Tag: Column

By Ashutosh Mishra London: Racist abuse aimed at England players during Monday’s Euro qualifier against Bulgaria has received massive coverage in the British newspapers. The match that the visiting team won 6-0 was marred by uncharitable comments from Bulgarian fans directed against England’s black players. The naked display of racism by the white-skinned Bulgarian chauvinists […]

By Ashutosh Mishra London: Crime is on the rise in this city. While a drug cartel seems to be active knife crime has escalated. According to reports in a section of the media here this kind of crime has risen to a record high with more than 15,000 offences in a year being for the […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Senior police officials in Koraput recently brainstormed on ways to contain left wing extremism in southern Odisha, specially the erstwhile undivided Koraput district. The area comprising the present Koraput, Malkangiri, Nowrangpur and Rayagada districts deserves special attention as Maoist rebels have been most active in this belt. The area shares borders […]

By Ashutosh Mishra London: The island of Malta, located slap-bang in the middle of the Mediterranean sea, is being touted as one of the hottest destinations for the footloose and fancy-free looking for a perfect winter getaway. One of the newspapers here has run a two-page ad feature that begins thus: “shrug off winter’s chill and […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: If reports in a section of the media are to be believed Odisha has the dubious distinction of being ranked among 10 Indian states with a high crime rate against women. Backed by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) figures they paint a grim picture of the state as one of the […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Chief minister, Naveen Patnaik has taken a step in right direction by asking ministers to make surprise visits to check the quality of food served to children at schools and orphanages. They have also been instructed to share meals with students in schools and the inmates of orphanages. Equally significant is […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Coastal security is a major issue in Odisha given the state’s 480 km long coastline which is largely unguarded. At least it does not have the kind of security it deserves. The issue of coastal security comes into focus from time to time when incidents reminding the authorities of its need […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: The mammoth victory of Biju Janata Dal (BJD) candidate, Rita Sahu in the just concluded assembly by-poll in Bijepur has re-affirmed the ruling party’s electoral supremacy in the state. While it comes as yet another proof of chief minister, Naveen Patnaik’s invincibility it has dealt a blow to BJP’s ambitions of […]

By Ashutosh Mishra London: Among British newspapers, the Guardian seems to have given the most authentic and graphic account of the last moments of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the dreaded Islamic State leader who met his end in a dead-end tunnel in northwestern Syria. The paper’s Middle East Correspondent, Martin Chulov begins his story as if […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: The Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal (BJD) is on a high following its landslide victory in the just concluded Bijepur assembly by-poll. On present form it seems to be miles ahead of its rivals—BJP and Congress—who have utterly failed to project themselves as an alternative to Patnaik. Congress is down in […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: With despondency growing and future appearing bleak in the wake of yet another defeat, this time in a by-poll, younger generation Congress leaders in the state are becoming impatient. The campaign for the removal of Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president, Niranjan Patnaik, launched at a meeting of party leaders at Panth […]

By Ashutosh Mishra London: Britain is getting ready for its first December election since 1923. Before that, the country had gone to polls in the year-end month in 1918 when troops returning from World War I had joined women voting for the first time. A December election follows opposition leader, Jeremy Corbyn’s willingness to pick […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Odisha government’s decision to organise Marine Drive Eco Retreat festival near Konark from December 14 is obviously aimed at drawing more tourists, especially foreign tourists to the area which not only houses the world famous 13th century sun temple but also has an excellent beach and a beautiful wildlife sanctuary. The […]

By Ashutosh Mishra London: Being used to the boisterous and colourful election campaigns in India I find the ongoing campaign for the Christmas elections in this country strangely quiet and drab. There are no banners and posters, no loudspeaker mounted vehicles blaring out songs and slogans and no processions with dance and music. For us […]

By Ashutosh Mishra London: Political analysts here appear worried that Brexit fixation of major party leaders is going to make the Christmas elections terribly skewed. One commentator calls it the hijacking of the elections by Brexit which, by all indications, has turned into an obsession. Everything else has become secondary. Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, who […]