Election 2004
Recalling a Train Journey
About three years ago, Dilip D’Souza concluded that liberalization had done little to improve India’s economy. I had pointed out that his conclusion was fantastic because it was based on just one train journey and a few anecdotal evidences.
He now rarely writes about the economy but that shouldn’t deter me from ruminating on the […]
In the Name of the Aam Aadmi
Or how the Congress Party Screwed the Aam Aadmi
Cut to 2004 when an euphoric Congress party declared its victory over the dark forces of communalism, rich-centric politics and related evils. It declaimed that its Aam Aadmi slogan had done in the India Shining slogan etcetera. Cut to present.
Consider the state of India’s economy, which the […]
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 […]
Vote Bank Politics as Rama’s Saviour
The latest update on the Sethusamudram project depends on how you look at it.
The Congress has all but decided to put the skids on the Sethusamudram project. Not because it has lost faith in the project, but because it is concerned about the political fall-out and the possible impact on the electorate in the north […]
Supercop’s Christian Truth
Getting stuck in Bangalore’s interminable traffic jams has its uses as I discovered over the weekend. I didn’t take my camera or I’d have attached a picture with this post.
After the traffic signal just after the Vellara Junction is yet another signal. To my left, I saw a huge hoarding with wordings to this effect: […]
10 Most Loathsome People in India: 2007
This post is courtesy an inspiration I got from this superb list of (deservedly) loathsome public figures in the US (thanks, Atanu).
I don’t have time or patience to do brief, dirty-writeups on fifty most loathsome public figures of India. I’m limiting that number to just ten.
You might disagree with my selections….
10. Manmohan Singh
Loathsome for a […]
Fair. Free. Fearless.
It’s cakewalk to recognize this man–he is in the news now. Actually, he has made news.
And his paper proudly recounts how it resurrected itself after the (previous) government all but crushed it for stealthily uncovering the truth.
A recurrent theme in that story is the commitment several conscientious people showed towards its ideals. The summary of […]
Mortgaging National Interest at the Chinese Altar
Prakash Karat has finally admitted that China is the Fatherland.
CPM general secretary Prakash Karat vowed to oppose a strategic alliance between India and the United States claiming that such a move was meant to “counter-balance” and “encircle” China.
The context in which he uttered this rhetoric is hilarious only if it was not so grave.
Speaking at […]
Passage to India
Running a coalition government is thorny. With fragile vote tallies, allies need to be continually placated. In the Indian context, an irony that doesn’t escape our attention is parties with least numbers seem to garner the maximum benefits. The DMK with just 16 seats is the ally that the Congress has tried to appease by […]
Karnataka’s Political Games
Can’t recall when I last wrote about Karnataka politics. Now is a good time because the portents appear promising.
Some History
Roughly two years ago, H.D. Kumaraswamy of the Janata Dal (Secular) ditched Dharam Singh, the then Karnataka Chief Minister and became the Chief Minister himself. He joined hands with the dreaded “communal forces” represented […]