'New' team will be good for hard work and actions; ... importance of "experienced" in decision can never be ignored ::: Thematic push in first meeting of BJP national office bearers

Old -- good for decision making ... 

... while New is good for action !!

 

BJP president Nitin Nabin is his maiden interaction with the newly appointed office-bearers in a special meeting also attended by the outgoing office bearers underlined importance of “Yuva Samvad” -- that is continuous engagement with the young people - of course Gen Z included. 

The thematic push in the meeting was -- while 'new' and young faces will be good for hard work and actions; the importance of the old and experienced in decision making can never be ignored or underestimated.   

Interactions also dealt party’s organisational strategies, focus for upcoming Assembly elections including UP, Punjab and Manipur. There was an exphasis for  

grassroots mobilisation and effective communication of government initiatives and result-oriented scheme. 

The office bearers and others have also been asked to draw out various programmes and outreach efforts for a month beginning Modi's birthday - Sept 17th. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the BJP’s 'newly appointed' national office-bearers at the party headquarters in New Delhi on Saturday, their first meeting since party president Nitin Nabin unveiled his 65-member team on August 17.

“Organisational meetings are all about new ideas and perspectives aimed at strengthening the party and deepening its connect with the people. Great interaction with fellow party colleagues and the new organisational team,” PM Modi wrote on X after the meeting.

Notably, 51 of the 65 office-bearers are new faces. Two key Muslim leaders in Uttar Pradesh have been elevated.    

Team Modi-Nitin Nabin for coming decade 

PM Modi spent nearly four-and-a-half hours with the new team at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi, marking their first meeting since BJP president Nitin Nabin announced the 65-member team on August 17.  

The BJP is planning major youth outreach programmes targeting people aged 14 and above, including members of Gen Z and Gen Alpha.

The party is also forming dedicated teams of senior leaders from across the country for the outreach drive. The Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha has been tasked with helping constitute and mobilise these teams, while former national office-bearers are also expected to play a key role.

Modi also held separate meetings with Nitin Nabin, BL Santosh and Shivkumar during his visit to the party headquarters.

In his meeting with Nabin, the Prime Minister discussed the names being considered for the BJP Parliamentary Board. 

The names of the new members are expected to be announced soon.

                                                                   

SUNDAY Spl ::::: Bengali folk 'Baul songs' enthrall Delhi audience ::: Baul Music can give a stage where religious belief and Pluralism stand side by side

 The musical number - 

আমার নাম কালো কৃষ্ণ বেদে।
আমার ঘর বাড়ি নাই, 

Aamar Naam Kalo Krishno Bede/ Aamar Ghor Barie Nai ... and a few others mesmerized a sizable Delhi audience.  

I have no home, no dwelling of my own, 

I wander from place to place; I catch snakes in forests, jungles and lakes

— My name is Kalo Krishno, the Bede. 

Most of those in the audience were north Indians. They might have had challenges in understanding word to word the heart-touching lyrics; nevertheless the power of Music is always universal. This definition comes to the fore more easily and 'emotionally powerful' with Baul songs.   

This variety of folk songs from West Bengal as well as Bangladesh is anchored in the “man of the heart”, a mystical theme that represents inner selves. -- “Moner Manush” !! 

The singer of the evening was Nilkanta Das from Tripura. The show was organised by a group of social workers - mostly women from India and also Bangladesh. 

The show was the valedictory session of Taanabana. The three-day exhibition of 'embroidery' dealt with rebellion-variety messages on women empowerment. What does a woman feel inside a bus ... that has not reached the destination or a roadside toilet on time ? 

Does human existence clash with the spirit of the Moner Manush along the international borders ?  

"We do not claim that embroidery undoes what borders do", says one of the organisers. 

Coming back to our focus area about Baul songs; Nilkanta says: "A Baul song is essentially connected to roots ... I sing songs those speak about human existence .. about nature, body, mind and land". 

As practical but often pessimistic as it may sound, this world is ravaged by greed and conflicts. 

Baul songs can offer some answers .. while taking its followers to the world of mysticism, peace and universalism. 

