No distractions, please
AT a time when all major players in the country’s ever-evolving power structure should be unshakably focusing on terrorism, extremism and intolerance, a silly and almost pointless press release skirmish…
State and non-state actors
‘We will not allow our soil to be used against any other country for terrorism.’ This oft-repeated cliché in our official statements has almost become a national embarrassment. A solemn…
Affirmative action for all
Few case studies are as revelatory of both the vigour and the perversity of Indian democracy as the mass protests in the past week by the influential Patel (or Patidar)…
Indian, Muslim and female
Amid all the hubbub over talks between India and Pakistan, news emerged last week about a survey done by the Indian Muslim women’s rights organisation Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA).…
Axact: flying too close to the sun
Declan Walsh is a serious journalist and as a reporter he has written good stuff. But when the New York Times adopts a high moral posture about anything, and even…
Evidence of history
The Subjects Committee meeting of the All-India Muslim League, which was chaired by the chief minister of Bengal AK Fazlul Haq, had worked through the night and the agreed text…
Customs valuation: Role of price list in determination of transaction value
In international business transactions, buyers usually confront harsh and uncalled for attitude of customs administration, throughout the globe. At times, there are cases where under invoicing did take place and…
A reprehensible act
The sheer folly of executing Afzal Guru in Tihar Jail in Delhi on Feb 9 was well described by an ambitious former intelligence chief: `It has the potential to take…
The man behind our sedition law
“Power precedes liberty – …liberty, from the very nature of things, is dependent upon power….” Thus wrote the English lawyer, judge, writer and philosopher, James Fitzjames Stephen in his book…
Inquiry reports
In many a postcolonial country, leaders have adopted institutions inherited from the British while also denuding them of their soul and spirit — among them, inquiries into cases of gross…
