir's fingersText and photographs by Raghu Rai
KERALA TOURISM CAMPAIGN, 1989 - TICKETS TO PARADISE
All it took was a catchy tagline-'God's Own Country'-for the world to discover Kerala's wealth of natural beauty. It remains among the best tourism ad campaigns, earning the state a place among top 10 international destinations
SPIRITUALITY - THE GURUS OF COOL
Among the cult Indian gurus, no one had a bigger hold on western minds than 'Osho' Rajneesh. He's also perhaps the role model for the enterprise-building gurus of today
RETAIL SHOPPING - THE MALL MANIA
Shopping malls, a 1990s innovation in India, changed the way the Indian middle class shops. Their success now lies in being 'shoppertainment' destinations, offering something for everyone
CULINARY RENAISSANCE, 1978 - TANDOORI NIGHTS
ITC's Bukhara and Dum Pukht turned the world to tandoori cuisine and had an enormous impact on the F&B industry. Decades on, they are still a pit-stop for celebrities and heads of state visiting Delhi
INDIAN WRITING IN ENGLISH - REVENGE OF THE NATIVE
Rushdie lit the way but Indian writing in English has taken a life of its own in the past few decades, with translated Indian fiction most recently having its moment in the sun
INDIAN ART - A BRUSH WITH GOLD DUST
The 1990s economic liberalisation came as oxygen, lighting up the Indian art scene. Today, artworks by established masters routinely go for astronomical amounts
FESTIVAL OF INDIA, 1982 - CULTURE CAPITAL
The Festival of India grew into a symbol of our 'soft power', introducing our art and aesthetics to a global audience while also helping rebrand our domestic products
THE INDIPOP TREND - DISCO GOES DESI
For ages, the film song ruled. Nothing else was audible. Then came Nazia, charioteered by Biddu, and Indian ears went into a pleasant madness. Literally, Disco Deewane. A whole genre was born
SHOLAY 1975 - THE BIRTH OF THE FANDEMIC
India had seen hits before. But Sholay seared into its collective psyche like a badland bullet. The effect was on a scale never seen before- one film creating a new mass folk culture. And a trail of monster blockbusters that still continues