Interacting with the blogger - Nilkanta explains rather shyly :

"The Baul songs are grounded in Hindu bhakti movements and Sufism of Islam.. You can have a stage where a strong religious belief and the spirit of pluralism can stand side by side".  

Dr Nilkanta 

Mesmerized by the lyrics .... in effect after a long gap of a few decades; --my last exposure to a fest of Baul lyrics and music was in the late eighties in Shillong - I did some surfing on net.  

I discover the protagonist Lalon Shah, an influential icon in the Baul movement in Bangaldesh, who had highlighted the significance of  humanity first in his number - 

“manush bhojle shonar manush hobi”,

Blogger and the Baul singer 

There is another. Baul Rashid Uddin’s “Manush dhoro Manush bhojo”  (focus on man, worship thy man) == 

the lyricist urges people to put humans first because God can be found in humanity alone. 

Born in 1933 in Birbhum district, West Bengal, India, Purna Das Baul Samrat is considered a legend. 

In 2013, the UPA regime had conferred upon him the Padma Shri, the country’s fourth-highest civilian award.  

As a matter of fact,  Dr Rajendra Prasad, first President of India, had acknowledged Purna Das as the 'Baul Samrat' way back in 1967.

The underlining messages of Baul songs find similarities in the spirit of the poems (dohas) of Kabir.  

ends 

Sonia, Rahul Gandhi "gift" to Namo post-Jantar Mantar fiasco ::: "Two mega self goals" by Congress --- Vande Mataram flip flop and Dimagi Naxal narratives by 'pellet gun FIR'

"Jeet ke haar ne waley ko Congress party kaheten haen" --  

"The Congress party is very adept at cutting their nose to spite their face," remarked Biju Janata Dal MP Pinaki Mishra in Aug 2023. 

Congress does not realise that Vande Mataram is not about a Hindu prayer glorifying Durga. It was a war cry... and song used those days against Britishers. Moreover; there is no Muslim League to pacify in 2026. Even Muslims of new century may say - this is a non issue.

 

Aug 21 - LoP "achievements" include an FIR against security forces 

Things were not at all favourable for the BJP or the Modi Govt; they were looking for windows to change the political narratives. And see, how Congress scored two mega self goals -- and indirectly offering the BJP escape route on the platter. 

The two self goals are -  Vande Mataram flip flop and Dimagi Naxal narratives by 'pellet gun FIR' of Aug 21. Of the two - Vande Mataram is the 'self goal' of the decade which would haunt Congress once the impact of the fallout starts showing electorally and on ground. 

In fact, left to me - I would say Vande Mataram flip flop by Congress only to appeal to a section of Muslims  (that also by fluke) is akin to the blunder of 2007 (Gujarat polls) - when Sonia had described Narendra Modi as the Maut Ka Saudagar (merchant of death). It boomeranged notwithstanding English newspapers, 'sickular' TV anchors hyping those and western press glorifying the Italy-born-Indian politician. If that similie is not enough - its akin to Chowkidar Chor hae slogan by Rahul and his chamchas.    

For their part, PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah acted smart and allowed Rahul to draw media mileage for about six hours. 

The short term gain was one-day 'heroism' act by the T-short-clad LoP. But the long term damage is immense. The FIR on pellet gun is against the security forces for opening the 'fire'. It was part of the minimum action by security forces. 

The RAF is authorized to use pellet guns and perhaps the 'standard operation' for Delhi police does not allow this.   

The Congress party already has an image of being anti-security forces. Leaders like Sandeep Dikshit have earlier used the phrase 'sadak ke goondey' for army chief. It has in the past opposed Rafale and mocked Indian forces for Surgical strike in 2016 and also for Operation Sindoor.  

The 'immature' Congress team and Rajya Sabha "self style intellectual Jairam Ramesh' will never understand the long term damage of such hyped publicity. Today or tomorrow, Delhi police would have to file that FIR. 

This happens with leaders who are out of touch of ground reality. 

Moreover, the entire range of issues related to Jantar Mantar stir and police actions on July 20 and 21 are now under the probe of a Supreme Court appointed panel. A mere FIR on use of pellet gun cannot corner Home Minister of India - which is Rahul's political target.    

