The Supreme Court will hear Naresh Balyan's plea challenging his bail denial. The Delhi High Court previously rejected his bail application in a MCOCA case. Balyan is accused of facilitating a crime syndicate run by gangster Kapil Sangwan. The high court found an active criminal nexus between
The Delhi High Court has sought responses from Abhijit Iyer Mitra and others. A Cockroach Janta Party spokesperson filed a plea alleging privacy violations. The court issued notices and summons regarding the disclosure of residential details. X, formerly Twitter
A Supreme Court Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta has banned any construction or development within 100 metres of Jojari River in Rajasthan,hearing a suo motu case on Monday (August 24, 2026). The court also prohibited hazardous industries within 500 metres of the river’s flow path
The Congress party criticises the Modi government's aggressive privatisation agenda for India's space program. They question the rationale behind weakening ISRO's capabilities and transferring its assets. Reports indicate ISRO's role in rocket development will be severely limited by this new policy
Chlorine gas leak at a water treatment plant in Nagpur shortly after midnight on Monday (August 24, 2026) sent nearby residents running for safety and left many people gasping for breath, officials said. Several people were hospitalised after the leakage occurred in a 900-kg capacity chlorine gas
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday said Bengal must emerge as a major investment destination as he highlighted the state's cooperation with the Centre in defence, infrastructure and industrial development. His remarks came as Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Adhikari virtually
BJP national general secretary Smriti Irani said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has remained responsive to youth concerns and shown that political differences can be set aside to improve government systems. BJP national general secretary Smriti Irani said the Prime Minister has been attentive to the
In April 2025, the Modi government made a dramatic U-turn and announced that it would count caste in India’s next census. At the time, it made sure to take potshots at its predecessor, the Manmohan Singh-led United Progressive Alliance government, for not including caste in the 2011 census
Backstory: When an old woman called me from Bangladesh
On a humid June day, my colleague and I were in the middle of an interview in Assam's Barpeta district when my phone rang.
It was Mostafuzur Tara, a journalist from Bangladesh's Kurigram district, who I had contacted a week ago.
Mostafuzur had helped me report on the story of 14 people from Assam, who had been picked up on May 27 from the Matia detention centre in the dead of the night.
There were rumours that they were being taken to the Bangladesh border and left there, but no confirmation was forthcoming.
The next morning, however, Mostafuzur's video report brought proof that the 14 men and women, who had spent all their life in India, had been forced out of the country and into a swamp in the no man's land between India and Bangladesh.
I answered the phone. Almost immediately, Mostafuzur handed over the phone to an elderly woman. She was in tears, her voice exhausted.
“Please take me back to Assam,” she said. “I don't have anyone here.”
The woman, in her 60s, said she had been pushed into Bangladesh by the Border Security Force along with the other declared foreigners.
Declared foreigners are Assam residents who have been pronounced non-citizens by foreigners' tribunals because of inadequacies in their identity documents.
But the elderly woman could not run too far. She injured her leg and was left behind. Some villagers in Bangladesh provided her food and shelter.
The Bangladeshi journalist said she had to be admitted to a hospital for her injury. “She is too old to walk. Please try to find her family.”
Hearing the voice of a helpless woman, stranded in a foreign country, I felt deeply unsettled.
As reporters, it is not uncommon for people we meet and report on to approach us for information or to rely on us to tell their stories.
But we don't cross some lines.
As a reporter, one of the rules I follow is not to get personally involved.
My story must not only be shaped by the emotions of those I report on, but also a larger legal and political context.
I fear that assisting others might breach ethical norms. What if my offer to help them influences the story I write? Will my readers sniff a conflict of interest? And what does it mean to help someone the state, with all its power and might, has expelled from its territory?
But reporting on Assam's citizenship trials that threaten to disenfranchise large numbers of Bengal-origin Muslims and violent demolition drives that target the community, I have come face to face with people in desperate circumstances.
I think of the old frail man, who was forced out of India, along with the others. He found his way back to Assam but he had no legal representative to fight his case in the Supreme Court.
