MATTS

Current affairs & politics: Middle East, India, world | Social media analyst | AI & tech on the side | Ex-World Bank

[MATTS @MATTSMATTS]

https://t.co/s4uKUpGgv3

[Shashi Tharoor @ShashiTharoor]

This was one of the highlights of #Vijayadashami2026 yesterday

[TheLiverDoc™ @theliverdoc]

My dear friends, please, I hope to demand your absolute attention to this matter:

In 2018, my junior from St. John’s Medical College, Bengaluru, Dr. Randall Sequeira (middle in the pic), trekked up a steep, bauxite-rich plateau in Odisha to hold a monsoon health camp in the indigenous Kutiya Kondh village of Kutrumali.

In a piece he wrote then titled "Kutrumali’s Demons," Randall described sleeping under a dripping school roof in freezing fog, borrowing utensils from a local health worker to cook khichdi, and waking up at 6 AM to a line of tribal mothers. He wrote with heartbreak about treating malnourished toddlers with protruding bellies and visible ribs, listening to stories of stillbirths and chronic fevers, while noticing the shiny new solar lights installed by a mining conglomerate eyeing the aluminium ore beneath the villagers' feet.

Comparing his small medical team to hobbits sheltering in the night, Randall worried about the outside forces coming for that fragile village.

Randall stayed with the tribal/ adivasi community to serve them. After St. John’s and an MD in Internal Medicine from SMS Jaipur, he gave up every comfort of urban medicine to live in Kalahandi, recognizing that clinical prescriptions are meaningless when indigenous communities are stripped of their forests, water, and dignity.

On the night of October 16, Odisha police picked up Dr. Randall Sequeira and Dalit activist Laxman Naik at 11 PM from his home in Bhawanipatna. A gentle physician who has spent years trekking up hills to save tribal children is now locked in Rayagada sub-jail under frivolous but draconian charges (attempt to murder, dacoity), simply for standing with Adivasis peaceful protesting the mining of their sacred hills in Sijimali and Kutrumali.
https://t.co/PsxZZCngyV

Odisha Govt. said it will cut down forests to connect tribal villages. But it was a way to bypass green laws and fast track London based Vedanta’s, and Adani's mining plans. Local organisations estimate that around 45 villages depend on these hills and would be affected.
https://t.co/0pATUIYADm

The state has answered with repression rather than dialogue. In the last three years, at least 43 police cases have been filed and over a hundred Adivasis and Dalits, both women and men, have been incarcerated in Odisha jails. For example, from In March and april 2026, 8, 2026, to April 8, 2026, within one month, 24 people were sent to jail, 217 were made accused, and the number of “others” total 1,140. An activist who was not named in the original FIRs, but has since been implicated in about 12 cases, so that bail in one case is followed by arrest in another. This pattern of capture and releases have been used to crush rational dissent.

Dr. Randall understood that being a good doctor means understanding that prescriptions cannot compensate for the denial of land rights, that surgery cannot undo displacement and that no medical can substitute for the basic infrastructure a government has failed to provide.
https://t.co/fOC9AU3jaR

To my fellow medical fraternity, and every citizen with a conscience: a kind physician who embodies the highest ethics of our profession is being criminalized to clear the way for bauxite mining. Please do not let his voice be buried in a sub-jail.

Amplify this, demand due process, and demand the immediate release. Please sign in this form to show solidarity: https://t.co/cgLIoEXExG

If anyone can help out in this situation please reach out to Medico Friend Circle - https://t.co/OT2D2E3DuW

[Athul M Nair @athulmnair1]

Kolhapur, the land of the Marathas, will always remain a Congress bastion! 🔥🔥✊✊

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s legacy lives on! 🚩

Jai Bhavani

[Nirupama Menon Rao 🇮🇳 @NMenonRao]

Warm congratulations to Navi Pillay, the first woman of Indian origin to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Her extraordinary life story belongs to the many-storied, often heroic history of Indian migration: oceans traversed , hardships endured, discrimination confronted and new homelands served with honesty and distinction.

Her Indian inheritance and her South African experience meet in a life devoted to human dignity. Were Gandhiji alive, I believe he would have recognised something deeply familiar in that journey: the struggle against injustice in South Africa becoming a commitment to justice everywhere.

We may not have agreed with all her judgments or positions. That should not diminish our respect for her courage, independence and achievements. She is as much a daughter of India as she is of South Africa. Our national pride should be accommodating enough to embrace her independent conscience.

