Akeleykhush

Liberal. Secular. Politics. History. Science. Economy. Business. Sports. Art.

[Akeleykhush @akeleykhush]

This is a must read!

[The Wire @thewire_in]

"The regime that rules us is fully as alien as the British were, and only a Second War of Independence will bring it to its knees. In this war, the farmers on the borders of Delhi are our front-line soldiers." | Arjun Appadurai

https://t.co/dAAXE5vAId

[Akeleykhush @akeleykhush]

@manaman_chhina With all due respect and humility, this Agniveer prefix is bizarre!

[Sujit Nair @sujitnair90]

What worries me is not just that the Prime Minister rarely takes unscripted questions from the press or appears answerable to people.

What worries me more is the confidence that no matter what controversy emerges, no matter how people feel, they know they will still win.

That level of political certainty should concern every democracy.

[Adv. M @RURALINDIA]

27th May, 2026.

Never forget.

The day when a SC judgment paved the way for the rapid withering away of democracy.

Seldom felt so despondent and hopeless.

Note: I did not expect anything better from the Court. But to validate SIR is invalidation of Constitutional democracy.

[Yogendra Yadav @_YogendraYadav]

I did not to go to the Supreme Court today to hear its order in the SIR case.
As a litigant in this case, and as someone who was given the honour of addressing the court, I should have been hopeful, anxious, or at least curious. I was not. The case was decided long ago. We were only waiting for the transcript and its fine print.

The course of this case was settled in August last year. Having heard arguments against SIR for three days, the court moved away from examining the constitutionality of SIR and effectively converted itself into a Consumer Forum, focused on grievance redressal and arbitration, rather than constitutional principles.

The case was effectively decided when the apex court allowed the ECI to rush through the Bihar elections without first deciding the matter, and without requiring the ECI to rectify even the most glaring defects in post-SIR rolls.

There was little left of this case once the ECI proceeded with the second and then the third phase of SIR, while the Hon’ble Court leisurely heard arguments about its constitutionality. SIR had become a fait accompli. Any remaining doubt disappeared when the Hon’ble judges observed in open court that no one would be allowed to obstruct SIR.

The final nail in the coffin of this petition was hammered during the hearing of another petition before the same Bench, when an Hon’ble judge remarked that millions denied their right to vote need not fret, since they could vote in the next election. At that moment, the court abdicated its constitutional responsibility.

Shorn of legalese, the simple truth is that the highest court of a constitutional democracy has already authorised the disenfranchisement of millions of citizens — at least 59 million so far, could go up eventually to 100 million.

It was inconceivable that the court would now declare SIR unconstitutional and annul all post-SIR elections. The lawyers were waiting for the the exact legal reasoning deployed to arrive at a conclusion that was already known. Such legal gymnastics did not interest me. Some friends were looking for some crumbs in the hope that the court might at least wish to save face, if not save the voters. Eventually that too did not happen. Polite noises apart, the Court has handed over a carteblac to the ECI to do what it pleases with the voters list.

ADR vs Union of India (2026) is to our times what ADM Jabalpur vs Shivkant
Shukla (1976) was to the previous assault on our democracy. We must hope that the SIR judgment does not mark the crumbling of the last constitutional wall, as ADM Jabalpur once did. We must believe that one day this constitutional abdication by the guardian of the Constitution will be recognised for what it was. And reversed.

Jai Hind!

[Vaishna Roy @vaishnaroy]

How the BJP proved Jinnah right.
Ajaz Ashraf writes.

https://t.co/Ywlb7XvhsL

[Sandeep Manudhane @sandeep_PT]

If you wish to take a crash course in Indian politics from 1950 to 2026, here's a good resource. Long, but worth the time. Find all twists and turns, and all forces that brought us where we are today.
(I even made my own 100 point summary!)

https://t.co/8wh4DDlATb

[Akeleykhush @akeleykhush]

@SauravDassss @IndianExpress @rajkamaljha I cancelled/ did not renew when due a few months back.

[Sandeep Manudhane @sandeep_PT]

Voter numbers and % must be available the same night, as polling ends. That is basic sanctity of elections.

For the Kerala elections, after more than 50 hours of polling concluded, Gyanesh Gupta's ECI did not release final confirmed numbers.

What more needs to be said!
Blatant, in broad daylight.

#Motherofdemocracy #ECI

[Akeleykhush @akeleykhush]

@sohinichat @urvish2020 Great story

[John Simpson @JohnSimpsonNews]

Here's the link to my article: https://t.co/4hclYKTWqU #Thenerve

[Supriya Sahu IAS @supriyasahuias]

At Pulicat Lake in Thiruvallur district near Chennai, flamingos create a magical spectacle, their pink hues shimmering across the waters and transforming the landscape into a living canvas. Pulicat is India’s second-largest brackish water lagoon, after Chilika Lake & shares its borders with Tamil Nadu & Andhra Pradesh. Lying along the Central Asian Flyway, its nutrient-rich mudflats serve as vital feeding grounds, drawing thousands of flamingos each season from distant regions #Pulicatlake #flamingoes video @tnforestdept

[Colin P. Clarke, Ph.D. @ColinPClarke]

It definitely feels like our country is in rapid decline. This is certainly not the America I grew up in, nor do our policies (foreign & domestic) reflect the values I once held dear. Feeling like a stranger in a strange land, while mourning the future that my kids will inherit.

[Dr. Brahma Chellaney @Chellaney]

My op-ed: In barely 15 months, Trump has generated more global upheaval than most leaders do in a lifetime. By eroding international norms, unleashing cascading crises and roiling world markets, he has emerged as a principal driver of global instability. And he still has 33 months left.

History offers examples of destructive leaders — such as Mao Zedong, Pol Pot, Idi Amin and Moammar Gadhafi  — but they operated on the margins of the international system or in opposition to it. Trump is different. He is tearing down the house from inside. https://t.co/83KIdhnRsm

[Sushant Singh @SushantSin]

If you think Orban's Hungary is undemocratic, have a look for Modi's India. From today's FT.

[kalim @akhmxt]

This tweet is for the history books. This will be archived and revisited for generations on how institutions in India were hollowed out in the Modi years.

[The Cinéprism @TheCineprism]

🎬 25 Iranian Films You Should Watch

A thread 🧵

[shikha sood dalmia @shikhadalmia]

Let's indulge the fancy that Trump will get successfully impeached if he carries through his threat to obliterate Iran. It'll still be too little too late. The annihilation of another country should not be the price for holding your tyrant accountable.

[Marci Shore @marci_shore]

I've taught European history for 30 years. Americans have always asked me how the Holocaust was possible, how Germans could have enabled a madman reveling in mass murder to carry out his plans. Now we can see in real time how this is enabled; now we have front-row seats.

[Happymon Jacob @HappymonJacob]

American democracy has failed.

An unhinged leader is preparing to erase a civilisation tonight.

No checks. No balances. No guardrails. No institutions to stop him.

Silence.