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By:

Bhalchandra Chorghade

11 August 2025 at 1:54:18 pm

Jaspal Rana taught India to aim higher

Indian sport lost one of its finest champions on June 12, 2026, with the untimely passing of shooting legend and coach Jaspal Rana at the age of 49. His death has left a void that will be difficult to fill, not only in Indian shooting but in the hearts of countless athletes, admirers and young dreamers who looked up to him as a symbol of excellence, discipline and perseverance. Born in the hills of Uttarakhand, Rana emerged as a prodigious talent at an age when most children are still...

Jaspal Rana taught India to aim higher

Indian sport lost one of its finest champions on June 12, 2026, with the untimely passing of shooting legend and coach Jaspal Rana at the age of 49. His death has left a void that will be difficult to fill, not only in Indian shooting but in the hearts of countless athletes, admirers and young dreamers who looked up to him as a symbol of excellence, discipline and perseverance. Born in the hills of Uttarakhand, Rana emerged as a prodigious talent at an age when most children are still discovering their interests. By his teens, he had already announced himself on the national stage and over the years he would go on to become one of India’s most decorated shooters. His remarkable achievements at the Asian Games, Commonwealth Championships and international competitions transformed him into a household name and brought unprecedented attention to shooting in India. Yet medals alone do not define Jaspal Rana’s legacy. What truly set him apart was his unwavering commitment to the sport long after his competitive career ended. As a coach, mentor and guide, he devoted himself to nurturing the next generation of Indian shooters. His influence can be seen in the success of numerous athletes, most notably Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker, whose achievements carried the unmistakable imprint of Rana’s guidance and belief. He possessed the rare ability to identify talent, instill confidence and demand excellence without losing sight of the human being behind the athlete. To his students, he was more than a coach. He was a teacher, protector and source of strength during moments of doubt. To colleagues, he was a respected professional whose passion for Indian sport was evident in every conversation and every training session. To fans, he represented an era when dedication and hard work could elevate a niche sport into the national spotlight. His sudden departure is a painful reminder of life’s fragility. But while Jaspal Rana is no longer with us, the values he championed — discipline, courage, humility and relentless pursuit of excellence — will continue to inspire generations. India mourns a champion. The shooting fraternity mourns a mentor. His family mourns a beloved husband and father. And the nation bids farewell to a man who spent his life helping others find their aim. Jaspal Rana’s final shot may have been fired, but his legacy will echo through Indian sport for decades to come.

Crown Games

The Congress party has finally performed the political equivalent of a hostage exchange in Karnataka. After months of whispers, denials, tantrums and choreographed smiles, Siddaramaiah finally resigned as Chief Minister, making way for his deputy, D.K. Shivakumar under the fabled “rotational formula” crafted after the Congress’s emphatic 2023 victory. The transfer of power was projected by the party as orderly, democratic and consultative. In reality, it resembled a palace coup conducted with all the nervousness of a family business dividing inheritance rights.


The Congress high command would like the country to believe that this is evidence of institutional maturity. But beneath the veneer of civility lies a party incapable of resolving succession battles without reducing governance to an endless audition for the throne. Karnataka’s government has spent nearly half its tenure not governing but gaming out who occupies the CM’s chair. The BJP could scarcely have scripted a more effective distraction for its opponents.


Siddaramaiah exits not as a defeated man but as a sulking emperor refusing exile. The Congress leadership reportedly offered him a graceful migration to Delhi and the Rajya Sabha which je refused. At 77, Siddaramaiah understands that power in Indian politics does not lie in ceremonial rehabilitation but in remaining indispensable. He has therefore left office while ensuring that the shadow of his politics remains draped over his successor. That shadow is in form of the caste census, a veritable political minefield.


By formally accepting Karnataka’s explosive socio-economic caste survey before stepping down, Siddaramaiah may have delivered one final masterstroke - or one final act of sabotage, depending on one’s perspective. For years, successive governments avoided touching the report, terrified of upsetting Karnataka’s delicate caste arithmetic. Siddaramaiah embraced it because it validates the very foundation of his AHINDA politics, which is the consolidation of minorities, backward classes and Dalits against the traditional dominance of Lingayats and Vokkaligas.


It is now left to Shivakumar, the Congress’s most prominent Vokkaliga face, to handle this live grenade. If Shivakumar implements the report aggressively, he risks alienating influential caste blocs that form the backbone of Karnataka’s political establishment. If he delays or dilutes it, he risks enraging the AHINDA coalition that delivered Congress its landslide.


Nor is Rahul Gandhi untouched by the fallout. For years, he has elevated caste census politics into a national moral crusade. Karnataka is now the laboratory where that slogan will face political reality.


The Congress leadership believes Shivakumar gives the party its best chance for the 2028 Assembly polls. Perhaps so. He is organisationally astute, financially resourceful and undeniably energetic. But Karnataka’s next election will be about whether Congress can reconcile Siddaramaiah’s social justice politics with the anxieties of dominant caste groups now staring nervously at demographic arithmetic.


Season One of Karnataka’s Congress drama has ended. Season Two begins with a wounded patriarch and a new CM inheriting a crown lined with thorns.

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