A new meaning has been added to Bihar’s bulging dictionary of pain. It would seem that its sufferings have no end. The ancient cradle of Indian democracy, learning, and civic consciousness is today a travesty of our tryst with destiny. Bihar is the penultimate example of India’s rupture with its … Read More
Caste, that inexplicable conundrum of Hindu society, has relinquished some of its’ famed rigidity. Last week, as the nation celebrated Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s psychological breakthrough with Pakistan, the Ramakrishna Mission successfully ordained a Pulayar (Dalit) as temple priest at Adoor, Kerala. T.K. Subramandian’s baptism as Swami Vishudhananda was … Read More
“The world modern science has fostered and shaped now appears to have exhausted its potential. It is increasingly clear that something is missing. It fails to connect with the most intrinsic nature of reality and with natural human experience… and is now more of a source of disintegration and doubt … Read More
One can only applaud the courtesy and forbearance of the priests and trustees of Tirupathi Tirumalai Devasthanam in the face Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s arrogant refusal to sign the register affirming belief in the Hindu faith. Such catholicism is the essence of the sannatan dharma (the eternal way of life) … Read More
At least one biblical injunction – thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour – has been so badly mauled in Gujarat that one cannot but feel the urgency for a mature debate on conversions, as suggested by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Thankfully, church leaders have not refused … Read More
“O dharma, how hard it is to understand your essence. Only you know who protects you and who destroys you.” Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar’s pensive dirge may be taken as a warning that the legitimate perspective of culture should not become a predicament for society. Few know that Vidyasagar’s first work, … Read More
Weaving its silent enigmatic conundrum, Time has enveloped the world in a powerful synchronicity. As Muslims observe the holy Ramadan, the mysterious hand of the divine has ordained that the month-long ritual coincides with and overlaps the Jewish Hannukkah and Christian Christmas at one end, and the Hindu Makar Sankranti … Read More
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee has not acted a day too soon to assert the majesty of his office vis-a-vis his party and associated groups, and assure citizens, particularly minorities, that his Government will be responsive to their legitimate concerns. In a masterly statement, he has called for national reconciliation … Read More
Given the enormous divergence between the findings of opinion polls, prudence demands that commentators writing on the eve of the elections refrain from risking their reputations in wild speculation, and let the ballot box tell its own tale. As the first major round of Assembly elections after the Atal Bihari … Read More
As leader of the world’s largest organised religious community, it is not surprising that the Pope, threatened by burgeoning New Age consciousness, should feel challenged to spell out a vision for Christianity’s survival in the third millennium of its creation. The Church is in crisis, especially in regions with an … Read More
