For nearly five decades, Karan Thapar has been one of the most recognisable and uncompromising faces of Indian journalism. From the late 1970s onwards, he has closely tracked Indian politics, interviewed almost every major political leader of the country, and built a reputation for asking questions others hesitated to ask. As a television anchor and columnist, his work has consistently focused on power, accountability and the role of institutions in a democracy. Over the years, his interviews, especially those that left powerful leaders visibly uncomfortable, have become part of public memory and debate.

Scroll.in, India’s trusted digital magazine, was launched in 2014 when the mainstream media seemed to be shying away from its primary responsibilities in a democracy. At that time, social media, especially Facebook, was expanding rapidly in India.

Zohran Mamdani has been elected as the new Mayor of New York City, the most populous and economically powerful city in the United States, often seen as a global hub for finance, commerce, and technology. The election drew worldwide attention and became one of the biggest political talking points in recent times. Mamdani’s victory as the first person of South Asian descent, the first Muslim, and the youngest in over a century to become New York’s mayor is nothing short of historic.

A year before the Karnataka Assembly elections, RSS functionary Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat made a controversial statement at a VHP event in Mangaluru, saying that “the saffron flag could replace the Tricolour as the national flag someday.” The same year, Bhat was invited to inaugurate the postgraduate students’ council at Mangalore University — an incident that many saw as proof of how deeply the RSS ideology has penetrated public institutions.

In the pre-independence era, public celebrations of Ganesh Chathurthi carried a noble purpose. Leaders like Bal Gangadhar Tilak used the festival not merely as a religious gathering but as a rallying point to awaken patriotic fervour against British rule. Religion, culture, and spirituality were the vehicles through which national unity was built. Those motives were pure.

The Vartha Bharati movement has today completed a meaningful journey of 22 years and steps proudly into its 23rd year. On this occasion of celebration, on behalf of the entire Vartha Bharati team, we extend heartfelt congratulations and gratitude to all our fellow travelers, our readers, listeners, viewers, supporters, and patrons.

The Election Commission of India called a press conference to quieten the storm over “vote theft.” Instead of clarity, we got a combative ultimatum, selective talking points, and very little data that can actually reassure voters. In a moment when public trust is fragile, the EC chose to lecture and warn, not to explain and prove.

“Who else but the ones who have suffered can truly understand the pain of the suffering?” asked Akka Mahadevi in one of her vachanas. Her words carry a timeless truth: only those who have tasted pain can truly recognise it in others. Gandhi and Ambedkar are often compared through this lens. Gandhi, despite his compassion, could never feel the sting of untouchability the way Ambedkar did, because Ambedkar lived it, carried it, and fought it from within.