Tragedy,
Mystery And A Cup Of Woe
The suspicious circumstances surrounding Bob Woolmer's death
cast a shadow over cricket's showpiece event and raise questions
about match-fixing and the strain on foreign coaches in the
subcontinent
They conserve heritage, caricature social issues,
move on the fast track, spin the tables as well as
the ball. They care for us, they write for us, and
they strive to keep us secure. Some of them are homemakers
and mothers too. India Today profiles a league of
extraordinary women.
The Crown Prince of Congress hit the campaign trail
in western Uttar Pradesh and set the party's agenda.
His opening gambit was to woo Muslims and Dalits, to
make the party relevant again.
Pitted against formidable opponents, the Congress is
at best an also-ran in the Assembly polls. But it believes
in the Olympian dictum that it is not the winning but
the participation that matters.
Even though it's the IT hub of the country and the back
office for some of the world's largest corporations,
Karnataka falters on the civic and social development
fronts. The crumbling infrastructure in the capital
and its skewed development have made the state a land
of paradoxes.
The retail boom has finally caught up with the sabzi
mandi. With 6,600 stores planned and investments worth
Rs 40,000 crore lined up, the market for fresh produce
is no longer the same. The supply chain has been cut
short and prices pushed down.
The killings in Nandigram take the sheen out of the
chief minister's reform agenda. Why he is still the
best bet for the state in spite of the Marxist complicity.
A series of political missteps sees President Pervez
Musharraf's carefully cultivated image of a well-meaning
reformer take a severe battering and raises questions
about his continuance in power. But the general feeling
is that his survival instincts would see him through.
Bengali in essence and subtle in style, Mira Nair's
new film is a triumph of heart over humbug. Moving between
New York and Kolkata, it takes the Indian immigrant
experience beyond the diaspora.
COVER
STORY: ICC CRICKET WORLD CUP 2007
