Last week I received a draft petition to the Election Commission of India from a well known writer and activist of civil society about the use of EVMs, with the request to obtain endorsements for it. I forwarded it to about twenty contacts, all well read people, engaged with and concerned about the state of […]
THE BJP IS WINNING ANYWAY, ELECTIONS ARE A SIDESHOW. Read More »
The Hindu family in Bengal that I was born into represented a gentle, tolerant faith. Admittedly because of the aftermath of the partition in which Bengal too was affected, there was some unease towards Muslims, particularly among those who had to leave behind their roots and memories in what is now Bangladesh but not much. Most
Transforming a People Read More »
It is an enormous pleasure today to be able to welcome the Sahitya Akademi Awardee, Rashmi Narzary, as a Columnist for our community. I am particularly delighted that she is our first woman Columnist. The word has been out for some time that we’ve been looking for at least one Columnist who is a woman, and
WELCOMING OUR NEW COLUMNIST, RASHMI NARZARY Read More »
Engrossing, crisp and deeply thought provoking, each of the 101 stories in Dr. Varghese Mathai’s The Village Maestro and 100 Other Stories takes the reader on a spiritual journey across nations, civilizations, centuries and faiths, and yet, delicately ends each trip in a search within oneself. ‘The classroom has been my village,’ says Dr. Mathai,
The Village Maestro & 100 Other Stories Read More »
Notwithstanding 88 episodes of Man Ki Baat and the chanting of Hanuman Chalisa at every street corner, India continues to be one of the unhappiest nations on earth: it is ranked at 136 out of 146 countries. But till now we were not aware of the inter- se ranking of our individual states. Now, however,
THE SECRETS OF HIMACHAL’S HAPPINESS QUOTIENT Read More »
The Bermuda Triangle is an area over the north-western part of the Atlantic ocean where there have been persistent reports of ships and planes simply disappearing without a trace. The phenomenon has baffled oceanographers and scientists for decades and no plausible explanation has been offered so far by science. Answers range from a magnetic black
THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE MAY HAVE SHIFTED OVER INDIA Read More »
For most of my life, I have been part of the NGO sector and barring one, all of them are majorly dependent on Foreign funds for their operations. So I have more than a passing interest in tracking the gradual evolution of the Foreign Contributions Regulation Act which regulates how an entity may receive and
Foreign Money and Foreign Influence Read More »
I’ve always had a sneaking suspicion that my father-in-law always doubted my educational credentials and felt that there were significant gaps in my education. This was based on the fact that I did my Masters in English from Hindu college. I can see where he came from: the English in this Jat citadel was something
MOVE OVER, ECONOMICS– CRONINOMICS IS HERE ! Read More »
CATCH THE RAIN WHERE IT FALLS, WHEN IT FALLS. We came up to our home in Puranikoti village in Mashobra ( near Shimla) on the 8th of this month, as we have been doing every year these last 13 years. And realised, with a shock, what the Doomsday clock is all about. I have never
PURANIKOTI DIARY- OF TOURISTS AND WATER WOES Read More »
Very few places in India now offer you the possibility of civilised discussion between different points of view – whether on social, religious, political, and ethical matters, or in relation to economics, business, sport, fashion, the arts, media, education, science, technology, or whatever else.
It is our ambition and desire to be one such place of civilised discussion. That is what we are working towards. That is why you will find divergent voices very welcome here.
Add your own voice, by engaging with the views here – by sending in comments, stories, jokes, questions, and so on. Though only with politeness and civility, please – and only within the values and framework of the Indian Constitution which was adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India on 26 November 1949. The most important of those values include Liberty, Equality, Fraternity, and Justice.
We look forward to hearing your view – whatever that is.
Meanwhile, enjoy the range of views here.
