INDIA Bloc Gloats Over JPC, BJP Focus on CAA, 12 New Rajya Sabha MPs

Opposition political formations especially, the INDIA Bloc, are euphoric after the prompt formation of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for consultations, legislative progress on the Waqf Board reforms bill introduced by PM Narendra Modi’s government. They bask in political glory having forced the government to backpedal and JPC scrutiny. BJP strategically exhibited due alacrity in JPC formation, keen to fast track, re-introduce bill before parliament again. “The bill seeks reforms including inclusion of non-Muslims in the appellate tribunal regarding Waqf Board issues ushering transparency into the functioning of the board. The draft bill was circulated over a month back so, the sudden furore is surprising,” a senior BJP leader says adding that opposition’s predilection with proposed bill on Waqf Board, the largest land holder in India after Indian Railways, and defence allowed BJP to bring in another amendment related to the CAA Bill as well as focus on forthcoming Rajya Sabha elections for 12 MP scheduled in the first week of September. “The BJP expects to grow the number of Rajya Sabha MPs to around eight out of the 12 seats to be filled up including presidential nominees. Misplaced focus of opposition formations out-of-sync with India’s changed political template under Modi means they have missed the boat, so to speak,” the leader noted. With effected amendment in 2024 to the already legislated CAA Bill of 2019, the Union government has removed stringent requirements of banking account details, (Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Afghanistani) passports among other prerequisites for persecuted Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, Christians to now simply enrol for Indian citizenship. The murderous coup in Bangladesh followed the amendment earlier this year for compassionately absorbing persecuted minorities there into India. (By Renni Abraham)

Will Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan Get BCCI Contract Again?

Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan are in the news again, but on the positive side of the spectrum. Not long ago, both appeared to be losing their way in the midst of a career that had opened up for one (Iyer) and on the cusp for the second (Kishan).  Among the two, Iyer, the Mumbai batter was the one to feel the heat — immediately after the second Test match of the home series against England. A fragile back nagged him to the extent of being left out of the last three Tests, but apart from this big setback, he was not given the central contract by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and not considered for the World T20 that India won defeating South Africa. Iyer was punished for missing out one Ranji Trophy match against Baroda in the quarter-finals. But he played his part in Mumbai’s 42nd Ranji Trophy win and led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to its third IPL title win. He was recalled for the three match ODI series against Sri Lanka. Kishan, upon his request, returned home from South Africa citing personal reasons. He remained absent from the BCCI’s domestic tournaments. But following a tough stance taken by the BCCI, both have chosen pathways in order to be in the national reckoning. The big question is when will they be inducted into the annual contract system that provides financial security to the cricketers? Kishan is in action for Jharkhand in the Buchi Babu tournament in Chennai and a good show in the Duleep Trophy afterwards will keep him in the mind of the national selection committee. From a period of despondency, time has enabled Iyer and Kishan to gather their wits and look at their career with positivity, aplenty! (By G Viswanath)

Exit Route Via ‘Family Arrangement’ A New Trend In Tamil Nadu Business Houses

The city of Chennai is known for a robust ecosystem that fosters family business. Traditional family businesses are dime a dozen in this part of the world. They have contributed enormously for the development of Tamil Nadu, in particular, and the country as a whole.  Formidable business groups such as TVS, Murugappas, Amalgamation, Sanmar, India Cements, Ramco, Rane, Apollo, the Hindu and the like have all become iconic names in Chennai. An amalgamation of events – opening up of the economy, expansion of families, intense competition et al – has brought tough challenges to the family businesses. Not surprisingly, a wind of change is sweeping the Chennai business families.  The Chennai corporate world was caught by surprise when TVS Sundram Fasteners Pvt Ltd, which had 48.36% stake in Suresh Krishna-headed Sundram Fasteners, sold 32,95,500 shares of Re 1 each at a whopping Rs 1,381 apiece. Post the dilution, TVS Sundram Fasteners will hold 46.79% in Sundram Fasteners. The dilution was ostensibly to help one of daughters of Suresh Krishna to raise funds for a new venture. Observers see in the dilution a kind of `family arrangement’ that has sort of provided some sort of an exit window to a family member in the business. Not long ago, there was a similar `family arrangement’ which saw a “non-compete family arrangement” between Venu Srinivasan, his wife Mallika Srinivasan and their kids. Much earlier, the Murugappa group inked a `family arrangement’ with one of the female members of the group – Valli Arunachalam – who had gone public, demanding either a role in the business or fair compensation.  It took several decades for the four families that formed part of the larger TVS group to go their separate ways legally. The TVS model for `family arrangement’ appears to be a useful guide for many `family arrangements’ that are increasingly likely in the new-normal family business environment. Maybe, the Murugappas and Apollo have a lot to ponder over. (By KT Jagannathan)

