Vandals Of History Afghanistan's Taliban regime remains undeterred from its hard-line agenda of destroying historically valuable Buddhist idols. A look at the present regime and its slide to orthodox fundamentalism at a time when a drought has ravaged its economy and people.

Taking On the Family
Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Laloo Yadav is once again facing a tough fight for survival--this time prompted by a near revolt in the RJD fuelled by rumours of a dynastic takeover. Ranjan Yadav has emerged as a potential rival to Rabri Devi, enjoying the support of both the party rebels and the NDA allies.

Chennai Confusion
The upshot of the great Tamil circus: Jayalalitha needs Moopanar, but not the Congress.

Creepy Acquisition
With Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha determined to bring corporate payslips comprehensively into the taxman's dragnet, the salaried class is having a few palpitations. For them, it means that a long era of tax-free emoluments is coming to an end.

"Indians lack unity"
Two of cricket's finest brains met for a rare conversation:Bishen Singh Bedi takes on the role of interviewer for Aaj Tak, seeking to get into the mind of Australian captain Stephen Waugh.

Revenge Of the Bears The sudden fall in share-prices points to yet another rigging controversy, and raises questions about the efficacy and credibility of SEBI as a regulator.

METROSCAPE

Role Play

Triple Act

Anyone For Ice

Two Become One

Polo Stars

Me City ' Eld A Play

Looking Glass

"We're rock freaks," explains Aparna Behl, fashion choreographer. Behl-in faded jeans and glitter make-up-led by example at a "Dress Like A Rock star" bash she co-hosted with her business partner Tanya Lefebre at Delhi disco My Kind of Place last week. Lefebre came as Tina Turner and both received enthusiastic backing from their guests: model Mandira Malhotra in a backless top as Britney Spears-nobody guessed, nobody cared-and photographer Anand Seth in Freddie Mercury togs. There was also an Elvis and a rather portly Madonna. Designer Raghavendra Rathore (seen here with Behl, designer Rohini Khosla and Lefebre) played party pooper, dressed as himself. Actually, no one seemed to mind him either.

-Leher Kala

Crafts And the Man

CHIEF SUPPORTER: Jogi garlanded with a Bastar cotton shawl

Chief Minister Ajit Jogi landed up to inaugurate the Chhattisgarh Crafts Utsav in Delhi last week. The Utsav had the new state exhibiting its crafts in the capital for the first time. Under Jogi's benign eye, and to the rhythmic thump of adivasis performing the traditional Gehri, artisans presented an eclectic selection of goods. They included (in order of eyecatching merit): a trio of ceramic pigs, medicinal honey and a tea cozy shaped like a hen. For the conservative there were cotton saris from Raipur, silk from Raigarh, and bell metal from Bastar. Said Jogi, who was barely allowed breathing space by a cordon of well-wishers: "Chhattisgarh's unique tribal crafts have never received the publicity they deserve. The Utsav will expose the craftspersons to new markets, encourage them and help them financially." He did too, buying kurta material and a winter shawl.

-Sonia Faleiro

Literati Lady

Dancer, enfant terrible, 70-plus-but-she-won't-specify diva with the trademark white hair, Chandralekha was all this and more at a book-reading to mark the launch of her book Rainbow on the Roadside, Montages of Madras, in Chennai last week. Originally serialised in The Illustrated Weekly of India in the 60s, the book is about Chennai seen though the dancer's eyes. It's also "about the ordinary people from whom I learnt about life", she says. Buddy Vidya Shankar captured her friend in a nutshell: "Chandra is what Chandra is."

-Kavitha Muralidharan

MetroScape
Triple Act
What I would love to do more than anything else in the world is to write another play," says Gurcharan Das. "But I don't know if I have the courage." He should have dollops of it, going by the audience reaction to his 9 Jakhoo Hill--performed to mark the release of Three English Plays by Das --at Delhi's India Habitat Centre
last week.
more...

Looking Glass

Delhi and Mumbai: Adventure One Sport

Mumbai: Smooth Bar

Delhi: Good Earth Showroom

Polo, like many other events, is bringing about the resurgence of the almost forgotten royals. A chance, writes INDIA TODAY's Principal Correspondent Anshul Avijit, to say Maharaja again with an unctuous post-modernist gusto in Despatches.

"The only obvious competition is in bhangra," say the Pakistani duo of the music group, Strings, in conversation with INDIA TODAY's Sonia Faleiro in
Interviews.