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An Assembly Silenced

An assembly silenced

Kashmir’s chief minister, Omar Abdullah, successfully foiled repeated attempts in Kashmir’s legislative assembly to discuss Afzal Guru’s case. In this, as on much else, he obediently followed his father’s line.…

Party Vs Government

Party vs government

In India the established principles of the parliamentary system governing the relationship between the ruling party and its government in power have been subjected to great stress. A recent clash…

Chasing The Elections

Chasing the elections

A leading characteristic of the route to exercise in mass polling next month is the focus on procedural details that has eaten up a large chunk of election time. The…

From Princesses To Politicians

From princesses to politicians

A great deal has been made of famous women in power in South Asian countries. Bright-eyed – if somewhat misguided – patriots have claimed that the systematic cultural, political and…

Polls And Power

Polls and power

There is of course a multitude of factors that formulate the final report card of an outgoing government; the status of the economy, security, development of sectors, fulfilment of pre-election…

Modi As Pakistan’s Candidate

Modi as Pakistan’s candidate

A Neighbour in Delhi, who happens to be a Narendra Modi devotee, asked me which leader Pakistanis would want as India’s next prime minister. I’m no clairvoyant, I told the…

Suppressed Reports

Suppressed reports

Governments set up inquiries to allay public disquiet; whether over a financial scandal, a case of ministerial corruption or a military disaster. But, with the proverbial shortness of public memory,…

Fear Of The Recluse

Fear of the recluse

American friends are greatly irritated when others blame their country for so many ills of this world. But they cannot deny that it was the US that first released the…

The Evolving Scenarios

The evolving scenarios

Afzal Guru’s secret hanging on Saturday, conventional laws of dialectics direct us to believe, has spawned multi-layered linkages, ranging from corrosive domestic politics to high military strategy. Of these perhaps…

Laundering One’s Sins

Laundering one’s sins

Had our politicians been like their Indian counterparts, they would have taken a dip in the waters at Attock (the confluence of the rivers Indus and Kabul) or at Panjnad…