NEWS
'Water' shooting resumes amid protests, confusion
Though the Kashi Vidwat Parishad, a forum of Varanasi's intellectuals, is understood to have given its go-ahead to the revised script, the VHP is still opposing it tooth and nail.

NEWS
Militants attack Pandits' houses, 3 killed
Anantnag Superintendent of Police Farooq Ahmad Khan also escaped two attempts on his life, sources said. They said militants attacked Khan's convoy twice as he rushed to Telwani immediately after the attack on the Pandits' houses.

NEWS
Money, not militancy alone, is a motivator
The Kashmir militants' benefactors ensure that their sword arm is well looked after. If a member of the suicide squads (called Fidayeen) is killed during the action, his family is paid a lumpsum of about Rs 1 million. If the member survives, he gets a pension ranging between Rs 2 and 4,000 per month.

NEWS
Naidu, Krishna vye to have Clinton drop in
While the Karnata chief minister is packaging Bangalore as India's Silicon Valley, Chandrababu Naidu says Hyderabad is the hub of all economic reforms and the infotech revolution that is sweeping across the country.

NEWS
BJP to study CPI-M's affluence in Kerala
BJP leaders believe the huge investment the CPI-M has made in the recent past might not have come from known sources of income. While the CPI-M claims the bulk of the funds have come from public collections, the BJP pooh-poohs this.

NEWS
'Kargil storm created to get poll mileage'
Dharmanand Kholkar, a senior teacher, has incurred the Sangh Parivar wrath for portraying humanism among Pakistani soldiers.

SPORTS
Paes-Fazaluddin lose doubles tie
Ali Hamadeh and Hicam Zaatini won in five sets to enable Lebanon reduce India's lead in the Davis Cup match.

MESSAGE BOARD
Remembering Alla Rakha
The ustad's wonderful love affair with the tabla ended abruptly on Feb 3. What remains are haunting echoes -- of a man gifted beyond the ordinary. Here is a message board. For you to condole. Mourn. And celebrate his music.

'Thank you for the music'
Message Board for Ustad Alla Rakha.

THE REPUBLIC, 50 YEARS ON
Celebrating 50 Years of the Indian Republic

Is the Constitution so sacred that it cannot be touched?
'A school of thought maintains that the negative publicity from the militants-for-hostages deal in Kandahar has something to do with the BJP's decision to review the constitution.' Krishna Prasad continues his Constitution review.

MOVIES
'If one closes one's eyes, do you really think the reality vanishes?'
Nandita Das asks some basic questions on The Rediff Chat.

'Intolerance is against the basic grain of Indian culture'
And Shabana Azmi spews fire on The Rediff Chat.

COLUMNS
Message from the Hindi belt
'Wouldn't further losses in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar be tantamount to saying that the two states have no confidence in the Congress and the BJP,' wonders T V R Shenoy.

Extraordinary summer
Steve Waugh salutes his all-conquering Australian team which won all six Tests and all but one of its one-day internationals this summer.

Aussies were just too good
While complimenting the Australians, Wasim Akram says poor batting and fielding were responsible for his team's no-show in the triangular series final.