NEWS
Shooting of Water suspended again
The district administration cited fears of a law-and-order crisis erupting in Varanasi following a suicide attempt by a student activist of the Benares Hindu University protesting against the film.

SPORTS
Paes takes India through
The Indian, an Olympic bronze medallist and hero on numerous occasions on the Davis Cup stage, proved once again in the abode of the nawabs that when playing for the country, there is hardly anyone as good as him.

NEWS
Aggressive Vajpayee demands PoK back
The prime minister rejected Pakistan's call for a referendum in Jammu and Kashmir, saying, 'We do not accept the Muslim-majority state argument. India belongs to all and we will not allow another partition.'

NEWS
Oppn seizes on Vajpayee's defence of RSS
Congress spokesman Ajit Jogi told rediff.com, 'Vajpayeeji's blatant defence of the RSS shows that his government is proceeding with its secret agenda of communalising Indian society. The BJP's mukhota has been ripped off.'

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
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.

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.