Exploring the nexus of politics and pop culture  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS5M3yc5vzU  May 23, 2024
In his new book H-Pop, journalist Kunal Purohit documents how radicalised poems, songs and hate speeches are finding their way across India. Watch his conversation with Glynda Alves where they discover the nexus between politics and pop culture. 

‘Ayega to Modi hi? But how? https://mainstreamweekly.net/article14707.html  Faraz Ahmad  Mainstream, VOL 62 No 21, May 25, 2024..  the Election Commission has abandoned several past practises this time. One, stretching the polling to seven phases and nearly a month and a half. Two, abandoning the practice of holding a press conference after each phase to give out facts, figures and other related information to the media and thereby sharing all relevant information with the voters at large. We need not repeat here the EC reluctance to act strictly against patently communal and divisive speeches by the Prime Minister and Home Minister of the country in this Election campaign, day in and day out...It seems now that Modi and his drum beaters’ confidence in ‘ayega to Modi hi’, derives from this suspected manipulation of the voting machines. 

Will 2024 Results Spell A Change or Not?  | Nilofar Suhrawardy Statistically, the chances of Modi and his party being supported by as many votes as earlier are hardly strong. This may also be stated as the vote-bank favouring BJP appears to be weaker in comparison to 2014 and 2019. However, prospects of BJP not faring as well as it did earlier and/or the number of seats it wins/loses cannot be delinked from a few other factors. It needs to be considered, in whose favour do votes choosing not to support BJP turn to? Division in anti-BJP votes may still help the BJP win. If voters’ decision is primarily decided by their anti-BJP attitude, then a lot is likely to be dependent on who they vote for, whether there is unity/division in this decision of theirs or not..  the 2024 elections may be viewed as a display of democratic strategy being exercised strongly and silently by voters to ensure the command of their electoral prowess in ensuring success/defeat of the party in power. The key question rests on how many votes are specifically cast for Modi or against him, in other words, on whether voters act decisively regarding a change at the centre or not?

Cannes Film Festival: Payal Kapadia is first Indian to win Grand Prix for ‘All We Imagine As Light’ The film, led by Kani Kusruti and Divya Prabha, explores the connections between two Mayalali nurses.https://scroll.in/reel/1068365/cannes-film-festival-2024-payal-kapadias-all-we-imagine-as-light-wins-grand-prix  Payal Kapadia made history at the Cannes Film Festival, becoming the first Indian director to win the Grand Prix  Kapadia won the honour for her debut feature All We Imagine As Light, starring Kani Kusruti and Divya Prabha as Malayali nurses working in Mumbai.

Tracing Payal Kapadia's journey, from protesting against Gajendra Chauhan at FTII to winning Grand Prix at Cannes https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/payal-kapadia-journey-from-protesting-against-gajendra-chauhan-ftii-to-winning-grand-prix-at-cannes-film-festival-101716710188193.html   “Dissent, in art and in life, is a tough path to choose. But sometimes it does create magic.” Payal Kapadia

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/student-who-was-part-of-protests-against-gajendra-chauhan-gets-support-from-ftii/story-4n3V8NVNnorKiyRRnSnpDK.html  Student, who was part of protests against Gajendra Chauhan, gets support from FTII

Extreme Heatwave in India | Why 2024 is the Hottest Year? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1V-vezohFeg | Dhruv Rathee  May 26, 2024
In this video, we delve into India's escalating climate challenges, from devastating forest fires to persistent heatwaves. We explore the dire state of forests, impacted by human activities and natural causes, and the widespread consequences of El Niño, which exacerbates dry conditions and leads to less rainfall. As we face record-setting global temperatures and their severe impacts on local weather, we discuss the urgent need for effective climate policies and community-based actions. Join us to understand how these environmental crises affect us and what steps we can take to mitigate their effects.

https://x.com/ani/status/1794612302811103449?s=48&t=SFa-k5NPsWv0XaNTx3j6wg ANI @ANI #WATCH | Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal says "You all know that the voting results will be out on the 4th June. I want to make the public and the political parties aware of what you should do when the machines (EVMs) open. So I have made a chart for all the parties and all the counting agents. In this chart, the CU (control unit) number, BU (ballot unit) number and VVPAT ID will be present...The third column is very important. 4th June 2024 is written in the third column and the time when the machine will be opened is written below. If there is any difference in this time then you will know that the machine has already been opened somewhere...Then, the serial number of control unit will also come here in written format, you have to match that too...When the total poll vote comes, then look at it carefully so that when there are more votes in the counting, the problem may come again...Keep in mind 2 things, do not press the result button until the verification is done in the above column and if there is a difference between that timing and the timing of the result then there is something wrong. I would like that all political parties and all the candidates who are sitting there should carefully check the first column and get it opened only then..."

