Garlands of Gujarat.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim, the self-styled spiritual head of the Dera Sacha Sauda, "convicted of rape and murder, is out on parole for 40 days, the timing of his release conveniently tied with a Haryana by-election and Himachal assembly polls, the two states where the Dera has a considerable following," wrote Rajdeep Sardesai. Haryana has a BJP government. A video on social media showed Haryana deputy speaker Ranbir Singh Gangwa "bowing in reverence" before Ram Rahim and addressing him as "Pitaji", or 'father'. TOI. Gangwa credited his electoral success to Ram Rahim, saying "when the administration fails, Babaji's blessings work". "On 30 October 2022, a pedestrian suspension bridge over the Machchu River in the city of Morbi in Gujarat, collapsed causing the deaths of at least 135 people and injuries to more than 180 others." wikipedia. Even as one family in Morbi was mourning the deaths of 12 of its members, CNN, the civil hospital, where some of the injured had been admitted was being hastily painted before a visit by the prime minister. HT. The idea that the grief of so many families "can be hidden from public gaze by an extra coat of paint is appalling" finds Sardesai. Who cares? On 6 November, "Raising chants of 'Aa Gujarat banavyu che' (I have made this Gujarat), Prime Minister Narendra Modi...officially launched the Bharatiya Janata Party's campaign for the Gujarat assembly elections." HT. In the same state of Gujarat, "Eleven convicts in the Bilkis Bano gangrape case, released from jail under the Gujarat government's remission policy were greeted with garlands." India Today. These celebrated 11 men "were convicted for the gangrape of a pregnant Muslim woman and murder of 14 members of her family, including her three-year-old daughter, according to a court document," BBC. A three-year-old child and garlands of marigold. Must be so proud. In BJP ruled Karnataka, a 30-year-old woman and her twin babies died during labor at home after being "shooed away (from the government hospital) as she did not have an Aadhaar card or Thayi card which is issued by the Karnataka government to enable pregnant women avail free treatment including delivery services at government hospitals." TOI. "The deaths of 70 children in the Gambia, linked to cough syrups made in India," because they contained "unacceptable amounts of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol as contaminants" was confirmed by laboratory analysis, found the WHO. BBC. India has the highest number of malnourished children in the world and came in 107 out of 121 countries in the Global Hunger Index 2022. BS. The government immediately rejected the report, criticizing it as "biased and disconnected from ground reality", HT. And, instantly the empty stomachs of hungry children filled up. Not just in hunger, we are below Pakistan in freedom of the media. Dawn. The Pakistan media is reporting Imran Khan's long march but the Indian media is almost completely ignoring Rahul Gandhi's march in India. "Some of the best intellectuals who shaped India's media probity and professionalism are currently in jail as alleged left-wing extremists. While Kashmiri journalists have borne the brunt of the pro-Hindutva state's ire, no one who dissents is spared elsewhere." Where murder is celebrated, hunger is no big deal. Just arrest the journalists.