Renowned artist Ramzan Hussain pays tribute to former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, in Kolkata, July 28. (Press Trust of India)
Renowned artist Ramzan Hussain pays tribute to former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, in Kolkata, July 28. (Press Trust of India)

Popularly called the “Missile Man” of India, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam rose from humble beginnings and earned the reputation of being the “People’s President” who endeared himself to all sections, especially the young. The country’s first bachelor President, Kalam, whose flowing grey hair is seen as being at odds with what Indians thought a President ought to look like, was one amongst the most respected people of the country who contributed immensely, both as a scientist and as a President. Moving from our traditional offering to mark India’s Independence Day celebrations, this month we look at the legacy Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam left behind after his sudden demise last month.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power with a bold election promise of a squeaky clean, scam-free government. The promise matched his personal integrity and body of work in Gujarat that in the first place had earned him the leading position in the Bharatiya Janta Party. But barely fourteen months after a thumping victory at the general elections when the citizenry voted with both their feet this promise appears to have become a remote possibility, writes Priyanka Bhardwaj.

Fighting against rape and sexual violence is laudable, but merely viewing rape as a law and order issue without addressing the underlying social causes of the crime will not solve the problem, writes Ash Murthy.

Despite their fundamentalist views and brutal actions such as decapitating captured journalists on video, the ISIS continues to find supporters and sympathizers across the globe. In South East and South Asia and in particular Indonesia and Malaysia, security agencies are struggling to cope with what seems to be large groups of people heading to Syria, Iraq and other countries in the Middle East to back the ISIS in whichever way possible, writes Siddharth Srivastava.

After assuming charge as India’s Ambassador to U.S. about three months ago, Ambassador Arun Kumar Singh visited San Francisco Bay Area last month. During the visit, he met with local Indian media at Sunnyvale Hindu Temple, July 24, where he spoke on Indo-U.S. relations. Siliconeer was there and presents a report.

There is a slew of Indian restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area, but only a handful attract the taste buds of the extremely foodie Indian population. Milan Indian Cuisine is a fine dining restaurant in the heart of Silicon Valley that brings the flavors of the East to the West, write Siliconeer foodies Vansh A. Gupta and Rohan Kumar.

Siliconeer wishes all readers a very happy Independence Day. Jai Hind!