An article in The Guardian recently caught my attention. It had comments from doctors and nurses in the UK saying that most of the patients admitted to the ICUs with Covid or Covid related issues were those who were unvaccinated. They lamented that anti vaccine protesters held out on supposedly religious or pseudo-scientific grounds for […]
Covid Vaccines – Overcoming the Resistance Read More »
Four years after the Delhi High Court first recommended the name of advocate Saurabh Kirpal for appointment as a judge, a three-member Supreme Court Collegium has finally approved the proposal. While this step itself is very welcome, one needs to wait and see what the final outcome will be and whether he is eventually appointed,
Inclusive Judiciary Read More »
In the midst of battling Delhi’s Air Quality Index, one of the worst in the world, I have been thinking of the hold traditions have on our lives. Let me begin by sharing that one of my favourite musicals is “Fiddler on the Roof”, set in rural Russia in the early 20th century. With its
Tradition: Precious or Outdated? Read More »
There was a time when I used to frequently visit Ajoy Bhavan which houses the headquarters of the second oldest political party in India, the Communist Party of India. It was founded on Christmas Day in 1925 in Kanpur (though, according to some sources it was founded even earlier). In a few years will celebrate
The Decline of the Indian Left Read More »
As a child, I grew with a poster and a slogan that was ubiquitous everywhere. The slogan read “Hum do, Hamaare do”. The picture was of two children – one small boy and another small girl with the caption “Do ya teen bus”. Loosely translated as “Two or three – no more”. The slogan was
The Elusive Demographic Dividend Read More »
The other day when I was at the Chemist, a retired Air India employee came in with a prescription from an Air India dispensary. He looked morose. News had come in during the day that the company was finally being handed over to the Tatas to run by the government. The chronically loss-making company is
Echoes of a Generation Read More »
O. Henry’s famous short story “The Cop and the Anthem” features Soapy, a homeless man who spends his New York winter in a low security prison by committing a petty crime, getting arrested and being sentenced for 3 months of the peak winter. His bed and board and heating were taken care of and, since
October is the month we remember Mahatma Gandhi as his birth anniversary is on October 2nd. The UN also observes the day as the day as the International Day of Non-Violence While I have a lot of admiration for Mahatma Gandhi, there is a man I respect possibly even more. He is popularly known as
Himsa and Ahimsa – Does Non-Violence Have a Future? Read More »
The recent story of Pen Farthing made me think and ask an uncomfortable question. Now you may be asking just who exactly is Pen Farthing. He is a former British Marine , who after his stint was over, started a charity. The charity was based out of Afghanistan which by itself is not a bad
Animal Rights or Human Rights? Read More »
