Firstpost Editor's Picks: Fernandes' shifting loyalties, Rahul's pledge, Taliban emboldened; today's must-read stories

George Fernandes was a die-hard proponent of anti-Congressism, but with shifting loyalties Fernandes was a stalwart of Indian politics. Jailed during the Emergency, he roared like a lion from inside the cage. The picture showing him handcuffed inside the jail evoked sympathy across the country. Coming from a Christian family from Karnataka, he imbibed the true spirit of India. He transcended the boundaries of region, religion and caste. Congress looks to checkmate BJP through Rahul Gandhi's minimum income pledge The Congress-led UPA regime enacted National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme which guaranteed not only 100 days of work, but even a minimum wage. The Congress hopes that given this history, it can convince the voters of its intentions. Now, the electorate has to decide whether it believes this promise of Congress and render its judgement. Emboldened Taliban, and impending US drawdown means India must engage terrorist outfit in talks There is no doubt that the peace negotiations are not going to be a smooth affair. As the talks continued, the Taliban recently struck with A devastating suicide terror attack on an Afghan intelligence base, killing around 100 members of security personnel, exposing the fragility of the Kabul regime as well as the peace process itself. The beleaguered Afghan security forces are not capable of defeating the Taliban militarily. **Viswanathan Anand on completing 30 years since his maiden Wijk aan Zee victory** Looking back at this three-decade-long journey, Vishwanathan Anand said, “It’s one of those tournaments that I know the best. I have also played some other events very often. Amber is another one, and there is Frankfurt-Mainz. These are the tournaments that I have played the most and in such long streaks. It’s a special atmosphere. I mean, you know the tournament. It’s a really old tradition; it’s a bit like coming home.” **_Call Me By Your Name_ author André Aciman on writing about love, desire, longing, and loss** Born in Alexandria, André Aciman and his family moved to Rome as refugees. This journey was explored in detail in his memoir, Out of Egypt. Today, he is a professor of Comparative Literature at the Graduate Centre, and the author of four novels. He was recently in India, to attend the ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival.