At this point, Haryana is poised for change, not just in government but for a new deal and a new direction for its women. It certainly deserves a chief minister who is more empathetic and better informed. Not one who sounds like an echo chamber of the khap panchayats in his state. At this point, […]
A fresh elections and a new result; yet Haryana seems to be stuck right where it was Read More »
By placing the onus on individual participation, Narendra Modi is challenging every citizen. Can we actually stop to pick up and clean up our own mess. In the darkened Goa multiplex, the cheers and whistles from the audience are what usually follow when Salman Khan rips his shirt off on screen. But the whistle and
Time to clean up your act Read More »
Love jihad propaganda inflames communal passions and leads to hardening stands in an already polarised environment, made more fragile by social media and viral rumours. News reports on national shooter Tara Shahdeo’s marriage to Ranjeet Singh Kohli, or Rakibul Hasan Khan to use his real name, do not make for easy reading. According to Shahdeo,
Cool tempers and ask: where is the evidence for love jihad Read More »
Narendra Modi has a chance to lead, even change, the nation’s discourse. Right now, we are ripe for a thousand unspoken conversations: Secularism, inclusiveness, development, gender, poverty. But instead of a dialogue we have competitive shrillness. There is a great noise around Narendra Modi’s silence since the 60-odd days that he has been prime minister.
Modi has a chance to change India’s discourse, but for that he must speak Read More »
We need to stop apologising and start acknowledging that English is now our language, adding to a rich profusion of the languages we already own. Narendra Modi’s address in English at the recent PSLV launch at Sriharikota has, predictably, led to some raised eyebrows. A political decision, say some. He wanted to show the world
English is Indian: Kindly adjust Read More »
Pal’s statements are in a whole new league: For the first time, an elected MP has on camera actually threatened rape as a form of political retribution. Insensitive, ignorant statements about women by Indian politicians are now, sadly, commonplace. Even so, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Tapas Pal’s remarks, caught on camera in an undated video, mark
Tapas Pal and the language of hate Read More »
Chanted as a mantra by nearly all parties, but always preceded by other priorities, the issue has so far failed to translate into political reality. India’s new Prime Minister Narendra Modi is looking for a big idea, he might want to look no further than women’s empowerment. Chanted like a mantra by nearly every political party in
A big idea for Modi: women’s empowerment Read More »
If Narendra Modi’s ego is as large as his detractors claim, then he will want to be remembered as a great prime minister, better even than Atal Bihari Vajpayee. To do that he will have to focus on growth and development. At the end of this interminably long election of fear and loathing, three questions:
What sort of prime minister will Modi be? Read More »
Women candidates account for a paltry 8% of the total tickets distributed in the first 7 phases of the election. Despite all the talk of the need for greater representation and women’s empowerment by major political parties, women candidates account for a paltry 8% of the total tickets distributed, according to data released by the
Women get a raw deal from parties in ticket distribution Read More »
Compared to the geeky earnestness of her brother, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is a star. Her belated entry will not stop a likely UPA defeat, but you have to credit her with putting up a fight. If the Congress campaign suddenly seems to have shifted to a more combative mode, it has one woman to thank
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is a charismatic enigma Read More »
A slap on Arvind Kejriwal’s face or Narendra Modi’s admission of his marriage to Jashodaben attracts more attention than real issues. Has any other poll been so dominated by personalities. The BJP candidate standing from my constituency has multiple criminal charges against him but my affable neighbour at the polling booth where we are lined
The page 3 election Read More »
73 farmers in Marathwada have killed themselves after a freak hailstorm ruined their crops, and the number is mounting. Aurangabad: Dattu Narayan Shewale looked at the hailstones that submerged his crop of onion. Wordlessly he returned home and told his wife that their crop had been destroyed. He made a list of all the people he
Death and despair in hailstorm-hit Marathwada Read More »