Shraddha ‘Stree2 ’Kapoor’s Big Splash Drowns Akshay And John Abraham

This 37-year old Bollywood actress quietly made a big splash. Shraddha Kapoor’s latest film Stree 2 has drowned both John Abraham’s Vedaa (Rs 10.5 crore) and Akshay Kumar’s Khel Khel Mein (Rs 9.95 crore) in the box office. In three days Stree 2’s collection was Rs 100 crore… Rs 150 crore on the fourth day. Movie critic and trade analyst Taran Adarsh tweets “Indeed, #Stree2 is rewriting the rules of the game”.  Bollywood watchers say she can well be called the franchise queen. Shraddha, daughter of Shakti Kapoor, who has acted in over 38 films entered Bollywood in 2010 with Teen Patti followed it with her first leading role in the teen drama Luv Ka The End (2011). She is considered Alia Bhatt’s rival in a way. She has acted with all the big heroes. She was in Aashiqui 2 produced by Mahesh Bhatt, Street Dancer with her childhood crush Varun Dhawan and Baaghi with Tiger Shroff. In the last three-four years Shradda — the second most-followed Indian actor on Instagram — has made a big impression with her fans. It started with Stree (2018), Chhichhore (2019) and Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar (2023) and the action thriller Saaho (2019). Besides acting, she, like Alia Bhatt has hummed quite a few numbers. One of India’s highest-paid actresses, she has been featured in Forbes India’s Celebrity 100 list since 2014. She endorses several brands and has her own line of clothing. Trade Analyst Girish Wankhede says Shraddha is at the top of the game with the stupendous success of Stree2. The franchise has rejuvenated her stardom after series of average hit films. (By Our Entertainment Editor)

Bengal Film Industry Hit Hard By Kolkata Tragedy And Bangladesh Crisis

The Bengali film industry has been hit hard by Bangladesh crises and the tragic rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata. The turmoil has led to the postponement of film releases, teaser launches, and promotional events, causing significant setbacks to the industry as it gears up for the festive season. As a mark of respect for the Kolkata tragedy, popular actor Dev has postponed the teaser release of his highly anticipated Pujo film Khadaan. Acclaimed director Srijit Mukherjee’s film Padatik has also been affected. Despite having a strong connection to Bangladesh through its lead actor, Chanchal Chowdhury, the film was only released in West Bengal, and the Bangladesh premiere has been indefinitely postponed. Chowdhury, a celebrated Bangladeshi actor, was unable to attend the Bengal premiere. Director Raj Chakraborty’s film Babli managed to hit the screens, but notably, no promotional events were organized. Another director Shiboprasad Mukherjee has announced that his film Bahurupi will not be released during Durga Puja. Similarly, the music launch of celebrated actor Sashwata Chatterjee’s much awaited movie Jamalaye Jibanta Bhanu, a tribute to yesteryear Bengali comedian Bhanu Bandopahdya was postponed. The Bengali film industry is now at a crossroads, with major films release date delayed and promotional activities scaled back. Tollywood which has strongly supported the rape victim and called for justice, is still facing backlash from netizens on social media. Raj remarked that the entertainment industry has become an easy target, with some people expressing their frustration online despite the industry’s protests and solidarity with the “Night Reclaim” movement. (By Tanya Bagchi)

