JOIN USReason to celebrate
Rajya Sabha TV is attracting increasing attention. The latest news is that 10 lakh new people have subscribed to its YouTube channel in 10 months, crossing the 50 lakh mark last week. On January 2, it crossed the 40 lakh mark and on October 14, it crossed the 50 lakh mark. In 2020, viewers have spent over 16.6 million hours watching RSTV content online. Of the 50 lakh subscribers on YouTube, 45 lakhs came in the last three years and Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu tweeted, “Glad to know that RSTV today reached another landmark of 5 million YouTube subscribers. Only a few other channels have this distinction...Wish the channel more laurels.” It had just 4.5 lakh subscribers in 2017 when Naidu took over as the Chairman of Rajya Sabha. The RSTV team had more reasons to celebrate as it is far ahead of many other mainstream news channels in India, including India Today (40.8 lakh), DD News (32.4 lakh), Times Now (19.3 lakh), Republic World (38.2 lakh), CNN News18 (16.8 lakh), News Nation (27.4 lakh), CNBC Awaaz (18.4 lakh), Lok Sabha TV ( 8 lakh ) and CNBC-TV18 (6.5 lakh).
Shemin Joy, New Delhi
Missing plaque
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Atal Tunnel near Rohtang Pass, which will provide all-weather connectivity to Ladakh, Congress leaders pulled out all stops to point out that the project had begun under UPA-II. Congress President Sonia Gandhi had laid the foundation stone of the project in 2010. Himachal Pradesh Congress leaders were shocked as they found that a plaque that mentioned Gandhi was missing even though she had laid the foundation of the project and lodged a police complaint about the missing plaque. Congress leaders accused Modi and the BJP of trying to wipe out any mention of Opposition leaders in the strategic asset. After police registered a complaint, it was discovered at the project contractor’s office near Manali. Congress leaders have now demanded its restoration and threatened an agitation if it is not done.
Sagar Kulkarni, New Delhi
Pre-poll favouritisms
Towards the end of every government’s tenure, the chance of finding irregularities and favouritisms becomes high. Often officials who are forced to turn a blind eye towards irregularities due to political compulsions would land in the dock thereafter. Considering this precedent, a senior IAS officer in Kerala is said to have cautioned his colleagues. The IAS officer is said to have posted a message in a closed group of IAS officers in Kerala that all officers should be cautious while giving their nod as officials would finally be responsible. Kerala is heading towards the local body elections in a couple of months and the Assembly polls are hardly six months away. Already, the state government has announced some popular measures like employment opportunities to thousands of jobless youths and it has already raised concerns of backdoor appointments. Hence the IAS officer’s alert to his colleagues assumes significance.
Arjun Raghunath, Thiruvananthapuram
A rarity
In Kashmir, begging has become a growing problem. Beggars, mostly non-locals show up anywhere, from religious places to traffic signals and even inside public transport. The proliferation of beggars in almost every area of daily life used to be a matter of annoyance for many people, who had to deal with the constant haggling and heckling by these beggars. These non-locals have over the years learnt the Kashmiri language. Ask them why they speak in Kashmiri and they say it fetches them more money if they seek alms in the native language. While the younger generation in Kashmir is slowly but steadily drifting away from their mother tongue, the language has found another way of staying alive!
Zulfikar Majid, Srinagar
Missing out
Veteran actor Anupam Kher seems to be hurt over not being tagged by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions in a tweet that celebrated the 22nd anniversary of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. “Pyaar+dosti (love+ friendship) and a whole lot of nostalgia for a story that changed generations to come! Celebrating #22YearsOfKKHH,” Dharma Productions tweeted tagging Karan Johar, Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol and Rani Mukherji. However, Kher, a former FTII chief, said: “Hum bhi the film mein dost. Hum Ko bhi tag kar diya hota (Even I was a part of the film friend, you should have tagged me also). Anyway! Happy to be part of this film!”
Mrityunjay Bose, Mumbai