India

Reverse Swing

KA Shaji

In yet another U-turn, Jayalalithaa has warped the electoral pitch in Tamil Nadu by declaring support for the Sri Lankan Tamil dream of an independent Eelam

Clueless in Dharmanagri

Rahul Pandita

Alienated Muslims seek refuge in conspiracy theories, while aimless Hindu youth look up to Ramlalla, the deity BJP owes its rise to

Between a Block and a Hard Place

Jatin Gandhi

Whichever way the BJP chooses to go, it senses trouble. It’s an unenviable problem for a party that rose so dramatically to power not so long ago

The BSP Billionaires

Shivam Vij

The party of the downtrodden is fielding candidates rolling in wealth. Just what’s the election plan?

Prodigal Reruns

Open

A story of filial loyalty and political ambition in which ‘Hitler’ doles out biryani to counter Stalin

Up in the Air

Dhirendra K. Jha

A roundup of post-poll government formation possibilities explains why the political fission caused by the nuclear deal may bring Mayawati to the fore

The Pulp Feminist

Pallavi Polanki

Betrayal victim, drama queen, media manipulator. Fiza has been called all these. But she sees herself as a liberator of women

In the heart of Thar Desert, a mysterious snake is believed to be sucking the life out of its victims in their sleep without ever having to bite. Horror stories about the peeuna (one that drinks) have travelled across the sands for centuries. We chase the myth to find the snake behind the scare

When Write is Wrong

Jaideep Mazumdar

Politicians and political parties in Orissa’s capital are in a bind: there are no walls for graffiti. Most walls in this city sport traditional paintings