Author: Tirthankar Mitra
Confronting an existential crisis under the ruling BJP in West Bengal, Left parties are set to contest the upcoming Kolkata Municipal Corporation elections as a unified bloc, bringing non-Left Front allies like SUCI(C) and CPI(ML) Liberation on board. Driven by a delimitation exercise that expanded KMC wards from 144 to 209 and recent clashes over Left book stalls, the CPI(M) has set aside its historical ‘big brother’ approach to share seats and build a wider resistance against the saffron camp.
Celebrated British actor Sir Patrick Stewart has passed away at the age of 86. Rising from a childhood marked by domestic hardship and going completely bald by age 19, Stewart built a formidable career with the Royal Shakespeare Company before capturing global stardom as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek and Professor X in the X-Men franchise. Knighted in 2010, the Yorkshire-born legend proved that classical discipline and character can redefine modern popular culture.
A coalition of 21 major Indian publishers and broadcasters has approached the Supreme Court against contentious clauses of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, warning that the absence of a statutory exemption for journalism threatens investigative reporting. With provisions mandating individual consent, enabling data erasure, and tightening RTI disclosures under Section 44(3), the media petition argues that the law could be weaponized by powerful interests to unmask whistleblowers and shield wrongdoing under the guise of digital privacy.
Septuagenarian CPI(M) whole-timer Bipul Dasgupta has emerged as the face of peaceful resistance in West Bengal after standing ground with folded hands against a mob attempting to tear down a Left book stall in Nagerbazar during Durga Puja. The incident, set against a broader ideological row over the festival’s nomenclature, drew widespread condemnation from civil society as well as senior saffron figures including State Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta and the RSS, prompting a large solidarity march from Kolkata’s College Street on October 29.
Renowned painter Jogen Chowdhury leaves behind a legacy defined by his mastery of cross-hatching, lyricism, and poignant social reflection. Blending the iconography of Kalighat patas with the psychological depth of modern reality, Chowdhury shaped Indian visual culture as a prolific painter, long-time ‘Keeper of Art’ at Rashtrapati Bhavan, revered Santiniketan mentor, and an empathetic voice for artists in the Rajya Sabha.
India’s first-half exports reached $259B behind a 26% spike in tech shipments, amid widening China deficits.
Legendary Hollywood actress Eva Marie Saint, who won an Academy Award for her film debut opposite Marlon Brando in ‘On the Waterfront’ and dazzled as Cary Grant’s co-star in Hitchcock’s ‘North by Northwest’, has died at the age of 102. Renowned for prioritizing her family over studio contracts while delivering intense, critically acclaimed dramatic performances, Saint remained one of the final living bridges to cinema’s Golden Age.
Simmering resentment has surfaced within the West Bengal BJP following the nomination of former Trinamool Congress MP and actor Koel Mallick for the upcoming Rajya Sabha by-election. Accompanied by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and state president Samik Bhattacharya during her filing, Mallick’s swift induction has faced fierce pushback from party old-timers who label her a political opportunist, even as the state leadership justifies the choice on the grounds of legislative realpolitik and Upper House strength.
British author, former Conservative politician, and peer Jeffrey Archer has died at the age of 86. A master of personal reinvention whose real-life trajectory traversed parliamentary prominence, catastrophic bankruptcy, global bestseller fame, and a sensational perjury conviction, Archer penned international blockbusters including ‘Kane and Abel’ and sold over 300 million books worldwide before passing away on the eve of the publication of his final novel.
A major boardroom battle has surfaced at the Tata Group after the Tata Sons board approved a five-year extension for Executive Chairman N Chandrasekaran and initiated public listing steps over the objections of Tata Trusts Chairman Noel Tata. With the Trusts citing Article 121 to brand the reappointment a legal nullity and conflicting visions emerging over compliance with the RBI’s Core Investment Company framework, India’s largest conglomerate faces a delicate governance and ownership test at Bombay House.