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Essential HuffPost
In February 2015, journalist Nikhila Henry met Rohith Vemula for the first time. In April that year they became Facebook friends. Between 2008 and 2016, when he killed himself, Vemula left behind prolific posts on Facebook, commenting on a range of issues, from caste to cow politcs, reading to romance, social justice to revolution. Passionate, involved and intrepid, these writings have been selected and edited by Henry and published as a book, #CasteIsNotARumour: The Online Diary of Rohith Vemula, by Juggernaut Books.
Prisma has made a mark, standing out among countless apps by offering something fresh and unique. The app which became an instant hit globally uses artificial intelligence to turn your photos into works of art. But now it has two competitors sniping at its heels — 'Alter' (for photos) and 'Artisto' (for videos). Like Prisma, both these apps use artificial intelligence to transform photos and videos into works of art.
Even though he went out of the medal reckoning in the Rio Olympics yesterday, after finishing fourth in the men's single sculls event, Indian rower Dattu Baban Bhokanal returns home a winner. A viral Facebook post by author Rupa Pai highlights the ironical twists in Bhokanal's life. His story is also that of many Indian sportspersons competing at the Olympics this year, who've made it to Brazil by sheer hard work and determination.
Main News
Union Textile Minister Smriti Irani is set to go to the Siachen Base camp to meet the soldiers on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan on 18 August. Seven other women ministers from the Narendra Modi government will also be visiting soldiers in situated at other places on that day.
In a 12-minute confessional video of Lashkar-eTaiba terrorist Bahadur Ali, who was apprehended in Jammu and Kashmir last month, the National Investigation Authority has said that the LeT had a role in fuelling protests in Kashmir with a high altitude command centre "Alpha 3", operating with the help of Pakistan military, directing cadres to mingle with prostestors and target Indian security forces with grenades.
A Dalit man was allegedly beaten to death in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday over suspicion of being involved in a theft in the neighbourhood. Reportedly, the 22-year-old Dalit youth was mercilessly thrashed by a mob and beaten till his death.
Off The Front Page
To differentiate between the 'real' gau rakshaks and the 'anti-social' ones, Haryana has decided to issue identity cards to cow protectors following police inputs about fake cow vigilantes extorting money from truckers. The move comes four days after PM Narendra Modi said that an overwhelming majority of gau rakshaks are anti-socials who have proclaimed themselves protectors of cows to cover up their misdeeds.
Archers Laishram Bombayla Devi and Deepika Kumari, and boxer Manoj Kumar were rays of hope for India at the Rio Olympics 2016, with medal hopeful Jitu Rai, judoka Avtar Singh and weightlifter Satish Shivalingam crashing out of their respective disciplines.
On Tuesday, Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi announced the #BBBPDaughtersWeek initiative, where parents would post photos on social media with their daughters and/or granddaughters along with the aforementioned hashtag. While the campaign is a fun initiative, the deep-rooted patriarchal roots in the Indian society would take some time to change.
Opinion
A BJP government whose leaders sing cows' virtues spurs the vigilantes, who believe they can act with impunity, writes Salil Tripathi in Mint. "If Modi were serious about the attacks, he would have reacted promptly. But think of his timing: his statement comes nearly four weeks after the appalling incident in Una. For a prime minister who appears to spend a disproportionate amount of time on Twitter (where he follows an unusual cast of characters), and who never fails to wish foreign leaders on their birthdays, this delay is, to put it mildly and politely, inexplicable," he says.
Irom Sharmila Chanu had her first taste of solid food in 16 years — breaking the fast with a dab of honey. She shook with tears, but a day later said eating the normal way again had caused her no discomfort, and that she was feeling 'completely healthy', writes Kaunain Sheriff M in The Indian Express. "According to experts of gastroenterology and nutrition, a liquid diet is "physiological" — and has no negative side effects as long as it fulfills the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) — the estimated amount of a nutrient (or calories) per day considered necessary for the maintenance of good health. Which means that if a woman leading a sedentary lifestyle consumes a diet equivalent to 1,800 calories, it does not really matter whether she is consuming solid food or liquid," he explains.
In his second stint as Prime Minister of Nepal, Prachanda's chief task is to restore political, economic and social stability at home and undo the damage his predecessor inflicted on relations with neighbours, writes Rakesh Sood in The Hindu. "On the foreign policy front, Mr. Prachanda needs to repair the damage done by his predecessor Mr. Oli to relations with India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already congratulated him on his appointment and invited him for a bilateral visit. The last time Mr. Prachanda visited India as Prime Minister was in September 2008 but the goodwill generated was short-lived as he began to blame Indian interference to cover up for his shortcomings. He has another opportunity now to make his second nine-month tenure truly productive and recover his lost political legacy," he says.
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