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Shashi Shekhar

Articles by Shashi Shekhar

Banking on women's vote to beat anti-incumbency

Recent election trends suggest that Indian politicians now see women as a potential vote bank and tailor manifestoes to win their support

Women in our country approach issues differently from men. They vote for the party or the leader who looks after their families’ interests (Snehal Sontakke)

Opinion

Published on Dec 01, 2024 07:56 PM IST

ByShashi Shekhar

What state elections say about Indian democracy

The Maharashtra performance will add to the confidence of BJP and NDA and make INDIA bloc insecure about winning elections

These elections have made it clear that sympathy and legacy aren’t enough to ensure victory. You need to work on the ground (Nitin Lawate/ANI)

Opinion

Published on Nov 24, 2024 07:30 PM IST

ByShashi Shekhar

The baffling silence on climate and pollution

As far as our society is concerned, there are very few who have any serious concerns regarding pollution, the climate crisis, and conservation.

Sky enveloped with smog after Delhi's air quality turns

Opinion

Published on Nov 17, 2024 09:41 PM IST

ByShashi Shekhar

Need awareness to avoid online fraud

The harsh truth is that we need to take personal responsibility in developing awareness and remain alert against the threat of “digital arrests” and phishing.

Online frauds are growing by leaps and bounds. (Shutterstock)

Opinion

Published on Nov 10, 2024 11:04 PM IST

ByShashi Shekhar

Is the West conspiring against a rising India?

Dragging the Union home minister into murder cases reeks of the same old dirty tricks Western nations have played in the past

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, left, walks past India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi as they take part in a wreath-laying ceremony at Raj Ghat, Mahatma Gandhi's cremation site, during the G20 Summit in New Delhi.(AP)

Opinion

Published on Nov 03, 2024 08:21 PM IST

ByShashi Shekhar

The many shades of Indira Gandhi's political persona

Notwithstanding what people may say, Indira Gandhi’s contribution to India was significant.

You may be tempted to ask, was Indira Gandhi a hero or a villain?(HT Photo)

Opinion

Published on Oct 28, 2024 12:27 AM IST

ByShashi Shekhar

The State and society need to fight road rage crimes

What wrong did New Delhi’s Ankur and the toddler in Bengaluru do to deserve such a fate?

How many Ankurs and toddlers will suffer or pay with their lives before the government wakes up from its slumber?. (HT File)

Opinion

Published on Oct 21, 2024 12:04 AM IST

ByShashi Shekhar

How BJP won Haryana with grassroots politics

The gap between social reality and data was bridgeable, and the BJP was able to march into the corridors of power in Haryana for a record third time.

BJP workers burst crackers and dance as they celebrate the party's victory in Haryana assembly polls.(PTI)

Opinion

Published on Oct 14, 2024 12:33 AM IST

ByShashi Shekhar

In Vietnam’s resilience, a lesson for India’s economy

Vietnam is dealing with its own maladies. But India can, nonetheless, take inspiration from Vietnam’s giant leap forward.

Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh has a rich and varied coffee culture, with many areas coining their own delicacies including ‘cà phê trúng’, or egg coffee. Expect to see the city’s avenues dotted with upscale coffee shops and traditional spots where locals and tourists alike sit on stools that line the streets.(Unsplash)

Opinion

Published on Oct 06, 2024 11:53 PM IST

ByShashi Shekhar

Time to repose faith in ideals of the Mahatma

Brand Gandhi solidly represents India globally. This is why voices of sanity in Bangladesh invoked Gandhi when Hindus were being targeted in their country.

Opinion

Published on Sep 29, 2024 10:28 PM IST

ByShashi Shekhar

In the high voter turnout in J&K polls, a hope for peace

Hopes of peace and progress have taken root amid adversities. We will have to strengthen this hope.

J&K goes to polls in three phases starting September 18. (File)(HT_PRINT)

Opinion

Published on Sep 22, 2024 10:27 PM IST

ByShashi Shekhar

Countries must not put religion in the driver’s seat

Insecure minorities would not only dent Bangladesh's international image but the economic and social instability can create Pakistan-like systemic breakdown

Bangladeshi Hindu devotees release oil lamps to the Buriganga river as they observe Bipodtarini or Bipodnashini puja in Dhaka, Bangladesh, July 9, 2024. REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY(REUTERS)

Opinion

Published on Sep 16, 2024 12:31 AM IST

ByShashi Shekhar

Hurdles in India’s efforts to drive world diplomacy

In this chaotic world, India’s role in brokering peace has thus become significant.

This handout photo taken and released by Singapore's Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) on September 5, 2024 shows Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (R) and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi (L) looking on as Singapore's Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan (2nd R) and India's Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar hold documents during a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) ceremony at the Parliament House in Singapore. (Photo by Handout / Singapore's Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) / AFP) / (AFP)

Opinion

Published on Sep 08, 2024 11:37 PM IST

ByShashi Shekhar

The choice before the world: Development or expansionism

If we want the economic reforms effected over the last decade to sustain we must reform the UN.

