The RSS’ antipathy to Nehru is well-known. There is a two-pronged attempt to downplay his iconography. The first is to broaden India’s pantheon of national icons — in this the BJP is right to redress a historical neglect by boosting such figures as Vallabhbhai Patel. But the second effort is to simply negate Nehru and […]
Theatre of the absurd: RSS’ antipathy to Nehru is well-known Read More »
Hardik Patel’s agitation is not about just quotas but about re-examining a system that has over the years been used conveniently by political parties to further vote banks. Liberalisation’s children now want more. No government, leave alone one that came to power on the promise of development and ‘achche din’, can afford to ignore them.
Patel stir: Need to re-examine a system that nurtures vote banks Read More »
Several incidents in the last few months show that though the country is celebrating its 69th Independence Day, it still has miles to go to achieve real freedom from many challenges. The only problem is that the list seems to be growing every single day. Independence Day is a good a day to reflect on
I-Day musings: Still miles to go before true freedom Read More »
If defamation is to be decriminalized, then civil remedies and financial compensation for the loss of individual reputations must be strengthened. If defamation is to be decriminalised, then civil remedies and financial compensation for the loss of individual reputations must be strengthened. Would you have ever imagined that the BJP’s Subramanian Swamy, Congress’s Rahul Gandhi
Decriminalise defamation but protect individual reputation Read More »
Few politicians in India have as canny an instinct for social media communication as Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In his general election campaign, he used it to his advantage, reaching out to a growing demographic of savvy users on Twitter, Facebook and Google hangouts. Few politicians in India have as canny an instinct for social
‘Selfie with Daughter’ will not resolve the real problem Read More »
As a bonafide member of Delhi’s power elite, Lalit Modi knows too many secrets. Is he trying to cut friends-turned-adversaries down to size? Who will he implicate next? Can Sharad Pawar, Praful Patel, Shashi Tharoor and Rajeev Shukla be safe? What is the security threat that Modi goes on and on about? At some point
Is Lalit Modi trying to cut down friends-turned-adversaries to size? Read More »
If the ongoing global gender conversation over sexual violence, over gay rights, over stereotypes just got a bit more interesting, then you can thank Caitlyn Jenner for that. Jenner’s decision to come out as a woman may not immediately open doors and dispel discrimination but it gives hope to many like her. The Kardashian khandaan
Bruce Jenner’s decision to come out as woman gives hope to many Read More »
If you believe that nine separate attacks on churches and several others on Christian-run schools in the last six months are just random occurrences then you also probably believe in the tooth fairy. A church is burnt in New Delhi. Electrical short-circuit. Another church’s windows shatter when a stone is thrown. Kids playing outside. In Haryana, the
Church attacks: Christians anxious, govt must assuage the fears Read More »
The sari will endure because when we Indian women want to dress up, when we attend weddings or festivals, when we want to feel special, the inevitable garment of choice is the sari. We are not the generation of our grandmothers and mothers who wore only saris (yes, even on the beach, alas), but our
A never-ending love affair with saris Read More »
As social media emerges as a source of legitimate news and as Indian corporates muscle their way into media ownership, public trust in the fourth estate is only dwindling further. Shortly after taking over as Press Council chairman in 2011, Justice Markandey Katju made his views about journalists clear. Sensational, superstitious, anti-people and so on.
Public trust in fourth estate is dwindling Read More »
If a farmer hangs himself in his farm where there are no TV cameras, has he killed himself? If a farmer hangs himself in his farm where there are no TV cameras, has he killed himself? The cliché, life is stranger than fiction, was never truer than on Wednesday when farmer and father of three,
Farmer suicides: A tragic issue made into a spectacle Read More »
Two separate remarks, one by the prime minister and the other by the minister of state for external affairs, seem to have raised the pitch in a polarised environment. Two separate remarks, one by the prime minister and the other by the minister of state for external affairs, seem to have raised the pitch in
In the din of outrage, genuine questions have been lost Read More »