M F Husain painted the mural in 1963 after winning a competition. He was paid Rs 1,000 for the work

MUMBAI: Pablo Picasso famously said that “art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life,” but at the Yogakshema Building at Nariman Point, which houses the headquarters of the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), a wall mural painted by M F Husain appears to be doing the opposite, quietly accumulating dust as visitors and employees offer only fleeting glances while passing through the metal detector at the security screening area.The mural, depicting a female musician, is located on the wall directly opposite the security checking area in the lobby of the building’s east wing. It shows visible signs of deterioration, including cracks, tearing and layers of settled dust. Ongoing renovation work, including plastering and the erection of scaffolding, has been carried out close to the artwork, placing it at further risk of damage. Though a metal detector stands next to the mural, there is no name plaque to inform the thousands who pass through the entrance about the value and heritage of the work.Painted in 1963, the mural was created after Husain won a competition organised by LIC to adorn the lobby of its then newly inaugurated headquarters. Husain was paid Rs 1,000 for the commission.Brinda Miller of the Kala Ghoda Arts Association said such neglect was not unusual. “A mosaic mural by Jatin Das was similarly destroyed in a government building years ago. In contrast, another Husain mural inside a restaurant at the Cricket Club of India stands beautifully preserved,” she said, adding that wall art in India is often undervalued.Conservation architect Vikas Dilawari said the issue extended across institutions. He cited neglect of a K K Hebbar mural at Nair Hospital and noted that Husain painted directly onto the marble wall, requiring protection during construction.Raisa, the artist’s daughter, called the situation a “tragedy”. When contacted, LIC executive director Pradeep Shenoy said he was unaware of the mural’s value and would look into providing protection

India condemns ‘hostility’ against Bangladesh minorities

NEW DELHI: The acrimonious exchanges between India and Bangladesh in the past few weeks came to a head on Friday with India slamming Dhaka for “unremitting hostility” against minorities – including Hindus, Christians and Buddhists – in the country at the hands of extremists. Calling it a matter of grave concern, ministry of external affairs (MEA) condemned the recent killing of a Hindu youth in Mymensingh and stressed that the perpetrators of the crime must be brought to justice.Asked about the return of BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman to Dhaka after 17 years, the Indian govt only said it should be seen in the context of India’s call for efforts to ensure free, fair and inclusive parliamentary polls in Bangladesh.

PM Narendra Modi had earlier expressed concerns about the failing health of Tarique’s mother and former Bangladesh PM Khaleda Zia and offered all possible assistance to her.Tarique returned to Dhaka on Thursday, further energising BNP – which was revived by former PM Sheikh Hasina’s ouster last year – ahead of the Feb 12 parliamentary elections.On the security situation in Bangladesh, the ministry said it rejected the false narrative created in the country. “You would understand that law and order or security situation or the developments that are happening in Bangladesh is the responsibility of the govt of Bangladesh, and to portray a narrative where things go in some other direction is completely false and we reject that,” said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.

‘2,900 incidents against minorities have been documented during Yunus government’The official said that more than 2,900 incidents of violence against minorities, including cases of killings, arson, and land grab, have been documented by independent sources during the tenure of the interim govt and these incidents cannot be brushed aside as mere media exaggeration or dismissed as political violence. The interim govt led by chief adviser Muhammad Yunus has repeatedly brushed aside India’s concerns as propaganda by the Indian media.“We are all aware of the recent developments in Bangladesh. We have been closely following them. And, as far as the law and order situation is concerned, I have been apprising you from time to time as to what our position has been or should be and is today. The unremitting hostility against minorities in Bangladesh, including Hindus, Christians, and Buddhists at the hands of extremists, is a matter of grave concern,” said the official.“India wants close and friendly relations with people of Bangladesh which is rooted in Liberation struggle and strengthened through various development and people-to-people initiatives,” he said. BNP had earlier said it wanted balanced ties with India. Indian govt’s response was that it remained committed to the best interests of people of Bangladesh, including peace, democracy, inclusion and stability in that country and will continue to engage constructively in this regard with all stakeholders.

