Most people outside of India probably don't realize this, but India is going through major political upheaval right now. Basically, the party in office has said it is open to/wants to split the large states into smaller states. (FYI, India ~1/3 size of US has about 25 states).
The most controversial decision is the potential split my family's home state (Andhra Pradesh). People on both sides of the decision have been protesting, shutting down cities, burning effigies etc. My family has warned me against coming to Hyderabad (center of all the action) for the holidays.
Interestingly, a hold-over from the time of the Indian independence movement, the most common way for major political figures to protest is to fast-until-death, which is also considered illegal as it is attempted suicide. Below is an article on the member of parliament from my grandmother's district being taken into protective custody:
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/hyderabad/lagdapati-under-custody-372
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