[Gabriele Corno @Gabriele_Corno]

In Norway, reindeer always have the right of way

[Rahul Gandhi @RahulGandhi]

The RSS is an al male anti-constitutional cult that believes women are the property of men.

I believe in Shiva-Shakti.

That's why it gives me such joy to fight them.

What's beautiful is that many of their “own” women are on my side.

[ロクソン @RoxonJo]

ടൈറ്റിൽ - പണമില്ലാത്തത് കൊണ്ട് നട്ടം തിരിഞ്ഞ് ksrtc പ്രിയദർശിനി.

കണ്ടന്റ് - പ്രശ്നം പണമില്ലാത്തതല്ല, ചില ബാങ്കുകളുടെ ഫാസ്റ്റാഗ് ഇഷ്യൂ മൂലമാണ്.

കഷ്ടംതന്നെ @saajims!!

[MATTS @MATTSMATTS]

@divyaspandana Happy Dasara , Divyaji 🎉🎊

[Tanushree Pandey @TanushreePande]

I am not putting up the 1,000 pictures of headless dead bodies, burnt bodies of children, and women who were raped and then killed, from my gallery in Manipur because ALL OF YOU WILL BE TRIGGERED. In fact, Bangladesh aur France ke violent logon ki bhi raaton ki neend ud jayegi aisi khatarnaak tasveerein INDIA me li hain maine 2023 se. Like those toxic fathers jo ghar me apni wives ko maarte hain aur baher bohot acchi image banake rakhte hain, waise hi ye sarkar andar desh kharaab karke, bass baher chavi sudharne me lagi hai, aur jo unhe unki WRONGDOINGS pe expose kare, unhe anti-national batane me lagi hai. Mujhe aapki political party ki chavi ki nahi, apne desh ke logon ki padi hai, isliye ye likh rahi hun.

Jo log France-Bangladesh kar rahe hain naa, let me tell you, as a journalist who has spent the last three years in Manipur, that India crossed all levels of violence, brutality and security breakdown under BJP rule LONG, LONG BACK. France-Bangladesh don't even come close to what has happened in our own backyard.

Only because it has happened in Manipur, which nobody cares about, and the BJP has done a wonderful job of keeping mainstream media away, it has been easy to hide and ignore.

You want to talk violence? LET'S TALK VIOLENCE.

Women and children have been killed in the most brutal ways, in ways that even Hitler could not have imagined. I have covered children who were trained to use assault rifles. Civilians have thrown bombs (state-owned ammunition) at each other. And insurgents who were supposed to have ceased to exist have crossed over and been given weapons to wage a WAR.

Till today, violence is at its peak in Manipur, and the UNION HOME MINISTRY AND THE BJP GOVERNMENT HAVE COLOSSALLY FAILED TO STOP IT.

Forget stopping the violence. Children are living near gutters, and the govt hasn't been able to do anything for them. CENTRE BJP. STATE BJP. "Double Engine".

So what the fuck is your logic? And I'm sorry for using this language, but I'm sick of this fucking drama.

I have said this before, and I'll say it again.. DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT COMPARE OUR KIDS, OUR CITIZENS, WITH FRANCE, BANGLADESH OR WHATEVER.

Agar unhe violence karna hota, toh unke paas bohot time tha aur bohot janta thi July 20 se pehle. Par naa kisi ka wo intention tha aur naa hi kabhi bhi hoga. Ye sikhaya hai hume Indian values ne. Indian democracy ne. NO VIOLENCE and we're all proud of it. Hum sabne dekha violence kisne shuru kiya aur kis hadd tak pahunchaya July 20 ko. Ek mahine se upar shanti se baithne ke baad, acchi education maangne ke baad, 12 baccho ke marne ke baad, ek bhi sarkar ka aadmi nahi aaya tab tak, jab tak baccho ke muh pe PELLET nahi chala di.

Don't know about our citizens, but our current politicians are 100% inspired by some of the most brutal leadership the world has ever seen. Bachchon ke muh pe bomb phenkne ki himmat rakhte hain ye log, if it comes to saving their power. I AM SAYING THIS ON RECORD because I have seen Manipur and what they have done there.

Jo apne khud ke bachchon ke muh ke upar pellet chala sakte hain, Manipur ke bachchon ko bhaad mein jaane de sakte hain, WO KYA DESHPREM KI BAAT KAR RAHE HAIN aur doosron ko jhoothi narratives ke basis par defame kar rahe hain!

