Louis Fischer described him as “a living sermon”. A man who preached what he dared practice must indeed have seemed so to a Europe at the end of its tether battling Nazi tyranny, yet forced to prepare for a showdown with Stalin’s gulag in the aftermath of a bitter war … Read More
When Sonia Gandhi decided to “save” the moribund, demoralized Congress party by campaigning for it in the general election earlier this year, it was popularly assumed that she was largely guided by the looming shadow of the Bofors payoff scandal. Though there was a measure of truth in this perception, … Read More
Having spewed venom and cast aspersions on the intellectual credentials of historians recently nominated to the Indian Council of Historical Research, the once dominant Left-liberal school of historiography finds itself repenting at leisure as its own performance comes under public scrutiny. Though the arraigned historians have held their peace, cursory … Read More
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s sharp rebuke notwithstanding, the BJP Government has reason to be grateful to South Africa for unilaterally and irrevocably redefining non-alignment at Durban. Since South African President Nelson Mandela’s inaugural speech suggesting Non-Aligned Movement’s (NAM’s) intervention in Kashmir was utterly unexpected, it understandably set the dovecotes … Read More
To all appearances, the mercurial AIADMK general secretary has kept the BJP on a short leash, making it difficult for the government to function with dignity, and casting constant doubts about its longevity. At a deeper level, however, Dr J. Jayalalitha’s tantrums have served to distract attention from the Prime … Read More
There is something sick about the manner in which women’s activists have recently been conducting themselves, obfuscating the core issue of women’s dignity and empowerment and reducing everything to what is politically correct (that is, beneficial), or politically inconvenient, in which case the entire corpus gets instant amnesia. Even a … Read More
Given the majesty with which he dominated the first half of this painful century, it is truly unfortunate that the debate over the virtual ban on Pradip Dalvi’s Marathi play has not stimulated a meaningful evaluation of Mahatma Gandhi’s historical role and lasting contribution to Indian society. Rather, the outpouring … Read More
Political pundits were rather quick to give the BJP-led coalition a poor report card for its hundred-odd days in power, despite its successfully conducting a series of nuclear tests and ensuring a non-sanctions regime that has protected the economy from undue strain, that too, at a time when Asian economies … Read More
Women activists must be feeling devastated that the legislation to provide 33 per cent reservations for women in Parliament and state Assemblies has once again been grounded in quicksand. This time, the proposed Bill could not even be tabled in Parliament owing to muscular opposition from recently united Yadav supremos. … Read More
Students of history would be aware that at least over the past decade, India has been intensely engaged in self-contemplation with a view to rediscovering and reasserting the beauty and might of her civilisational identity and role. Going deep into her soul, examining her true nature as well as the … Read More
