THE chief justice of India, T S Thakur, has recently warned that the Supreme Court may have to make a judicial intervention to get the names of High Court judges recommended by the collegium and pending with the government approved.  For months now, there has been a stalemate between the government and the higher judiciary over filling up the vacancies in the High Court.  The Supreme Court collegium had recommended 74 names for appointment as High Court judges.  These have not been cleared by the government for appointment yet.  The standoff between the Modi government and the judiciary com

INDEPENDENCE Day on August 15 is an occasion to commemorate the epochal freedom struggle against British rule which saw the participation of millions of people across the length and breadth of the country. It is an occasion to pay homage to the tens of thousands who laid down their lives for the cause of freedom.

THE CPI(M) and the Left Front and the people supporting them in West Bengal have been facing unprecedented violence and attacks by the Trinamool Congress after the Assembly elections were over. The nature of the widespread violence and terror has not been fully comprehended outside the state given the fact that the mainstream media has stopped reporting these events after the victory of the TMC.

THE Una incident in Gujarat where seven dalit men were attacked and of whom four were stripped, badly beaten and paraded in the town is the latest dalit atrocity which has come to nationwide attention. That this has occurred in Gujarat is significant. The Hindutva campaign against cow slaughter and the targeting of Muslims and dalits in this connection is being conducted all over the country but it has been virulent in this bastion of the BJP. The four men who were assaulted had gone to skin a dead cow at the behest of its owner, a farmer.

THE outburst of mass protests throughout Kashmir, consequent to the killing of Hizbul leader Burhan Wani, has paralysed the valley for the past five days. Upto now, 34 persons have been killed, mostly young men and one policeman; 1,400 have been injured, many with serious wounds. The valley has been simmering with discontent for quite some time. The growing alienation of the people, particularly the youth, was visible in the big gatherings when the funerals of militants killed by the security forces were held.