Each word I have written, I stand by with evidence. Aap ho sakta hai mujhse agree nahi karte, mujhe pasand nahi karte, woh sab alag baatein hain. Par dil pe haath rakh ke ek baar sochiye ki maine kya galat bola.

[Shashi Tharoor @ShashiTharoor]

A thoughtful conversation between senior journalist John Mary and Prof. Debashis Chatterjee, Director of IIM Kozhikode @debchattweet.

He reads the restlessness of our youth as a revolt against an outdated status quo, argues that education must be about purpose rather than mere placement, and reminds us that judgment, empathy and trust remain beyond the reach of AI. His call to move Keralam's public discourse beyond corrosive negativity deserves to be heard widely.
https://t.co/PKCxO3SyoA

[MATTS @MATTSMATTS]

മുൻപ് നമ്പർ വൺ കേരളത്തിന്റെ പ്രചാരകരായ കമ്മികളെല്ലാം കൂടെ ചെറിയ സാമാനമായിട്ടൊക്കെ കേരള വിരുദ്ധരായിട്ട് ഇറങ്ങിയിട്ടുണ്ട്🤣

[MATTS @MATTSMATTS]

Why push for synthetic tracks in every Kerala stadium? #KeralaSports 🏟️

[Shashi Tharoor @ShashiTharoor]

It’s been six days since this remarkable woman of Indian origin (see her story, attached) won the #NobelPeacePrize. And the Government of India, her ancestral homeland, hasn’t so much as congratulated her?! Shame on the petty men who have made such a deplorable decision.

[Thomson Hindustani @thomsonKL7]

Great to see Kerala Govt making preparations for #Sabarimala season in advance. Appreciate the efforts of positive PR on the preparations as well.

It's a clear win-win situation for Keralam. It's a win for Kerala's spiritual legacy and also a win for stimulating Kerala's economy.

[MATTS @MATTSMATTS]

@athulmnair1 Nonsense. ബാക്കിയുള്ളവര് ബി ജെ പി പോകുന്നതിന് മുന്നേ കമ്മ്യൂണിസ്റ്റുകാർക്ക് ഒരു സന്തോഷപ്രകടനം നടത്തണമെന്നുണ്ടെങ്കിൽ കോൺഗ്രസ് ആയിട്ട് അതിനെതിരെ നിൽക്കരുത് പ്ലീസ്. 🤣

[Ramya/Divya Spandana @divyaspandana]

Relieved Tiger is safe, and wishing a quick recovery to his driver and the autorickshaw driver who were hurt.
7pm, a busy road, no masks, and the shooters are so young! They aren't afraid of being caught because they're disposable. The people giving the orders face no risk at all.
We've seen this before in Juhu, again and again. Each time the shooters are arrested and the network carries on. Two questions need answers-how are gangs still operating from inside jails, and why are so many young men with no prospects willing to pick up a gun for a small fee and a few minutes of fame online? Until we fix both, we're only treating the symptom. ‘Bollywood’ is mum. So much fear and panic.

[Congress Kerala @INCKerala]

ഇത് ജനാധിപത്യത്തിൻ്റെ വിജയം.

[MATTS @MATTSMATTS]

മാസപ്പടി കേസുമായി മുന്നോട്ട് പോകുമ്പോൾ സ്വന്തം പാർട്ടിയിൽനിന്ന് സപ്പോർട്ട് കിട്ടിയത് കെ സുധാകരനിൽനിന്ന് മാത്രമെന്ന് തുറന്ന് പറഞ്ഞു മാത്യു കുഴനാടൻ...

[Ruchira Chaturvedi @RuchiraC]

Sexualised violence particularly against women protestors is being used as a tool to silence dissent by Modi-Shah’s police.

Listen to these young girls talk about how the police dragged, groped them.

This is our national SHAME!

[UDF Keralam @UDFKeralam_]

കടം- ₹31,681,00,00,000
തിരിച്ചടവ് ബാധ്യത- ₹47,533,00,00,000

വികസനത്തിന്റെ പേരിൽ കേരളത്തെ കടക്കെണിയിലാക്കിയ #KIIFB.

അഴിമതി നിഴലിൽ - ഭൂമി ഏറ്റെടുക്കൽ, സിപിഎം കേന്ദ്രമായ ഒരു ജില്ലയിൽ മാത്രം 53%.

പദ്ധതികളാകെ ഒരു ഏജൻസിക്ക് മാത്രം👺

#Scam #LDF #UDF #Kerala https://t.co/ICb78UDN8O