Firstpost Editor's Picks: Parrikar's political significance, Delhi Crime review, Dominic Thiem's big game; today's must-read stories

Manohar Parrikar passes away: Ex-defence minister was the poster boy of Indian politics

In a multi-religious cosmopolitan state, Parrikar defined acceptance in politics — that priests, maulvis and pandits prayed for him in his last days is a manifestation of his style of lead-with-the-people politics.

Travels through the Hindi belt: Motihari sugar mill in Bihar a poll plank since 2005 with no word on operations resuming yet

The Motihari sugar mill had been lucrative since its inception in 1930s — when it functioned, it was a profitable venture for farmers cultivating sugarcane; after it shut down, it has been lucrative for politicians in garnering votes.

Ganga politics: How the holy river turned into the epicentre of campaigning in UP ahead of Lok Sabha polls

The politics in Uttar Pradesh has always revolved around the river Ganga and the cities surrounding it. From its ghats to the people who draw their livelihood from boating, fishing or even helping families bury the ashes of their loved ones in the Ganges; it has become the epicentre of not just Uttar Pradesh politics, but politics of the nation at large.

Delhi Crime review: Netflix series reconstructs 2012 gang-rape case with sensitivity, not sensationalism

Brilliantly constructed and heartrendingly performed, Delhi Crime revisits events from the day of the sadistic crime to the final arrest, spanning a period of six days (16-21 December). It chronicles how a top Delhi police official named Vartika Chaturvedi (played by Shefali Shah and partly based on DCP South Delhi Chhaya Sharma) leads a special task force to nab the six perpetrators.

Indian Wells Open: Dominic Thiem’s big game now comes equipped with the small but significant details

This week at Indian Wells, Thiem’s play looked even more different than how it did in late 2018, and that could well be due to the Massu effect. That said, the changes were so subtle that you had to be watching ultra-slow-motion replays of his matches with a microscope to detect them.