Similarly, the Vande Mataram fiasco. In 1937, the move of using only two stanza from the song could be understood. It was to keep the Muslim Leage pacified because the Partition plans were still far off. 

But in 2026 - on the 80th year of Indian independence and 150th year of the Vande Taram song- only an unwise team (again far from ground reality) would do things what unfolded at the Congress office. 

Jairam Ramesh also needs to learn that the four letters S,T,O,P do not make (notwithstanding all spins) make the word 'chair' for Kharge. Such a poor attempt by a former RD and Environment minister whose pro-NGO and pro-Naxal tilt is well known. The big damage has been done. 

Even Muslim voters and perhaps  - a larger section of educated lot - are already saying Vande Mataram is not our issue. 

Moreover, a law has been passed and the Congress staged a walkout while it was being passed. Now, it is saying we will not follow the rule of the land. 

A former Congress leader's widow- Sharmila Tagore joining the issue makes things worse. On the silver screen and otherwise - she was hardly shy and by marrying into Pataudi family; she had nothing to do with being (or not being Tagore). 

The BJP will now play up this 'cultural nationalism' issue. It has a large number of vote-base and fan-following who like these issues. 'Vande Matarm' ka insult ... would be a vote-garner tool for the BJP for next year's seven states polls - including the likes of Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh and even Punjab - where nationalism is a good political issue.

Privately or otherwise - Team Modi should thank Rahul-Sonia-Kharge (assisted by Jairam/ Jai-rahim) for two self goals. 

It could not have come at a better time for the Lotus party - which is gearing up and smarting up from the Jantar Mantar flip flop.

They can even send some pizza and pastries to the Congress headquarters. 

Blogger in Nagaland 

ends   

NIA to send court summons to Hafiz Saeed in Pahalgam terror attack case ::: Summons, directing Saeed to appear before the special NIA court in Jammu will be routed via Foreign Ministry

NIA to send court summons to Hafiz Saeed in Pahalgam terror attack case

The summons, directing Saeed to appear before the special NIA court in Jammu for trial, will be routed through the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). 

If Saeed does not appear despite the completion of the required legal process, the court may try him in his absence under Section 356 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.

The attack took place in Pahalgam on April 22, 2025. The case was initially registered by Pahalgam Police before the Union Home Ministry transferred the investigation to the NIA. 

The National Investigation Agency court has already issued a non-bailable warrant against Saeed.

 
The Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba founder been accused of being one of the masterminds behind the April 2025 attack, in which 25 tourists - all Hindus - and another person were killed.  

The law provides permits to a court to conduct an inquiry or trial and pronounce judgment against a proclaimed offender who has absconded to evade proceedings and has no immediate prospect of arrest.

Before initiating a trial in absentia, the court must complete several procedural requirements. 

These include issuing two consecutive arrest warrants and publishing a notice directing the proclaimed offender to appear.

The trial cannot begin until 90 days have passed from the date on which charges were framed. If the accused is not represented, the state must provide an advocate for his defence.

HAFIZ SAEED NAMED IN SUPPLEMENTARY CHARGESHEET

The NIA named Saeed in a supplementary chargesheet filed in July, arraigning him in his individual capacity and as the head of the banned LeT and its proxy outfit, The Resistance Front.  

The original chargesheet, filed on December 15, 2025, named seven accused, including alleged Pakistani handler Sajid Jatt and the banned LeT/TRF as a legal entity.

It also named three Pakistani terrorists — Faisal Jatt alias Suleman Shah, Habeeb Tahir alias Jibran and Hamza Afghani — who were killed by security forces during Operation Mahadev in Dachigam in July 2025.

Two local residents, Parvaiz Ahmad and Bashir Ahmad Jothad, were arrested on allegations of harbouring the terrorists.

The accused were charged under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Arms Act and the UAPA. The NIA invoked charges including waging war against India and alleged that the conspiracy had been directed from Pakistan.

Last year at a public function in Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that the first terrorist attack in Kashmir after Partition should have been dealt with decisively in 1947, as today's terrorism is a distorted continuation of that long-standing threat.  