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=372076752056440 
Lok Sabha Election 2024 Kapil Sibbal ने EVM पर उठाया सवाल, बोले कोई भी मशीन से छेड़छाड़ संभव है

Modi के मुजरे वाले भाषण पर, Dhruv Rathee-Ravish kumar ने धोया? 2024 Election News https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsB11QI1QaU   May 26, 2024 #6thphasevoting #modi #election
The speech given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Bihar yesterday was criticized by journalist Ravish Kumar and YouTuber Dhruv Rathee.

PM Narendra Modi's stay in Mysuru hotel: ₹80.6 lakh unpaid for over a year; Radisson Blu Plaza may go to court: Report 
1 min read 25 May 2024,  https://www.livemint.com/news/india/pm-narendra-modis-stay-in-mysuru-hotel-rs-80-6-lakh-unpaid-for-over-a-year-radisson-blu-plaza-may-go-to-court-report-11716618846099.html

The State Forest Department was told to organise an event from April 9 to 11, costing ₹3 crore with full funding from the Central government. However, following urgent instructions from top officials at MoEF and NTCA, the event's total expense rose to ₹6.33 crore 

Prabir Purkayastha | Abhisar Sharma  conversation about the seven months in jail, the status of press freedom and democracy in India, among other things. 

NewsClick चलता रहेगा इसमें कोई शक नहीं है: Prabir Purkayastha | Abhisar Sharma

May 23, 2024 3 October 2023 को NewsClick के दफ्तर, editors के घरों, कर्मचारियों के घरों और संस्थान से जुड़े अन्य लोगों के घरों पर दिल्ली पुलिस की स्पेशल सेल ने raid की। इसके साथ ही NewsClick के संस्थापक और editor-in-chief, Prabir Purkayastha को Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act की धाराओं के तहत गिरफ्तार भी कर लिया गया। 15 May 2024 को Supreme Court ने इस गिरफ़्तारी को अवैध घोषित कर दिया और Prabir Purkayastha रिहा हुए।

देखिए वरिष्ठ पत्रकार Abhisar Sharma और Prabir Purkayastha के बीच की ये खास बातचीत जिसमें चर्चा हुई सात महीने से ज़्यादा जेल में रहने, देश में मीडिया, लोकतंत्र, आदि पर।

On October 3, 2023, NewsClick's editors, employees, and others associated with the organisation woke up to the early morning knock by the Delhi Police Special Cell teams. The police orchestrated widespread raids, which resulted in the arrest of NewsClick's editor-in-chief, Prabir Purkayastha, under various sections of the anti-terror law, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
On May 15, 2024, the Supreme Court pronounced the arrest as 'void' and ordered the release of Prabir Purkayastha.

RSS - मोदी आमने सामने ! BJP को हराने मैदान में उतरा संघ? 2024 Election Will Decide MODI's Destiny

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbIRBqTnez0  DESH NEETI

RSS-BJP separation is official now. It’s been a long time coming under Modi decade  https://theprint.in/opinion/rss-bjp-separation-is-official-now-its-been-a-long-time-coming-under-modi-decade/2093920/ 
If Modi wins a majority in 2024 election, then the RSS would find the going tougher for itself as the patriarch. But if he fails, then the RSS will have the last laugh.

many analysts have come to believe that the RSS has nothing to complain or worry about the BJP and Modi, since the latter have fully implemented the RSS’ core agenda...

The RSS does want to see its agenda getting implemented, but not at the cost of its foundational thought process about its organisational functioning being altered. At the heart of that thought process is an inviolate principle — that the organisation must reign supreme and must not be dwarfed by any individual or any personality cult.

Much to its discomfiture, that’s precisely what has happened with the whole RSS ecosystem over the past ten years under the Modi rule...

while the RSS doctrinally but slyly promotes the idea of benevolent dictatorship, it can’t put up with any individual assuming that role within the larger Sangh Parivar organisation.

It believes that the moment organisation becomes subservient to any individual, it might prove to be the proverbial death knell for it. Governments and individuals running them will come and go, but the organisation must survive...BJP alluring several RSS cadres with plum positions and critical roles within the government as well as within the party organisation. It has considerably corrupted the value of selflessness that the RSS nurtures within its cadres since childhood.