Archive for May, 2008
Demand for Backwardness
Let me make this a little dramatic.
Historically, the Gurjaras were one of the most prominent dynasties (yes, I hate the word “tribe” or “clan” because it reminds me of all the obnoxious colonial connotations that accompany it) that sacrificed thousands of warriors to ward off Islamic invasions. That is also because Rajasthan was one state […]
CNN-IBN’s Script Gone Wrong
Barbar Indians has a blow-by-blow roundup of CNN-IBN’s fascinating coverage of the Karnataka elections. One of the links led me to watch what he terms as an “instructive” video.
The chief actors include a very worried Sagarika Ghose, Ramachandra Guha, Gauri Lankesh and Chandan Mitra (surprise!). I agree with Barbar Indian’s take on the whole […]
What Does this Mean?
The BJP’s election victory is expectedly the hot subject of discussion on the streets, restaurants, darshinis, paan shops, and bus stops of Bangalore. Yesterday, I was an uninvited party to one such discussion. A BJP worker was extolling his stellar campaigning work. In the middle of explaining how the leader of his constituency made money, […]
Seema Chisthi, JUST SHUT UP!
If the intent of this idiotic article is to provoke, Indian Express has poorly chosen Seema Chisthi to do the job. It is notable for total lack of clarity, overt one-sidedness, and loudly communal. That it is nakedly pro-Congress is obvious because it is published where it is. But if the intent–which I suspect it […]
Karnataka Poll Results: Anlaysis on the Ground
Again, the figures first.
The BJP triumph in Karnataka was a commonsense conclusion. Only the most foolhardy could make a contrary argument. But we have them aplenty. Yogendra Yadav, the psephologist whose statistical impetuousness only equals his record number of failed projections stands tall in that list.
Watching TV for the better half of yesterday was exciting. […]
Will this Sustain?
The figures first.
The figures show how CPM and co have performed in the recent Zilla Panchayat elections. The same thing said in boring words.
The verdict was clear: although the Left has kept its control over a majority of the seats at all levels, it has received its worst setback ever. The Left Front won 1,633 […]
The Buyer’s Rights and All
I hate cricket. And this post isn’t about the game. And I didn’t read Amit Varma’s dull piece on accountability in the IPL in full. Except,
Rohit Mahajan of Outlook quoted a Delhi Daredevils players as saying: “[T]hese corporate people attend meetings, and fools among them even try to tell players and coaches how to play.” […]
Ashis Nandy’s New Role
Rediff describes Ashis Nandy–who has been suitably psychoanalyzed on this blog earlier–in glowing adjectives: thinker, political analyst, but above all, he is India’s most famous liberal thinker, in this five-part interview where Nandy shares his expert views on Sonia Gandhi’s performance as the chairman of the UPA. Having read the entire interview–much against the counsel […]
Sack Arjun Singh First, Patil can Wait
On the heels of Nitin calling for Shivraj Patil’s immediate dismissal, comes this disgusting piece of news. Arjun Singh is well-entitled to his creepy display of dynastic sycophancy loyalty a billion times. But he makes himself a candidate for deserving more than just a tight slap when he says:
“Only a person who is totally committed […]
Karnataka Elections: The Last Chance
At the close of the second phase of the Karnataka polls, the scene here is interesting to say something because not much can be said about the political situation here. For some stunningly researched poll predictions and poll-watch kind of information, look no further than Offstumped. This is more a culmination of five years’ worth […]