"And it was Sardar Patel's wish that until POK is taken back, the army should not stop. But Sardar Sahib’s words were not followed," the Prime Minister said.  

He said: "And the bloodshed by these mujahideen has been continuing for the last 75 years. 

What happened in Pahalgaon was just a distorted form of the same. ...The Indian Army has defeated Pakistan every time. Pakistan understood that it cannot win against India".  

The Prime Minister said the terrorist activities against India are “not a proxy war” carried out by non-state actors, but “a well-planned war by Pakistan". 

"Terrorism isn't proxy war, it is your war strategy. You are waging war on us," he said, referring to cross-border terrorism.

ends 

Since abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, Evolution of 'US position' on Kashmir has been significant ::::: India "sees no reason to comment on Pakistan’s frustration"

Diplomacy is not only what you say. It's often what you do not say ! And hence it is also - how you say !!  

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesman - Randhir Jaiswal says: "…I see no reason to comment on Pakistan’s frustration".

He was commenting on US envoy's latest visit to Jammu and Kashmir.  

US Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, supposedly handpicked by Donald Trump, visited Srinagar on August 20, 2026, marking his first trip to Jammu and Kashmir. 

During a joint appearance with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Gor described the region as an "important part of India" and hinted that Washington might review its Level 4 travel advisory. 

His remarks prompted Pakistan to summon the top U.S. diplomat in Islamabad in protest.

Jaiswal was assertive: “I will repeat, Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh are integral and indivisible parts of India. They were, they are, and they will remain so…I see no reason to comment on Pakistan’s frustration.”

Pakistan had summoned the US Charge d'Affaires and lodged a protest stating that Gor’s remarks regarding the status of Jammu and Kashmir were “factually incorrect” and “contradictory” to Washington's longstanding position on Kashmir.  

Since Aug 5, 2019, after the abrogation of Article 370, the evolution of the US position on J&K has been significant. Firstly, the high profile international episode saw least interference by the Trump 1.0 administration in 2019-2020.  

The visit by Gor, who also serves as President Donald Trump’s special envoy for South and Central Asia, was the first standalone trip by a serving US ambassador to Indian-administered Kashmir since 2019, and the first since India stripped the territory of its autonomy that year.

His remarks were made publicly, alongside Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, adding to Islamabad’s irritation.

The episode also comes at a delicate moment for Washington’s ties with both South Asian rivals.

The US now tries to balance the 'relationship' beteen Islamabad and New Delhi against its strategic partnership with India. On the other hand, Pakistan is trying court Trump’s administration more closely than it has in years more out of geo-political compulsions. 

The Operation Sindoor in May 2025 has left Pakistan - shell-shocked and exposed in more ways than one.   

Gor also said Washington was reconsidering its “do not travel” advisory for J&K citing improved security since 2019. For Pakistan, US language on Kashmir’s disputed status is an important external validation of its effort to internationalise the issue.  

“This is a beautiful area. I think a lot of Americans would enjoy coming here and seeing the beauty,” the US envoy had said.  

Gor's remarks on the travel advisory are particularly significant to Jammu and Kashmir’s efforts to expand its international tourism footprint and attract visitors from the United States and other Western countries.  

Gor's visit and meeting with J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah signals both acknowledgement and engagement with the UT’s first elected government post the 2019 constitutional changes. The National Conference wants earlier restoration of statehood for the province.   

In January 2020, Kenneth Juster, the then US Ambassador, had been to J&K as a member of  Modi government-facilitated delegation of 15 foreign envoys. 

This also coincided with Trump’s plans for a visit to India in February that year.

Two American delegations also travelled to Kashmir. 

In May 2023, a US delegation attended a G20 working group meeting on tourism. Another delegation from the US embassy visited in August 2024, before the elections in the Union Territory. 

ends 

What Cockroaches and their sponsors must be 'upset' about, Since 2021, India has outpaced China in annual growth !!

Since 2021, India has outpaced China in annual growth !! This is something 'desperate' for headlines Rahul Gandhi may miss. But this is what Cockroaches and their sponsors must be 'upset' about.  

