The democratic desire of a divided country has yielded its fairest election ever, on lines not entirely unexpected: the assassinated Benazir Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party has emerged as the single largest party, followed by Mr. Nawaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz). In a resounding snub to President Pervez Musharraf, the … Read More
Secularism has evolved into an odious fast-track for the disproportionate ascent of religious minorities in the top echelons of Indian polity, and their hijack of the State and its resources to pander to sectarian fundamentalisms. Ever since Mr. Rajiv Gandhi’s craven surrender in the Shah Bano case, there has been … Read More
In a satisfying rebuff to the aggressively evangelical Congress government in Andhra Pradesh, the Hindu Devalaya Parirakshana Samiti won a major victory in the High Court last Tuesday with Chief Justice Mr. Anil Ramesh Dave refusing to vacate a stay on state takeover of temple lands for housing the homeless. … Read More
The Maoists have raked the integration issue at a time when preparations for the Constituent Assembly elections are underway in order to have an excuse to boycott the poll process once their cadres are paid under an understanding reached with the ruling alliance on December 23, 2007. In India, the … Read More
Having sleep-walked to defeat in 2004, the BJP seems determined not to be caught napping again. Thus, despite Congress’ poor showing in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh making premature polls unlikely, the BJP’s recent National Council meeting unveiled its main electoral planks. The unstated constituency remains the Hindu … Read More
In an era of craven hankering after communal and caste votebanks, Mr. Buta Singh, chairman, National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC), has sounded a note of common sense by asking State Governments not to use the word ‘Dalit’ in official documents as it is “unconstitutional”. Noting that ‘Dalit’ is sometimes … Read More
The recent proposal to improve promotional vistas for IAS officers above the all-India Police and Forest services is ill-conceived and contrary to the nations’ contemporary needs. Combined as it is with a plan to increase the annual intake of IAS officers, it is imperative that we review the perceived utility … Read More
The assassination of a charismatic but flawed leader has disguised the reality of a Pakistan that is emerging as a critical geo-political hub in an increasingly multi-polar world. So far unrecognized, the Caliphate of Pakistan is adroitly positioning itself in an uncomprehending world. Mercifully, India has recognized the security implications … Read More
If the British used communal electorates to secure the Partition of 1947 in barely four decades, the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance may succeed faster in eating the fruits of its desire to allocate 15 percent funds of development and welfare schemes exclusively for minorities. BJP president Rajnath Singh has done … Read More
One of the most compelling yet overlooked themes of Hindu civilization is that the gods themselves are prone to dislodgement from their celestial heights, to suffer exile and humiliation at the hands of upstarts who have inveigled fancy boons out of them, and then defeated them in battle. The gods … Read More
