HM Amit Shah recalls emotional interaction with Bastar tribals

IANS | May 21, 2026 11:53 PM

New Delhi, May 21 (IANS) Union Home Minister Amit Shah shared a deeply moving experience from his recent visit to Bastar, Chhattisgarh, where he interacted with nearly 400 tribal people, describing it as a source of profound personal satisfaction that surpasses the applause of massive public rallies.

Vande Mataram in Bengal madrasas: BJP's Praveen Khandelwal hails move, Muslim leader Barelvi says should be decided by people

IANS | May 21, 2026 10:32 PM

New Delhi, May 21 (IANS) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Praveen Khandelwal on Thursday hailed the decision of the West Bengal government to make singing of "Vande Mataram" mandatory in madrasas across the state. However, Islamic scholar Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi opposed the move, saying no one can be pressurised to sing the national song.

India's new trade and defence deals signal strategic autonomy play amid global flux

Vivek Y Kelkar | May 21, 2026 9:39 PM

New Delhi: India has recently concluded deals with New Zealand, South Korea and Russia that are advantageous in headline terms, but signal more about India’s quest for strategic autonomy. They mark a deliberate shift in how New Delhi is deploying trade and defence alignment policies as calibrated levers of strategic autonomy amidst rising global rivalries and uncertainties. The agreements, different in scale and context, indicate a strategic logic: India is widening its economic and security options in a world where any singular dependence has become a strategic vulnerability.