The 2010s began to show signs of convergence, and from 2015 India increasingly began matching or exceeding China's cooling growth trajectory. 

The post-Covid years have made the shift even clearer. 

Since 2021, India has outpaced China in annual growth, turning what once looked like a temporary divergence into a broader decade-long trend. That is why the current comparison is more significant than simply saying that India grew 7.7% while China grew 5%. 

The International Monetary Fund's (IMF) projections suggest that this advantage is likely to persist.

In 1980, China's economy was growing at around 7.9%, while India's growth was considerably lower, at around 6.7%. 

The gap widened in the decades that followed. Throughout the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, China consistently maintained a higher annual growth rate than India.

On the other hand, India was growing, but at a slower and more uneven pace. That historical pattern has now been disrupted.  

Despite all the troubles globally and otherise, India’s economy is showing resilience. 

India’s growth for the year ahead was estimated at just over 7%, which could fall to 6.8% in an alternate scenario, the agency said. 

The International Monetary Fund, a global lending institution, raised its growth outlook for India and lowered it for the US and other countries.   

India's GDP growth rate in financial year (FY) 2025-26 was estimated at 7.7%, compared with around 5% for China. On the face of it, this is a remarkable achievement for India. 

But the more important story is that the gap is no longer simply about one year's performance. 

Since 2015 and the post-Covid period (2020-25), India has repeatedly grown faster while China's once spectacular growth engine has continued to plummet.

 If predictions by international bodies are anything to go by, this decade, from 2020 to 2030, will be India's.  

China's decades of much faster growth have created an economy that is still substantially larger than India's. If a much larger economy grows at 5% while a smaller economy grows at 7%, the smaller economy is expanding at a faster percentage rate, but the larger economy may still be adding more economic output in absolute terms.

In simple terms, India may now be running faster, but China is still running on a much larger track. That is the caveat behind India's impressive growth story.

Yet it does not reduce the importance of what India has achieved. For decades, China was the economy that consistently grew faster than India. Today, the direction has reversed. India has entered this decade with stronger growth, while China is moving through the natural and increasingly difficult transition from an exceptionally high-growth economy to a more mature one.

The question is no longer whether India can grow faster than China for a year. The bigger question is whether India can sustain that advantage long enough.  

India’s average headline inflation has dropped to 4.7% (September 2016 to December 2025), down from 7.4% in the years prior (April 2012 to August 2016).

While managing inflation, price stability was maintained through the robustness of the banking sector. 

The problem of bad loans that plagued India’s banking sector has declined.

Banks now have stronger balance sheets.

RBI also made adequate interventions in the foreign exchange and gold markets to ensure that the volatility in the currency markets did not get out of hand.  

The government in 2019 offered basic cash income of  Rs 6,000 per year to farmers.

People in the villages welcomed it because farmers suffer from ‘money illusion'.

ends 

"Zindagi" is mere Survival, Cockroach is already within you :::::: What's changing in India and the world ... 'perhaps has already changed' :::: UCC was also seen as a tool of “imposition” of Hindu-led uniformity :::: But in 2026, PM has directed Ministers to use Reel power

Did each one of us told a 'lie' to ourselves when we were young ?

There was something wrong on the face; but we kept changing the bathroom mirrors !!

An estimated 61 percent of all active internet users in India, that is approx 588 million people, actively consume short-video content, says - the Internet in India Report by the Internet and Mobile Association of India.  

We do often ask - 

Has India changed or is the world still changing fast ? 

Perhaps the world and India included -- has already changed. What's changing is no longer a valid question. 

In this photograph Amnesty International protesters wear black hoods and a noose around their necks demanding abolition of Death Penalty (near India Gate, New Delhi)  

The issue in debate in this blog is not capital punishment. This is our post-modern era. Noose can come in many form.  The melancholic Kishore Kumar song - "Zindagi ka safar ...." makes a lot of sense. 

Life often these days is like a junction point.  But with most of us around the age group of 50; life is on move and pretty fast. It is no longer waiting ... and it has the power to pull you towards ultimate goal - a self chosen destruction.  

