The Buzz & Beyond

  Emotions are running high in India following the Pahalgam incident. This attack on civilians by religious extremists stands among the most heinous acts in recent times. While some hypocrites might claim that terrorism has no religion, how else can one describe an act where civilians are targeted, interrogated about their religion, and even forced to strip to confirm circumcision? How much lower can humanity fall? Calling them "cowards" would be an understatement—they are far worse. Nevertheless, India must respond with caution. Across social and electronic media, where sensationalism thrives, emotions are surging. Many voices are demanding war, halting of Indus water supply, and more. However, people must realize that governance—especially involving international borders—is very different from watching a movie. Let’s review the sequence of events: Was Kashmir truly prepared for democratic processes, given that religious terrorism has plagued it for over 30 years, leaving an...

  What is the National Herald? The National Herald was launched in 1938 with the slogan “Freedom is in peril, defend it with all your might.” It served as a medium for India’s freedom fighters to express their thoughts during the independence struggle. Founded by Jawaharlal Nehru and other leaders, the newspaper was published by Associated Journals Limited (AJL). At the time, Nehru was sidelined in the Congress party after Subhash Chandra Bose defeated Mahatma Gandhi’s candidate to become Congress President. The National Herald soon ran into financial trouble in the early 1940s. Struggling under British rule, it suffered low circulation. Nehru famously vowed to sell his house to pay staff salaries rather than let the paper shut down. He also took jabs at wealthy media owners like Mr. Birla, saying, “Hamein baniyagiri nahiin aataa” (I lack business acumen). Back then, the paper had 5,000 Congress worker-shareholders, but by 2008, that number had dropped to just 1,057. Daily cir...