United Nations(AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File)

Opinion

Published on Sep 01, 2024 11:57 PM IST

ByShashi Shekhar

Social awakening is key to fighting heinous crimes

The Kolkata hospital incident makes it amply clear that heinous crimes such as rape and murder can’t be stopped by laws alone; social awakening is essential

Kolkata: Doctors raise slogans during a protest rally over the recent alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, in Kolkata, Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024.(PTI)

Opinion

Published on Aug 25, 2024 11:19 PM IST

ByShashi Shekhar

Developing nations need to be helmsmen of their boats

Instability in the neighbourhood gives us a clear message — in a changing world, developing nations need to be the helmsmen of their boats.

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan gained power after an intense political struggle. His initial years went off well. However, a political power struggle kept intensifying and so did pressure from external powers. (Reuters)

Opinion

Published on Aug 18, 2024 11:38 PM IST

ByShashi Shekhar

This Independence Day, guard against radicalism

Radicalism is poison for the subcontinent. Independence Day reminds us of this fact every year.

Jammu: People wave the Indian national flags at Mubarak Mandi palace ahead of the Independence Day, in Jammu, Sunday, Aug. 11, 2024. (PTI Photo) (PTI08_11_2024_000261A)(PTI)

Opinion

Published on Aug 12, 2024 12:27 AM IST

ByShashi Shekhar

In J&K, no stopping the caravan of democracy

General elections aside, people braved bullets to vote in panchayat and district elections. The caravan of democracy has started rolling in the state

Kashmir, India - May. 13, 2024: Voters queue up to cast their votes at a polling station during the fourth phase of voting in Lok Sabha elections in Pulwama district,on 13 May 2024.(Photo By Waseem Andrabi /Hindustan Times)--

Opinion

Published on Aug 04, 2024 11:50 PM IST

ByShashi Shekhar

Globetrotter who used his capital for local good

Sam may be gone, but he will be remembered by the thousands of families whose lives his efforts changed. Do people like Sam ever really die?

Opinion

Published on Jul 28, 2024 10:59 PM IST

ByShashi Shekhar

Crisis of over-confidence corrodes BJP’s discipline

Has the BJP’s talisman — its discipline — started to fray with the party failing to achieve the expected victory at the general election?

Pune, July 21 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders during the first session of Maharashtra BJP State Convention addressed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, at Balewadi in Pune on Sunday. (ANI Photo)(Amit Shah-X)

Opinion

Published on Jul 21, 2024 11:56 PM IST

ByShashi Shekhar

Whiff of continuity and a resurgent Opposition

Modi has exhibited unprecedented confidence at home and abroad, but new anxieties are emerging on the internal front.

TOPSHOT - Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attend a ceremony to decorate India's PM with the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle the First-Called following their talks at the Kremlin in Moscow on July 9, 2024. (Photo by Alexander NEMENOV / AFP)(AFP)

Opinion

Published on Jul 14, 2024 10:59 PM IST

ByShashi Shekhar

Parliament isn’t the forum to settle political rivalries

The behaviour of our politicians, both within the House and outside, does not augur well for the future of our democracy.

The Parliament House in New Delhi, India, on Monday, June 24, 2024. Photographer: Prakash Singh/Bloomberg (Bloomberg)

Opinion

Published on Jul 07, 2024 11:35 PM IST

ByShashi Shekhar

Indian reality hidden in the glow of statistics

The government has launched certain poverty-eradication measures. But what happens to the Indians killed in Kuwait and to those such as Kaushalendra?

Relatives mourn near the deceased after the coffins' arrival on an Indian Air Force plane from Kuwait at the Cochin International Airport in Kochi on June 14. (AFP)

Opinion

Published on Jun 30, 2024 11:36 PM IST

ByShashi Shekhar

Ganga needs joint efforts to regain its old strength

This river requires regular, phased dredging from Haridwar to Ganga Sagar.

Kolkata: The setting Sun on an evening, seen from the bank of the River Ganga, in Kolkata, Sunday, June 23, 2024. (PTI Photo/Swapan Mahapatra)(PTI06_23_2024_000213B)(PTI)

Opinion

Published on Jun 23, 2024 10:24 PM IST

ByShashi Shekhar

State, UT polls hold the key to stability at Centre

The BJP needs to address local issues in these states, but without leaders with statewide clout, it has to rely on Prime Minister Modi’s appeal

Security personnel stand guard as voters wait in long queues at a polling booth , in Baramulla district of north Kashmir on May 20, (PTI)

Opinion

Published on Jun 16, 2024 08:22 PM IST

ByShashi Shekhar

Balancing needs of the coalition and the party

Prime Minister Modi has the political experience to navigate the complexities of running a coalition government

Narendra Modi, India's prime minister, center, with council of ministers during a swearing-in ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi, India, on Sunday, June 9, 2024. Modi was sworn in as India's prime minister for a third straight term on Sunday, extending his leadership for another five years after a bruising electoral setback that forced him to share power for the first time. Photographer: Prakash Singh/Bloomberg(Bloomberg)

Opinion

Published on Jun 10, 2024 01:33 AM IST

ByShashi Shekhar

Robust electoral process, pressing need of the hour

One hopes that the Commission will evaluate both its shortcomings and successes. Improving the electoral process is the most pressing need of the hour.

