By Sidharth Mishra

Let me start with a disclaimer that this article doesn’t purport to be in the defence of such acts indulged into by cult leaders which demands judicial and social reprimand. With Baba Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh of DeraSachaSauda sentenced to 20 years in jail, the narrative on the television in the 48 hours shifted to the to more ‘juicy’ tales of who would succeed Baba and inherit the financial and spiritual legacy. The incident in Panckula last Friday, which left several dead in police action stood as an evidence of the faith people had in their ‘Baba’, which raised queries in the urban drawing rooms, what made people get drawn to him in the first place.The hesitation and inhibition which ManoharLalKhattar government showed in using the iron hand against, whom some called marauders must not have been without merit and not just the simple concern for a vote bank.

By Sidharth Mishra

Last week Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi attended a “Saanjhi Virasat Bachao” meet convened by almost ousted Janata Dal (United) leader SharadYadav. At the meet, if one were to believe Rahul acolytes, their leader came out with flying colours matching NarendraModi, “word-for-word”. Rahul Gandhi famously said, for that brief moment of glory, “Modiji says he wants to create a ‘Swachch Bharat’ but we want a ‘Sach Bharat’.”Now does Mr Gandhi’s presence at the said convention of “16 political parties”, most of them having innocuous role in country’s politics, add to the discomfort of his rivals? Gandhi, who urgently needs to save “Congress Ki Virasat”, with his style of theatrical politics rather adds to the comfort of his rivals.

By Sidharth Mishra

Given the narrative which is dominating the media currently, the headline of this article may sound like sacrilege. Given the shoot and scoot journalism, which runs for ratings than the truth; and seldom for solutions; an effort to understand the catastrophe which made its annual visit to Baba Raghav Das Medical College Hospital (BRDMCH) would be asking for too much. Another problem with the Gorakhpur tragedy story is the personality of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. His saffron robes, the thick ear-ring of monkhood which he wears, and the plain speak on the agenda of minority appeasement which he does, make him a figure which the Left of the Centre media just loves to hate. In their hatred for the personality, they have overlooked the fact that it’s Yogi who kept rising in Parliament to raise the issue of the infant deaths due to the killer encephalitis. Adityanath was the youngest member of the 12th LokSabha at 26. He has been elected to the Parliament from Gorakhpur for five consecutive terms (in 1998, 1999, 2004, 2009 and 2014 elections).

By Sidharth Mishra

The conflict in Kashmir is of hybrid kind. It’s neither a full-scale war nor a low intensity conflict. It’s a battle, where, at least as evident in the past three years, the Government is pushing for the endgame. On the other hand, the endgame would threaten the existing social, political and economic status quo, even if it has bled the Valley for past seven decades in particular and the nation in general. This hybrid conflict has shown an ironical character. Theoretically it’s being fought to defend Kashmiriyat from the shadow Indian sovereignty. However, the battle has saving Kashmiriyat has devoured its own child and ideology. Today it’s the Indian Sovereign which has fighting tooth and nail to save Kashmiriyat from the claws of Islamisation and radicalization of Kashmiri society, which followed the liberal Sufi strand of Islam.

By Sidharth Mishra

The turn of events in Bihar last week, which saw reinstallation of Nitish Kumar as Chief Minister, albeit with the support of the BJP, could not have come at a better time. The state, after having fought and overcome the ills of 15-year-long Rabri-Lalu Raj, was again slipping back into what has been called the era of “Jungle Raj”.Without going into the merits of the charge brought against Nitish Kumar of being politically dishonest towards LaluYadav and family, as somebody whose interest lies in the progress of the state, release of Nitish Kumar from RashtriyaJanata Dal’s cobweb for your reporter is good news.The separation of Nitish Kumar from LaluYadav, should also bring good tidings for erstwhile Prime Minister AtalBihari Vajpayee, who mentored him in his early days after he broke away from Janata Dal with George Fernandes; and the two together formed the Samata Party. George and Kumar became vital clogs in the formation of NDA I governments led by Vajpayee in 1990s.

By Sidharth Mishra

As the events have unfolded, the 'resignation' of Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati from Parliament last week, hours after storming out of the Rajya Sabha over not being allowed time to complete her speech on alleged Dalit atrocities in Uttar Pradesh, has proved to be a drama albeit with an anti-climax. Anti-climax because the BSP leader was forced to 'resubmit' her resignation as people strongly came to believe that Mayawati chose to 'resign' to survive the political crisis she was facing. With media starting a discussion on her resignation may just be red-herring as she had not submitted the quit papers in proper format, the BSP leader, to overcome any embarrassment, decided to resubmit her papers and force its acceptance.

By Sidharth Mishra

The 'maid raid' in Sector 78 Noida last week, where domestic helps laid siege to an upmarket housing complex, brought rushing back memories of similar incidents which I have encountered in a nearly quarter-of-a-century-long career as a reporter. The first memory is a rather hilarious one. There was to be a slum camp in Kusumpur Pahadi in South-West district of Delhi close to Vasant Vihar. During one of the demolition drives, the Pahadi residents were shifted to a rehabilitation colony quite far away. I recall a reporter coming with an amusing story the very next day. The bungalows in Vasant Vihar went without cleaning and stoves in the kitchens did not burn as all the maids and cooks had been carted away in the demolition drive. News reports the day after the Noida incident mentioned that the apartments decided to put off their kitchen fire but not let the maids in until those guilty of violence were identified.

 By Sidharth Mishra

Scholarly research is all about citations. But do citations tell the correct story? Not always, especially when it pertains to the political history of the country. Like the official records of the 14 elections held for the post of the President of India, in their bare form would seldom reveal the politics which went behind the choice of a particular candidate. Same would be true for the election of the 15th president. In the case of the election of the 13th President, then Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had preferred Congress candidate Pranab Mukherjee over Opposition's choice PA Sangma. What was the real story of several who practiced politics of anti-Congressism deciding to go with the candidature of Pranab Mukherjee, including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee?

Sangma was not the first "beef-eating" Christian from Meghalaya whom the BJP has taken a liking for. In 1991, GG Swell had contested as the Opposition candidate against the Congress nominee Shankar Dayal Sharma in the presidential race. However, unlike in the case of Swell, Sangma's name was not directly floated by the BJP.