Arun Vijay

India earns over Rs 73,000 crore annually from tobacco taxes, yet dedicated spending on tobacco control remains a fraction of that. On World No Tobacco Day, observed on May 31, governments worldwide renew their commitment to combating tobacco use. This year’s WHO theme, “Unmasking the Appeal — Countering Nicotine and Tobacco Addiction", highlights industry tactics that attract young users. In India, this occasion also offers an opportunity to reflect on the complex balance between tobacco tax...

Bengal has long stood as one of India’s foremost civilizational heartlands—a land of Vedic wisdom, Shakti worship, Bhakti, intellectual renaissance, revolutionary nationalism, and cultural brilliance. Yet this same sacred geography also endured successive centuries of political dislocation through Islamic invasions, colonial domination, Partition, ideological Leftism, and prolonged appeasement-driven politics. When the Sena dynasty fell in 1204 CE under the assault of Bakhtiyar Khalji,...