Polling officials gather to submit electronic voting machines (EVMs) and other polling materials at a collection centre in Varanasi on June 1, 2024, at the end of the seventh and final phase of voting in India's general election. India's Hindu-nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi looked set to win a third straight landslide election victory on June 1, at the close of a six-week general election bedevilled by searing heatwaves. (Photo by Niharika KULKARNI / AFP)(AFP)

Opinion

Published on Jun 02, 2024 11:40 PM IST

ByShashi Shekhar

HT interview: Oppn is openly trying to divide society, says Modi

PM Modi, ahead of final phase of 2024 elections, discusses Kashi's significance, development, and 'one nation, one election' with Hindustan.

India News

Updated on May 31, 2024 06:09 AM IST

ByShashi Shekhar

Opposition stuck in 20th century; voters want politics of 21st: PM Modi

In an interview to Hindustan that came on a day when campaigning for the Lok Sabha polls closed, Modi also endorsed the idea of simultaneous polls

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives to offer prayers at Bhagwati Amman Temple, in Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu, on Thursday. (PTI)

India News

Updated on May 31, 2024 02:32 AM IST

ByShashi Shekhar, New Delhi

Mandate 2024: The view from Varanasi

The presence of the Prime Minister as a candidate enlivens the contest in Uttar Pradesh’s Purvanchal region

**EDS: IMAGE VIA @BJP4INDIA** Varanasi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi during Nari Shakti Sammelan in Varanasi, Tuesday, May 21, 2024. (PTI Photo) (PTI05_21_2024_000317B)(PTI)

Opinion

Published on May 26, 2024 11:04 PM IST

ByShashi Shekhar

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Shashi Shekhar

Recent election trends suggest that Indian politicians now see women as a potential vote bank and tailor manifestoes to win their support

The Maharashtra performance will add to the confidence of BJP and NDA and make INDIA bloc insecure about winning elections

As far as our society is concerned, there are very few who have any serious concerns regarding pollution, the climate crisis, and conservation.

The harsh truth is that we need to take personal responsibility in developing awareness and remain alert against the threat of “digital arrests” and phishing.

Dragging the Union home minister into murder cases reeks of the same old dirty tricks Western nations have played in the past

Notwithstanding what people may say, Indira Gandhi’s contribution to India was significant.

What wrong did New Delhi’s Ankur and the toddler in Bengaluru do to deserve such a fate?

The gap between social reality and data was bridgeable, and the BJP was able to march into the corridors of power in Haryana for a record third time.

Vietnam is dealing with its own maladies. But India can, nonetheless, take inspiration from Vietnam’s giant leap forward.

Brand Gandhi solidly represents India globally. This is why voices of sanity in Bangladesh invoked Gandhi when Hindus were being targeted in their country.

Hopes of peace and progress have taken root amid adversities. We will have to strengthen this hope.

Insecure minorities would not only dent Bangladesh's international image but the economic and social instability can create Pakistan-like systemic breakdown

In this chaotic world, India’s role in brokering peace has thus become significant.

If we want the economic reforms effected over the last decade to sustain we must reform the UN.

The Kolkata hospital incident makes it amply clear that heinous crimes such as rape and murder can’t be stopped by laws alone; social awakening is essential

Instability in the neighbourhood gives us a clear message — in a changing world, developing nations need to be the helmsmen of their boats.

Radicalism is poison for the subcontinent. Independence Day reminds us of this fact every year.

General elections aside, people braved bullets to vote in panchayat and district elections. The caravan of democracy has started rolling in the state

Sam may be gone, but he will be remembered by the thousands of families whose lives his efforts changed. Do people like Sam ever really die?

Has the BJP’s talisman — its discipline — started to fray with the party failing to achieve the expected victory at the general election?

Modi has exhibited unprecedented confidence at home and abroad, but new anxieties are emerging on the internal front.

The behaviour of our politicians, both within the House and outside, does not augur well for the future of our democracy.

The government has launched certain poverty-eradication measures. But what happens to the Indians killed in Kuwait and to those such as Kaushalendra?

This river requires regular, phased dredging from Haridwar to Ganga Sagar.

The BJP needs to address local issues in these states, but without leaders with statewide clout, it has to rely on Prime Minister Modi’s appeal

Prime Minister Modi has the political experience to navigate the complexities of running a coalition government

One hopes that the Commission will evaluate both its shortcomings and successes. Improving the electoral process is the most pressing need of the hour.

PM Modi, ahead of final phase of 2024 elections, discusses Kashi's significance, development, and 'one nation, one election' with Hindustan.

In an interview to Hindustan that came on a day when campaigning for the Lok Sabha polls closed, Modi also endorsed the idea of simultaneous polls

The presence of the Prime Minister as a candidate enlivens the contest in Uttar Pradesh’s Purvanchal region

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