The family, too poor to bear the cost of a lawyer, looked to me with hope. I could not do much, except put them in touch with a lawyer in Guwahati who agreed to help them pro bono.
In July, I met 54-year-old Abdul Barek during a demolition in Goalpara district. He had lived there for over four decades. But his home and those of 1,080 other families were demolished.
Long after my story was filed, Barek kept calling me, seeking help and guidance on how to get his land back. One day, he broke down. “In this heavy rainfall, we are being forced to live on the road.”
The desperation of people like Barek stems from the fact that no help is coming for them – neither from the state's political leadership nor Assamese civil society.
The lives of Miya Muslims, who migrated to Assam from Bengal in the late 1800s and early 1900s, have always been hard. They are looked at with suspicion, and vilified as “illegal immigrants” for their ethnic and religious identity and their migration history.
But this year, the community – one I belong to – has faced unprecedented state assault with regular demolition of homes and expulsion of people to Bangladesh.
The helplessness of the displaced plays out almost every day on television channels, often with little sympathy for those left homeless.
And so, I found my resolve wavering when I spoke to the elderly woman abandoned in Bangladesh.
That evening, I approached the members of the All Assam Minority Students' Union to see if they knew about the woman's family.
By midnight, they shared the number of the son.
I called him up right away. The son knew that his mother had been pushed into Bangladesh but he had no way of reaching her.
I gave him Mostafuzur's number and hoped for the best.
After a month, he called me. His mother had made it back to her native village in Assam.
Source: Scroll
Related Posts: India, Politics, Assam Bengal-origin Muslims pushed into Bangladesh, Assam declared foreigners, Assam citizenship trials
Uttar Pradesh Assembly Speaker Satish Mahana has sparked outrage after footage emerged of him leaving the dais during the National Anthem. Opposition leaders have called for his apology, questioning his respect for national sentiments. In his defense
15 hours ago
The upkeep of Delhi's iconic Lutyens bungalows, now nearly a century old, is becoming increasingly expensive - annual expenditure on the renovation, furnishing and repair of the official residences of Union Ministers touched a record high of ₹92.35 crore in 2025-26
1 days ago
Industrialist Gautam Adani met Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar for an hour. Sources described the meeting as a courtesy visit while returning to the airport. The meeting occurred amid a proposed tunnel road project for which Adani Enterprises is the lowest bidder
1 days ago
Rohtak MP Deepender Hooda has clarified his statements regarding Sajjan Kumar's death, denying he ever referred to the former MP as a role model. He underscored his family's long-standing opposition to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, firmly reiterating their commitment to advocating for the rights and
1 days ago
A project in Assam to improve the quality of an elephant habitat could turn a botanical liability into a carbon-rich asset. For decades, Assam Forest Department officials have struggled to deal with at least half a dozen invasive alien plants (IAPs) that have been constricting local vegetation and
1 days ago
At a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Union ministers were handed report cards. They were not being assessed for their performance as ministers but on how active and effective they have been on social media. Each minister was ranked based on an evaluation of their social media presence between May 1
1 days ago
The Indian Overseas Congress USA Telangana Chapter voiced disappointment over denied political clearance for Chief Minister Revanth Reddy's US trip. The Ministry of External Affairs cited the program's inappropriateness for the office held by the Chief Minister
1 days ago
Expressing her firm stance, Mayawati, the BSP chief, has rejected the idea of substituting caste-based reservations with economic ones, arguing that it would harm the broader national interest. She pointed to constitutional protections for historically marginalized groups and condemned Congress
1 days ago
Rahul Gandhi's 'Chhatro Ki Goonj' program focused on young women in Pune. Congress leaders stated the program's message reached Delhi, causing visible panic. Supriya Shrinate highlighted the platform provided for women to voice their concerns. Union Minister Murlidhar Mohol criticized the program
1 days ago
Prime Minister Modi met the BJP's new national office-bearers, stressing public connection and organizational strength. The party announced a nationwide 'Seva Sankalp Abhiyan' from September 17 to October 17. This campaign aims to spread the spirit of service associated with Modi's public life
