As 2004 bowed out, snarling with apocalyptic fury, citizens living or holidaying along the Indian coastline found unexpected islands of hope and refuge as unseen powers stepped in to save lives apparently destined for burial at sea. The picaresque Vivekananda Rock in the middle of the sea off Kanyakumari, hit … Read More
The gutter inspectors are out, revelling in the discomfort of devout Hindus, telling us exactly what’s wrong with us. To begin with, it’s the Brahmins and the caste system, an euphemism for the fact that we’re still a predominantly Hindu society. Then it’s those few Hindu mathams that still enjoy … Read More
As Swami Jayendra Saraswati stoically braves the onslaught of secular oppression unleashed by an unholy alliance of Government and media, it is clear that his tormentors have no case, have failed hopelessly in their nation-wide fishing expedition, but are nonetheless determined to keep him incarcerated. Nothing the judiciary has done … Read More
Even at the risk of contempt of court, I must say that the manner in which the Tamil Nadu courts have conducted proceedings against the Kanchi Shankaracharya has left millions of citizens with the feeling that justice has not been seen to be done. As this is the litmus test … Read More
Two events relating to Gujarat happened almost simultaneously. The first, which still reverberates in news columns, was Zahira Shaikh’s second volte-face in the Best Bakery retrial. The second, largely ignored by our Hindu-hating media, was the demand by Hyderabad Naxalites for the unconditional release of Maulana Naseeruddin, recently arrested by … Read More
Whatever the merits of Gen. Pervez Musharraf’s latest suggestion on Jammu & Kashmir, there is no avoiding the conclusion that India has accepted the Pakistani position that the State is disputed territory. This is a dangerous development, but in fairness to Dr. Manmohan Singh it must be said that it … Read More
Europe’s civilian revolt against the stranglehold of the Catholic Church was won by resurrecting its Pagan heritage as exemplified in Greek philosophy and Roman law. The resultant duality of religious and secular authority provided space for individual liberty, science, and material progress. Hindu society, despite civilizational stresses from hostile invasions, … Read More
Like many who followed the poignant story of young Gudiya on a television network last fortnight, I felt the script reminiscent of a predetermined finale. What struck me most was the fact that the programme, slated to help a young woman in a terrible predicament, actively pandered to the orthodoxies … Read More
When the Muslim votebank frowns, politicians get into a frenzy. Reacting with alacrity to Muslim ire at Census revelations of the community’s steep growth rate, the UPA government reverted Commissioner J.K. Banthia to his parent cadre for not consulting the Union Home Ministry before releasing data on religious demography. Congress … Read More
In a modern marriage, Swami Dayananda Saraswati once observed, two individuals come together as nouns, but after the ceremony, one becomes an adjective, most usually the woman. Metamorphosing from say, ‘Saraswati’ to ‘Saraswati Ramakrishna,’ she is reduced to an adjective qualifying the noun ‘Ramakrishna.’ Yet there are times, the sage … Read More
