The Story of the Sappers of 12 Field Company in the Second World War

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Reading Time: 6 minutes Left to Right: Annamalai, Ponnuswamy, Lt Sukias, Govind Swamy and Lakshmi Kanthan  This is the story of four Indians who served in the Queen Victoria’s Own Madras Sappers and Miners during the Second World War. These young men in their … Continue reading

The Death of Democracy: A Review

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Reading Time: 10 minutes There is greater knowledge today of the rise of the Nazi Party and Hitler. It should be an example of what can happen with the rise of a right-wing ideology inspired by it. Despite it, the world is witness to a rise in authoritative leadership in two major democracies. A challenge remains. Continue reading

Why I am Not a Hindu

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Reading Time: 7 minutes This is the title of a book written by Kancha Illaiah[i]. I stumbled upon the book searching for Shashi Tharoor’s book titled ‘Why I am a Hindu’, which I wanted to read out of curiosity and not self-affirmation. Illaiah’s book … Continue reading

Karnataka Elections and after …

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Reading Time: 4 minutes Dangers of a one-party rule from Panchayat to Parliament will see the demise of democracy. Further, a religion backed ideology will put a strain on minorities, even with all the assurances of the BJP. It is too late for them to shed the self-created mantle of Hinduism. Karnataka elections will impact the future of democracy. Continue reading

BJP claims Modi-Sharif talks ‘a breakthrough’; Congress questions PM’s peace move – The Times of India

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Reading Time: 4 minutes The BJP on Friday claimed major breakthrough in India-Pakistan ties as Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his counterpart Nawaz Sharif. Source: BJP claims Modi-Sharif talks ‘a breakthrough’; Congress questions PM’s peace move – The Times of India Modi waves with … Continue reading

Endeavours within a democracy: The case of One Rank One Pension

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Reading Time: 4 minutes To proclaim patriotism is a popular act, at least politically. To make use of patriotism is a plank of a nationalist and is the first recourse of every politician. Who will vote anyone to power if they did not speak … Continue reading

Modi’s Hectic November!

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Reading Time: 8 minutes “Modi! Modi! Modi!” chanted the crowd, which seemed to have learnt from watching the videos of his speech in New York. With hands going up like a slanted salute to take mobile phone snap shots, it appeared like they were … Continue reading

Silky slippery roads: Indian and Chinese diplomacy

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Reading Time: 13 minutes Medieval diplomacy, border incursions and balance of power ideas detract the relations between China and India. There is no end in sight to this game and an underlying distrust frames the relations. This is unlike the how these nations treat western powers, or do they live in their shadow of influence. China and India have a lot to gain by developing a mutual trust. Continue reading

India Isn’t ‘Open for Business’ Yet – Bloomberg View

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Reading Time: 4 minutes I came across this article –  (see link below) which echoes a shared feeling that Modi will have difficulty translating his successes at a state level into a national one. Of course he will! Analysts and even sceptics know that … Continue reading

Crony capitalism a big threat to countries like India, RBI chief Raghuram Rajan says – The Times of India

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Reading Time: 2 minutes Crony capitalism a big threat to countries like India, RBI chief Raghuram Rajan says – The Times of India. That the government does good is something that I have held on to almost as a belief, in comparison to what … Continue reading

Defence reboot policy: Revamp R&D, simplify weapons purchase – The Times of India

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Reading Time: 2 minutes Is India’s nationalism going to blind its economic growth? The Modi government has moved swiftly to announce new measures which change the way things are usually done. This is a welcome change that dynamic leaders bring in, but how deep are the effects for the common man to grasp is the question. Continue reading

Viva la General 2

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Reading Time: 5 minutes The saga of he date of birth of the chief has taken another twist, with the PIL being thrown out by the supreme court. A chance has been lost to cleared the sullied image of the situation and justice appears not to be served. Continue reading

The General’s Date of Birth

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Reading Time: 2 minutes The dispute over recording the Chief of Army Staff’s date of birth has come to a head. This has become a matter of Indian national  izzat  (honour) vs  that of the General’s. If one were to go by the credo … Continue reading

9/11 and India …

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Reading Time: 6 minutes The recent bomb blasts in New Delhi, the high alert in New York and a sense déjà vu has made the world stand on an edge again because of terrorism. The fact of this asymmetrical war is that a few … Continue reading