There’s a video of Raghav Nirula thrashing the patient, but Resident Doctors’ Association says his side of the story hasn’t been considered

SHIMLA/KULLU: The Resident Doctors’ Association (RDA) of Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla — following backing from Himachal Medical Officers Association and RDAs of other medical colleges — announced an indefinite strike from 9.30 am Saturday, demanding immediate reinstatement of Dr Raghav Nirula, who was sacked on the recommendations of an inquiry report for assaulting a patient on December 22.They will be joined by govt doctors in other health facilities across the state. All routine services, OPDs and elective operation theatres will remain closed, but emergency services will continue to function, IGMC RDA announced Friday.CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s promise of a fresh inquiry cut no ice with the doctors, who see Nirula’s sacking as a “mob trial”. There’s a video of Nirula brutally thrashing the patient, who is also seen kicking him while lying in bed, but RDA said Nirula’s side of the story hasn’t been considered, and the termination is unjust.Himachal residents are already facing the brunt of the protest as govt doctors, excluding those on emergency and VIP duties, went on mass casual leave. Long queues were seen at OPD counters of regional and zonal hospitals in Kullu, Dharamshala, Una and Mandi.On Friday morning, representatives of IGMC RDA, HMOA and State Association of Medical and Dental College Teachers met the CM with their demands. RDA president Dr Sohail Sharma told mediapersons that Sukhu listened to them in detail, “considered all available evidence” and promised a fresh inquiry.The association alleged that Nirula received “direct threats to his life” and was warned to “leave the country”. RDA called for the immediate revocation of Nirula’s termination order. The association expressed concern over instances of “mob intimidation” inside the hospital, saying safety of healthcare workers was under threat and services were disrupted. It has demanded registration of FIRs and legal proceedings under BNS.“A fresh inquiry should be conducted to find out the exact circumstances that led to this incident. Moreover, govt should inquire into the threats made against the doctor by the patient’s attendants,” said Dr Satyavrat Vaidya, posted at Regional Hospital, Kullu.Former BJP CM and current LoP in assembly, Jai Ram Thakur, on Friday termed Nirula’s sacking a “harsh” move. “The decision to terminate Dr Raghav seems to have been taken in a hurry. A suspension order with a warning would have sufficed,” he said. RDA has also sought legal action over the vandalism of govt property during the December 22 fracas, and steps to end CCTV and security deficiencies at IGMC-Shimla.Ambulance staff stop work over wagesTo add to patients’ woes, around 1,300 employees of 108 and 102 ambulance services also went on a two-day strike across the state on Friday , demanding minimum wages. They staged protests and stopped work, impacting emergency services across Himachal. Protests were held in Una, Shimla, Kullu, Solan, Nahan, Chamba, Mandi, Dharamshala and Hamirpur as employees raised slogans against the company hired by the health department to run ambulance services. The employees’ union has alleged the firm isn’t giving them the basic salary ordered by various courts, including HP HC.

NAGPUR: Amidst the brutal persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh in the run-up to the February polls, a party registered in April hopes to fight its maiden elections, seeking Hindu and other minority votes. Bangladesh Minority Janta Party (BMJP) is preparing to contest 91 of 300 seats of Jatiya Parishad (national parliament), hoping to win 40 to 45 seats, said the outfit’s president, Sukriti Kumar Mandal.Talking to TOI on phone from Dhaka, Mandal said, “We have zeroed in on constituencies where the minority, especially the Hindu vote-bank, ranges from 20% to 60%.”Scrambling to file nominations before the Monday deadline, Mandal feels Hindus need to feel safe to come out and vote. A tie-up with any mainstream party – be it Tarique Rahman’s BNP or Jamaat-e-Islami – can help. “With an alliance with these parties, minorities can come out of their houses without fearing retaliation. Awami League is off the radar, and BMJP is the only voice of persecuted Hindus,” Mandal told TOI.

Mandal said the party candidates would be finalised in a day or two. “By Saturday, all nominations would be filed,” he said.He said India should change its stand on Bangladesh and only back the cause of Hindus, instead of supporting the Awami League. “If India shifts from its pro-Awami League stand, mainstream Bangladesh parties will sit up and take note. India must know that BMJP is the sole voice of minorities,” Mandal said. A change in stand could also lead to a change in Bangladeshi mindset towards India, he said, adding the Awami League only used India to gain power.The five-point agenda shared with TOI includes working towards a secular Bangladesh, establishing a federal system by carving out five provinces, and establishing fundamental and constitutional rights of each state. BMJP also proposes changes in textbooks with a secular and scientific approach, apart from ensuring fair rights for minorities.

