The innocuous, almost ridiculous, demand for massive historical damages has smouldered into an international loss of face for Malaysia. Purely realpolitik terms, this was easily avoidable had the Malaysian government shown a little restraint. By jumping headlong in a fit of panic, Abdullah Badawi has invited both trouble at home and bad publicity outside. Within [...]
The long-simmering discontent in the Indian community in Malaysia has erupted at last.
Earlier on Sunday, Malaysia’s Indian community had staged its biggest-ever anti-government protest and more than 10,000 protesters defied tear gas and water cannons to fight against racial discrimination in the country. The protesters brought Kuala Lumpur to standstill for almost six hours [...]
I rubbed my eyes upon reading the teaser to this article:
We are quick to condemn the lunatics who wield trishuls and wear saffron. But isn’t it time that the skull-capped and long-bearded version of fanaticism receives our contempt too? Barkha Dutt examines.
Reading the whole article assuaged my fears. It (re)confirmed established scientific truths: [...]
The Calcutta (not Kolkata) violence didn’t come as a surprise. Several foreboding omens of Muslim discontent had indicated what to expect. It was planned well, executed perfectly, and extracted the desired harvest.
The script unfolded in the lanes and bylanes of east and central Kolkata, where police were cramped for space. Fearing they would get trapped, [...]
Praful Bidwai pitches in with lots of acid against Buddhadeb and Left goons in this interesting center-page article in the Slimes. Whereas his criticism of the Left is blistering, his article as a whole is immeasurably clever. Offstumped digs up a similar (earlier) denouncement from Bidwai and correctly observes that the criticism is
…a masterpiece in [...]
The Indian media sometimes acknowledges truth when it has no alternative. This Indian Express report of Muslims who were butchered in the Nandigram saga belongs to that category.
…dominance of Muslims in Opp, relief camps prompts attack from Muslim voices
But thanks to excellent blogs like this, we get closer to the truth. One reason that strikes [...]
In the delightful India Unbound, I admired Gurcharan Das for his grasp of economics, and found his writing style quite engaging. But he had to capitulate to stay in business. I wish it didn’t have to be this disgusting.
Gujarat,however, is also the Indian state which hosted a genocide under broad daylight in 2002. Those [...]
In which I reply in kind to the touching love letter I’ve received, which was triggered by the Economist post of mine. Joy.
16 November, 2007Bangalore
My Dearest Never Mind,
I’m well, thank you.
The Left is rightly obstinate about not allowing its sins to be discussed in Parliament. In true Mafiosi style, they reason that it is a "state subject," hence out of bounds.
After a meeting of four Left parties, the leaders maintained that the Nandigram issue was a "state law and order subject" which could not be [...]
Two views on the Musharraf Emergency. Diametrically divergent. One based on facts, the other based on bias and concealed facts and symptoms.
In his two part series (the third part is in the pipeline), Arun Shourie, nails Musharraff’s farce of "saving democracy" in Pakistan. I’ll leave you to read the longish articles, but a small [...]
