WHEN 22 year-old Yedu Krishnan began his priestly functions at the sanctum sanctorum of the Shiva temple at Valanjavattom in Pathanamthitta district in Kerala, it was a historic first – a dalit priest at a major temple in Kerala.

The Travancore Devaswom Recruitment Board (TDRB) decided to appoint six dalits as priests along with 30 other non-Brahmin priests.  The Board, which manages more than 1200 temples, functions under the supervision of the state government.  The reservation for backward classes and dalits was instituted for the first time.

THE BJP president, Amit Shah, has embarked on a dangerous course of inciting violence against the CPI(M) by leveling false charges and accusations against the Party.

THE decision of the Modi government to deport Rohingyas from Myanmar who have taken refuge in India, is an unconscionable act. The government has submitted an affidavit in the Supreme Court wherein it is stated that there are militant elements among the Rohingya migrants who have links to the Pakistani ISI and the so-called Islamic State and, therefore, pose a security risk.  The government has maintained that as illegal migrants, the government has the power to deport them.

THE news about the economy has been continuously dismal in the past few days. All the data coming in shows that the economic slowdown has accelerated after demonetisation and the country is headed for a recession.

First came Volume II of the Economic Survey which presented a gloomy picture of the overall economy. The growth rate of real Gross Value Added was 6.6 per cent for 2016-17 compared to 7.9 per cent for the year 2015-16. The fourth quarter growth of GVA i.e., January to March this year was just 5.6 per cent.

THE Modi government is getting into a deeper strategic embrace with the United States. It appears Narendra Modi will do his utmost to endear himself to the Trump establishment.