 Cement Industry Consolidation: A Look Back At The IT Sector

A consolidation of hectic kind is sweeping the Indian cement field with the Adanis and UltraTech Cement of Aditya Birla Group engaging in a no-holds-barred acquisition binge. The cement industry, perhaps, is moving away from distributed production to concentrated production. The churning is indeed a part of a dynamic process. The change, however, pushes the system down the memory lane, it appears. In former times, the IT industry had a lot of ERP companies such as Oracle, JD Edwards, Peoplesoft, BaaN, SAP and the like. Similarly, the CRM space had plenty of players like Vantive, Seibel et al. In the first decade of this century, a shift had happened in ERP space. Peoplesoft first took over JD Edwards. Then, Oracle acquired Peoplesoft. Later, Oracle came out with a blended ERP which had the features of Peoplesoft and JD Edwards. SAP, in the meanwhile, had taken over Siebel CRM. The competition now is between two giants — Oracle and SAP.  This is a far cry from the days when the ERP space had a host of small as well as big players. Indeed, change is the name of the game. Forget the adage “small is beautiful”. Big is the in thing today. How will the emerging new normal play out in the larger economy? Well, time alone will answer this. (By Srinivasan Thirumalai)

 Superstar Vijay’s Hunt For Venue For First Political Rally Runs Into Problems

Tamil film superstar Vijay’s hunt for a venue for his party Tamil Vetri Katchi’s inauguration has been a tale of frustration that betrays the fear people have of being seen promoting a new player on the political scene. The hunt had led Vijay’s party members to several cities and towns in the state looking for a venue like an open ground that can accommodate around 10 lakh people who are expected to attend. Having looked at suitable venues in Trichy and Salem, the party had to cancel with the parties owning or controlling the venues pulling out for fear of getting into trouble with the powers. The party had then approached a private college management to lend their campus and ground in Vikravandi, a town about 120 kms south of Chennai. The venue may not be big enough if a million people get there for the inaugural slated for September 22. The party is said to be still trying for a more suitable venue even as preparations are on for releasing the party’s flag on August 23 so that supporters and fans can carry the flags to the venue on the inaugural day.  The party is determined to get the party off the ground in a spectacular way in September. Vijay’s final film – The Greatest of All Time or GOAT — before his political plunge will hit screens on September 5. (By Tamil Raja)

BJP and NCP(Ajit) Clash Verbally, Warn Each Other

Mahant Ramgiri Maharaj, a Hindu holy figure, has unintentionally triggered a war of words between the BJP and the NCP(Ajit) over his certain controversial remarks about another religion. The Mahant’s purported statement had led to a serious law and order situation in Nasik in north Maharashtra. While a few criminal cases have been filed against him, spokesmen of NCP(Ajit) and the BJP have added fuel to the fire by their respective utterances. Pawar’s confidant Amol Mitkari, MLA, has made certain objectionable comparisons of the Mahant while advising him caution. The use of the word dog in that comparison has enraged the Mahant’s followers. BJP legislator Ram Satpute has asked Mitkari not to forget that his party, the NCP(Ajit), is a constituent of the Mahayuti. Alleging that Mitkari has had an aversion against Hindutva, Satpute said, “Commercial thinkers like Mitkari have no business to tell Hindu religious leaders on what position to take about such matters.” Even as the duel was raging, a BJP demonstration against deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar in Pune district has provided another pointed angle to the Mahayuti equation. Maharashtra NCP (Ajit) president Sunil Tatkare has angrily asked the BJP protestors not to do something that could sour the relationship between the two parties. The BJP workers were upset since only Pawar’s image was flashed at an official event’s venue, ignoring CM Eknath Shinde and DCM Devendra Fadnavis. (By Dilip Chaware)

Was Khushbu “Na Khush” As Member Of The National Commission For Women?

