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In Good Faith: Why India’s society and politics need both the strength and gentleness of Hanuman https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/why-india-society-politics-need-strength-gentleness-of-hanuman-8639004/
What a conversation outside a temple reveals about the layered connections between faith, identity and political polarisation

This is not a call to look for some golden truth in the middle of two polar extremes. This notion of a “middle” would mean we are still locked in the one-dimensional trap. Nor does it mean that we ignore the importance of electoral politics — even though elections tend to be a binary contest. The challenge lies in cultivating mental spaces which are somewhat free of preconceptions. Then we may have an opportunity to understand what is driving the need to feel strong and even foster spaces where non-aggressive forms of strength and capability can thrive. Only then can compassion and acceptance of the otherness of “others” become a strength rather than being feared as a weakness.

Like the rest of life, mythic images keep changing and being imbued with different meanings. Thus, a contest over which depiction of Hanuman is more “correct” may become just a distraction. What we need is a reaffirmation of the loving and fraternal aspects of devotion. Meeting that young man at the temple showed me these values may be closer to the surface than seems apparent and finding them depends on the tone in which a conversation is initiated.

Vanishing non-AC coaches | Railways organised loot gets bigger https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBMhVmPNIjo May 30, 2023
Railway has been systematically reducing sleeper coaches for some time. Now they have officially announced that except for local slow trains there will be only AC coaches. In a country where the opinion makers and opinion builders demand more super fast trains with more facilities the plight of common man goes un noticed. They refuse to believe that there are millions whose life gets affected by a hike of 10 or 20 rupees for essential services.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/toi-editorials/pumped-down/

P Chidambaram https://twitter.com/PChidambaram_IN/status/1663386078051713024?cxt=HHwWgIDSqea0xJUuAAAA The editorial noted that Petrol prices were deregulated over the UPA and NDA governments between 2010 and 2014. However, the 'decontrol' reform has stopped since September 2014

Crude prices were below USD 60 between 2014 and 2021, peaked when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, but has since fallen to USD 75. Yet the Government has not passed on the benefit of lower crude prices to the people consuming petrol and diesel

It is obvious that the government is 'profiteering' through higher taxes and cesses at the cost of the people. One of the reasons why inflation is high is because of artificially-kept high prices of petrol and diesel