The masses bringing change?
THE media is riveted to the news that the Congress party will elect a new president in October, one who will not be from the Nehru-Gandhi family. So what will…
A requiem for fine journalism
RONALD L. Haeberle was a combat photographer with the US army whose pictures exposed the horrors of the My Lai massacre in Vietnam in 1969. Military analyst Daniel Ellsberg, at…
About political homeopathy
THE idea that the left alone can defeat the right has become unconvincing. On the contrary, it’s often the left that is forced to don the robe of the right…
India’s first tribal president
INDIA is such a complex country with its mosaic of ethnicities, belief systems, castes, sub-castes, regions, languages that are perpetually jostling to catch the eye, and so much else in…
Jailhouse rockers
IF 2024 will be known as the year of seismic general elections, it will also be remembered as the one of unforgettable weddings. In India, Mumbai is still aglitter in…
Communalism and the budget
THERE was a time in India when the display of wealth and conspicuous consumption was frowned upon as an immorality associated with parvenu classes. Leaving food on the plate was…
History of BJP’s diplomatic gaffes
FOR India’s ruling BJP, what will Aug 5 be most remembered for? It is, of course, the day that Sheikh Hasina Wajed was deposed by a mass uprising against her…
Pakistan and the Soviet occupation
When the Soviets invaded Afghanistan, Zia asked General Akhtar, his ISI Chief, for an appraisal of the threat posed by the invasion. Akhtar predicted that sooner or later the Russians…
How democracy endures
Events in Bangladesh need not be an eye-opener. It has been demonstrated often enough that democratic legitimacy through strict adherence to the constitution ensures stability. Any attempt to short-circuit it…
Memoirs of a pilot
Memoirs can serve as the missing pieces of history, especially in countries where public discourse is constrained by sanitized or curated narratives. They not only enrich the historical tapestry but…
