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The Bhutan Literary Festival had an unexpected visitor today when King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, the fifth king, said he wanted to meet writers from India. The Bhutan Literary Festival had an unexpected visitor today when King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, the fifth king, said he wanted to meet writers from India. At a hastily […]

Arshi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck, the ‘chief royal patron’ of Bhutan’s first-ever literature festival delivers the keynote address at the India House Auditorium. Namita Bhandare elaborates. Talk about journalistic privilege. Ambassador and writer Pavan Varma’s beautiful, willowy daughter Batasha looks at me sympathetically when I whisper to her: “I really have to file.” So, notwithstanding her

Several speakers at Bhutan’s first literary festival have pointed to what they see as televisions baleful influence. Popular culture is often a measure of a country’s social priorities and Bhutan is no different. Television was first introduced in 1999 and several speakers at Bhutan’s first literary festival have pointed to what they see as its

Belgium is planning to ban the burqa to ‘liberate’ women. But coercion seldom results in change, writes Namita Bhandare. HT Image In large parts of secular India, Hindu widows, some of them no more than children, are constrained to wear white. Even if you’ve never been to Benaras where widows are reportedly dumped by the

This is not only a valued collection of photos of a nation in flux but it also restores visual archiving to its rightful place, writes, Namita Bhandare. HT Image There’s a photograph in this tome of a book that describes the tension and politics of Partition better than words. It’s of a meeting to announce

The fracas over Amitabh Bachchan’s presence at the Bandra-Worli sealink opening is silly, writes Namita Bhandare. HT Image Who owns the Bandra-Worli sealink in Mumbai? We know who constructed it. We know who inaugurated the first phase. We know who it is named after. But who owns it? Who can legitimately claim that this sea

In 2005, the euphoria surrounding the Commonwealth Games to be held in New Delhi had already set in. The media couldn’t seem to get enough stories on how the capital was on its way to becoming a ‘world-class city’. There was hope everywhere of new beginnings. HT Image In 2005, the euphoria surrounding the Commonwealth

In her bright blue sari, smile firmly in place it’s hard to believe that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (37) is standing bang at the epicentre of a whirlwind of confusion and dust of Rae Barely. A cavalcade of some 50 journalists, both print and television, local police, her own Special Protection Group and Congress party workers

There’s a story, most likely apocryphal, relating to Mayawati’s visit to a posh beauty parlour at a five-star hotel. HT Image There’s a story, most likely apocryphal, relating to Mayawati’s visit to a posh beauty parlour at a five-star hotel. There, the Bahujan Samaj Party boss spied a glamorous politician’s wife having her weekly pedicure.

In a crisis, people need two things: a plan to effectively counter it (or even better, to prevent it), and strong and resolute leaders. Our real tragedy is that we seem to have neither, writes Namita Bhandare. HT Image Mumbai is still recovering from the horrific terrorist strikes that began on Wednesday night. But the

Raj Thackeray is a chip off the old block, yet another one-trick pony from the Sena stable, writes Namita Bhandare. HT Image Hum UP ke log hain, hume Hindi mein baat karni chahiye – Jaya Bachchan at the promotion of Drona in Mumbai. If you are from Delhi, then why have you come to Maharashtra?–

In the Aarushi-Hemraj murder case one thing is clear: nobody — English or Hindi, tabloid or broadsheet, print or TV — has come out smelling of roses, writes Namita Bhandare. HT Image On national networks, TV anchors and editors Deepak Chaurasia and Ashutosh are clear: the media have nothing to apologise about in the Rajesh