I often say - 

We won't live as much I have already lived. Gen X ... right ?

Those born between 1965 and 1980 today have insecure job, unpleasant office atmosphere, aging parents but clueless about modern challenges we face and hence would be throwing their traditional tantrums. 

That my parents are gone is a personal tragedy; and one is left like an orphan !!

There is yet another middleclass issue - the highly demanding and dependent children. Incidentally, Gen Z and Gen Alpha are in debate in India. They have already toppled regimes in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal. 

2011 - Egyptian Revolution 

The "perception battle" of the 2011 Egyptian revolution refers to the fierce contest over how the 18-day uprising is defined, remembered, and spun: whether as a genuine democratic awakening, a foreign-backed conspiracy, a hijacked ideal, or a calculated military transition.  

But there are fighters too. In India, the Modi Govt is determined to fight the evils among Gen Z back with a mixed approach of selfie-videos and expose the 'darker' sides of the Jantar Mantar protest. 

The classic fighter of August 2026 is the ousted leader of Bangladesh - Sheikh Hasina. She announced on Aug 5 (exactly two years after she fled to India) that she would go back home by December this year.  

She knows she could be arrested and even killed. But 'daughter' of South Asian democratic journey is not bothered apparently.  

In the meantime, me and my friends ... are at a loss. Some colleagues died during Covid and a few are now following them.

A few simply will not wake up one morning. A few others died of heart attack while waiting for a cab to catch an early morning flight. 

For others - parents and even uncles slipping away - step by step and one by one --- taking away with them the last people on earth whom someone could depend and even scream at. 

Even two years ago, things were different.  Indian political circle was contended debating Uniform Civil Code. In 2026 - there is a uniform civil and uncivil anarchy and complex challenges for Gen X (born between 1980 and 1965) ... but no one is around to care about.  

Ideally, the UCC represents a 'call for unity'; but in a communally sensitive pluralistic India, the concept of UCC was also seen as a tool of “imposition” of Hindu-led uniformity.  

But by July  2026, issues of public debate and concern have changed. PM Narendra Modi has last month directed his Ministers to use Reel power. 

Namo was unapologetic. Modi stressed that because Gen Z and first-time voters consume information primarily through visual social media platforms rather than legacy media or even platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), ministers must create bite-sized video content to explain his government policies. 

The Reuters Institute Digital News Report document that 32 percent of Indian respondents now identify social media as their primary gateway to news.

As many as 58 percent of online users in India explicitly rely on YouTube. So, somehow elders and Gen X are losing control. 

Narendra Modi is in office since 2014. By 2029, he will have completed 15 years as India's Prime Minister. The BJP won the last election in 2024, garnering about 36 percent of the vote. That meant around 236 million votes.

Now, by 2027 - crucial polls are due in seven states including Modi's native state Gujarat. Other states are Himachal Pradesh, UP, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur and Goa.  

If the majority of youth aged 15 to 24, numbering 256 million, are unhappy - the table could be turned adversely.

The BJP has replaced its IT cell chief.  

The big issue is not whether Modi can fight back and survive. The bigger issue can we - Gen X survive this emerging world. 

I have friends who are on total unpredictable sources of regular income. That has however not deterred the expenditure outflows. 

The results deserve closer studies.  The intellectual debates among lawyers, professors and media persons most often turn melancholic. 

Discussions end up around 'donkeys' in offices and frustration about family life. Spouses will not understand the problems either unlike the generation of elders when balance was struck well between austerity measures and family duties and demands. 

The joke in the drinking session is - we are now attending more funerals than weddings or anniversary parties.  

"Somewhere in 50s, the light at the end of the tunnel is no longer bright. It has changed its character and nature. Either it is gloomy and most often dark," says my 57-year-old friend now trying to practice family counselling. Her 'family' ... well she has a broken marriage and the kids are indifferent to her life.  

She and other 'experts' like her tell me - things are not only complex. They are just beyond any comprehension. 

You do not have Ambition around. Your Plans have gone awry and what is left about 'Zindagi' is mere Survival. If you are not economical with truth - Cockroach is already in you. 

ends