You can’t keep an ambitious and feisty woman out of power and profile in politics. BJP leader Khushbu Sundar has proved yet again that she is a woman of substance and stature. She had resigned from NCW in July, but her resignation was accepted only on August 14. It is said that certain high powered BJP leaders were on her side to speed up her resignation acceptance. A sparkling, animated and emotional Khushbu sashayed into the BJP TN HQ Kamalalayam on August 15, after one and half years of Vanvas. Khushbu is known to have fought her way through many political upheavals and frustrations, the best recalled ones about her party hopping and stormy encounters with TN heavyweights. Her talent as a brand ambassador is unique…and her fans have built a temple in her name. Her cinematic and small screen status is as intact as her self-confidence. Even today, she commands Rs 10 lakhs per day. But there are personal undercurrents to Khushbu turning Na Khush at this point. Even as she was almost being erased from popular memory, Radhika, her contemporary, had climbed several steps up the BJP pecking order, along with hubby Sarathkumar. Khushbu was acutely aware that her lost public ratings had quickly found a new lady brand in Radhika. At a recent Tiruppur event, Saratkumar was given pride of place on the BJP dais, an event where Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan was not invited. Time for intervention. Like Mamata, Khushbu challenged. Now the game starts. Khela Hobe? (By Padma Ramnath)

 Pre-Poll Survey Predicts Hung Maharashtra Assembly

A Times-Matrize pre-poll survey has predicted a hung assembly in Maharashtra while forecasting about 100 seats for the BJP, to emerge as the single largest party. According to the survey, neither the ruling Mahayuti alliance nor the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) will be able to win a majority. The Congress, it says, will be the largest partner within MVA. Between Eknath Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray, more respondents (27%) have preferred the incumbent CM than the former CM (23%). The forecast says the saffron Mahayuti will be able to garner around 130 seats against 110 by MVA out of the total 288 seat. This means, nearly 40 seats will be out of reach of either side. In other words, the key to power will be controlled by unattached or independent MLAs in the next house. The MVA is hoping to win at least 160 seats, based on its performance in the Lok Sabha election. Mahayuti leaders are confident that they will be able to turn the tide by convincing the electorate that it had been duped with the help of a fake narrative by MVA leaders. The Election Commission’s position about Maharashtra is interpreted to mean that the assembly election will be held in December and not in October, when it should be due. Although the survey has not evoked much political debate in the state, both sides have intensified their campaigning. (By Dilip Chaware)

 Decide On CM Face First Insists Uddhav Thackeray, MVA Partners Maintain Studied Silence

Uddhav Thackeray’s insistence on declaring the CM’s candidate is not going well within his Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) partners. Uddhav’s Shiv Sena is insisting that the MVA finalise a CM face before polls. His logic — a similar strategy with his then alliance partner, the BJP, had backfired badly. This had led to coalition partners working against candidates of their own alliance partner, to bag the CM’s chair, he says. Clearly, the Congress, which netted the highest tally of 14 seats among their allies, in the recent Parliamentary polls, remains unimpressed. Then there is also the whispered rift between the Uddhav Sena and senior Pawar over the Adani issue, at play here.  Uddhav’s strong outbursts against favouritism in land allotments to the Adani group, across Mumbai City, for Dharavi redevelopment, has not gone down well with the Pawar, known to be close to the Adani group. Recently, Sharad Pawar made an unexplained visit to CM Eknath Shinde at his official residence, where Adani officials were believed to have made a PowerPoint Presentation ostensibly on the Dharavi issue. Uddhav is known to be friendly with the Mukesh Ambani family and his younger son Tejas Thackeray was seen dancing in the Ambani marriage function.  Not surprisingly, Uddhav Thackeray doesn’t want to take chances about who will get the CM’s post. (By Hepzi Anthony)

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