1 days ago
Sikh leaders protested outside Rahul Gandhi's residence on Saturday. They demanded an apology for Congress leaders' remarks about Sajjan Kumar. Sajjan Kumar, convicted in the 1984 riots, recently passed away. Protesters stated that such statements reopened old wounds for families
2 days ago
The Bharatiya Janata Party passed a resolution defending Vande Mataram's national status. This action strongly condemned the Congress Working Committee's recent decision regarding the song. The BJP affirmed the constitutional and statutory protection of the complete National Song
2 days ago
BJP national president Nitin Nabin on Saturday (August 22, 2026) held the first meeting with the party's newly appointed national office-bearers to discuss poll strategy and grassroots outreach, party sources said. The meeting focused on preparations for upcoming State Assembly elections
2 days ago
Two workers were killed and 11 others were injured in a reactor blast in a pharmaceutical firm in Dothigudem in Pochampally in Yadadri district late on Friday (August 21, 2026) night. The factory is about 50 km from Hyderabad. According to police officials
2 days ago
The Supreme Court has redefined the term 'industry' for new labor cases. This ruling will not affect past or pending cases under the old law. The Congress party expressed concern over this significant change. They believe it weakens essential safeguards for many workers
2 days ago
BJP MP Dharmendra Pradhan accused Congress of appeasement politics regarding the Vande Mataram song. He stated the party's true face has been exposed to the nation. West Bengal Congress President Subhankar Sarkar rejected these allegations from the BJP
2 days ago
Claiming that “rule of law” prevails in Bengal now with the new BJP government in power, Shah said the previous government did not implement BNS in Bengal so that they could promote cut money, syndicate raj and corruption. He praised CM Suvendu Adhikari who has fulfilled 43% of the poll
2 days ago
Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged faster reforms and greater ease of living. He expressed confidence that a stable India will contribute to world stability. India has been an oasis of political stability amidst global fluctuations. The government is committed to uplifting the youth, farmers
2 days ago
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Thursday asked the Union government to provide a legislative assurance that any state’s representation in Parliament will not reduce due to the delimitation exercise, The New Indian Express reported
2 days ago
Welcome to The India Fix by Shoaib Daniyal. A newsletter on Indian politics. As always, if you’ve been sent this newsletter and like it, to get it in your inbox every week, sign up here (click on “follow”). “I was never involved in corruption
2 days ago
A Congress delegation petitioned the Election Commission regarding voter list irregularities. They alleged eligible voters' names were struck off electoral rolls. People were declared absent and young individuals marked deceased without cause. Notices were not reaching recipients
3 days ago
Karnataka's Chief Minister DK Shivakumar urged the Southern Zonal Council to retain the 1971 census for delimitation. He also requested maintaining the Lok Sabha's strength at 543 for the next twenty-five years. Shivakumar sought to accommodate women's quota within the existing strength without
3 days ago
Farmers in Karnataka's Cauvery basin intensified protests on Thursday, opposing water release to Tamil Nadu. The Cauvery Water Management Authority ordered Karnataka to release water, which Tamil Nadu seeks to enforce. Protesters questioned the decision
4 days ago
Journalist Tarun Tejpal, former editor of Tehelka magazine, on Thursday (August 20, 2026) appealed in the Supreme Court against the August 6, 2026, judgment of the Bombay High Court sentencing him to 10 years imprisonment in a 2013 rape case. His appeal comes as the State of Goa
4 days ago
The Congress Working Committee adopted a resolution addressing key national concerns. Youth unemployment and numerous paper leaks were highlighted as critical issues. Allegations of financial irregularities in Ram temple donations were also raised
4 days ago
Manipur Congress chief O Ibobi Singh stated the Centre can resolve state issues quickly. Civil society groups are petitioning Union ministers for NRC updation before the Census. They aim to meet Home Minister Amit Shah and other key leaders. Students also protested
4 days ago
KPCC president Sunny Joseph stated the ED probe findings against Veena T are not political witch-hunting. He noted the CPI(M) has not denied the facts revealed by the agency. The Enforcement Directorate seized handwritten notes and digital devices during searches
4 days ago
