Rahul Haldar

The image is stark: Sonam Wangchuk, the real-life inspiration for the film "3 Idiots," his face etched with determination, stands amidst a throng of Ladakhi protestors, their voices echoing with a plea for their homeland. Their destination: Rajghat, the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi, the apostle of peace and non-violent resistance. Their goal: to beseech the nation to safeguard Ladakh's fragile ecosystem and heed the clarion call of climate change. But their journey was abruptly halted, their voices silenced, not by the elements they sought to protect, but by a formidable wall of police personnel. On that fateful day, as the world grappled with the hottest year on record, with climate-related disasters wreaking havoc across the globe, the irony was not lost on anyone. While these peaceful protestors, led by an educational reformer and environmental activist, were denied entry to Rajghat, a symbol of freedom and peaceful assembly, a convicted rapist and controversial figure l...

A storm recently brewed in the Indian media landscape, centered around the controversial Draft Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill. This ambitious bill, aimed at overhauling the outdated Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act of 1995, drew widespread attention and sparked intense debates nationwide.     The Bill's Ambitious Goals and Contentious Provisions The draft Bill, initially released for public consultation in November 2023, proposed significant changes to how broadcasting is regulated in India. It sought to bring Over-the-Top (OTT) platforms, digital news, and current affairs under the purview of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry. While the move to update regulations for the rapidly evolving digital media landscape was lauded by some, several provisions within the draft bill became lightning rods for controversy.   One of the most contentious clauses was the potential classification of online influencers as broadcasters if their content touched...