Students create a large charcoal portrait of former PM Vajpayee on his birth anniversary in Moradabad, Thursday

Atal Bihari Vajpayee was not only a politician and Prime Minister, he was the conscience-keeper of India’s democracy and a statesman who taught the nation how to combine courage with compassion, conviction with inclusiveness, and nationalism with humanity. His impeccable legacy continues to inspire the transformational changes being carried forward by the Modi govt.Vajpayee’s life remains a guiding light for all those who believe that governance can be effective, corruption-free, and rooted in concern for the common man. Appropriately, his birthday, Dec 25, is observed as Good Governance Day.His decency, simplicity, sensitivity and poetry endeared him to people across generations. I have fond childhood memories of his regular stays at our Mumbai home.One afternoon, while I was playing marbles in the living room, he noticed me struggling to hit a marble. Sitting beside me, he placed his palm on his knee and accurately flicked a marble with his index finger to strike the target nearly eight feet away. I was awestruck. That moment forged an intimate bond with ‘Chachaji’, as we children called him.As a school-going boy, I had gone to the airport tarmac to meet him as he embarked on a four-day tour of western Maharashtra. When he learnt my holidays had started, he invited me to accompany him. I was completely unprepared, yet Chachaji ensured I was comfortable – buying me Kolhapuri chappals and clothes at the first stop.I remember a speech he delivered in Sangli honouring the legendary Lata Mangeshkar. For nearly an hour, Vajpayee mesmerised the audience with his reflections on Indian culture, tradition and music-without a word of politics. It reminds one of PM Modi‘s Mann Ki Baat, which similarly rises above politics to engage with society at large.Vajpayee was a deeply grounded leader, rooted in India’s civilisational ethos. He was the first Indian leader to address the UN General Assembly in Hindi, a precedent later followed by PM Modi, who uses the national language not only at multilateral forums but even while addressing leaders of English-speaking nations.His legacy continues to inspire us. In my constituency of North Mumbai, a successful Skill Development and Job Center is named after him. This year’s budget provided for setting up 50,000 Atal Tinkering Labs in govt schools to encourage innovation and a scientific temper.His philosophy of strength – India conducted nuclear tests during his tenure – tempered with sensitivity is visible today in PM Modi’s governance, where decisive action to strengthen national security goes hand in hand with compassion through initiatives such as free homes, toilets, foodgrains, cooking gas connections, healthcare coverage, and direct benefit transfers.In his I-Day address in 2000, Vajpayee declared, “To reform is to improve the life of every citizen. There is no scope for apprehension or fear about economic reforms.”His govt undertook far-reaching reforms in banking, telecom, insurance, pensions and disinvestment of sick PSUs, while simultaneously expanding social initiatives such as universal primary education and Antyodaya Anna Yojana, which provided highly subsidised foodgrains to the poorest households. PM Modi is taking these, and other transformational initiatives forward in a mission mode as Reform Express.Vajpayee clearly understood that enduring national strength rests on robust infrastructure. Landmark initiatives such as the Golden Quadrilateral and Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana transformed connectivity, integrated markets, and brought remote regions into the national mainstream.These initiatives laid the foundation for India’s present-day infrastructure transformation. It was Vajpayee who recognised the strategic importance of a tunnel connecting Himachal Pradesh to Ladakh and J&K. PM Modi fittingly named it the Atal Tunnel, honouring the visionary.For BJP, Vajpayee is special – a founding member and its first president. In the party’s first national convention in 1980 he prophetically said, “Andhera chhatega, sooraj niklega, kamal khilega” (Darkness will disappear, the sun will rise, the lotus – BJP’s symbol – will bloom).For BJP, he is not merely a leader of the past, he is a moral compass for the present and future. Under PM Modi’s leadership, India is fulfilling many of the aspirations he envisioned-a confident, self-reliant nation that commands respect across the world.(The writer is Union minister of commerce & industry)