Art Doesn’t Change Anything

Overdoing anything often results in several consequences. Among other things, the grand dignity of Brutus will suddenly resemble the character of the idiot full of sound and fury signifying nothing. The latest exhibit: Mallika Sarabhai’s on-stage antics in the recently-concluded TED India event hosted at Mysore.
I admire the work TED is doing. It has [...]

Love Jihad Gets International Op-Ed Space

I know I’ve been neglecting this blog for extended intervals. I’ve been insanely busy.
About two months ago, I had posted about the dangerous, long-term outcome of what I called Love Jihad. This phenomenon ever since, is steadily receiving the attention it deserves. And no thanks to the Slimes for making it front page headlines for [...]

Whitewashing with a Straight Face

Introduction
A pattern seems to have emerged over the past decade or so in the US. Each time any U.S-based Hindu organization(s) hosts a fairly well-attended event, alarm bells sound off from the expected quarters. These expected quarters wake up and emit a major stink about the–yawn–dreaded Hindu communalism/fascism/quest for revenge… The yarn is the same, [...]

My Oped in the Pioneer: Mockery of austerity

This was published in the Pioneer today. Comments welcome as always.

Mockery of austerity Sandeep B
It’s an attempt to cover up Government’s failures
Our dharmashastras prohibit hoarding of food, or acquiring material possessions, beyond the bare minimum as one of the qualities of an ideal Brahmin. The reason: The more you possess, the farther [...]

Gurcharan Das and the Liberal Hindu

A few weeks ago, I made a hurried list that broadly categorized contemporary Hindus based on certain general parameters. Gurcharan Das of India Unbound fame adds to this list by slotting himself into a new category: Liberal Hindu. Much of what he says in that post is along familiar, “safe Hindu” lines but he does [...]

Love Jihad & the Clash of Monotheisms

Assuming there are still visible traces of a vibrant civic society and media left in the US, what’d be the reaction to an incident like this? (link courtesy: JK)
The Kerala High Court on Friday released two girls, who were allegedly detained for religious conversion, to their parents…In the petition, Jacob Thomas of Pallikkal, Kottarakkara, and [...]

My Op-ed in Pioneer: Surpassing Goebbels

This was published in the Pioneer today about the USCIRF India chapter report released last week. Comments and criticism welcome as always.

Surpassing Goebbels
Sandeep B
US uses fiction to slam freedom in India
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom’s India Chapter report on the extent of religious freedom in India released last week was an unwelcome [...]

The Sublime and the Mundane

A good way to take a break from sickening news, never ending political crap and even mundane life, and recover sanity is to turn the mind towards the more refined appeals. The kinds that we’ve lost the time and solitude to enjoy at will: music, painting, sculpture, plays, and literature. More specifically, the classical variety [...]

Hindu Fundamentals Are Under Attack in a Different Way

We have several specimens of people who call themselves Hindus:

Tearing-my-chest-Hindus: Firebrand Hindus whose commitment to, and faith in Hinduism is unquestionable but usually lack the intellectual rigour to defend attacks on Sanatana Dharma.
Intellectual Hindus: Scholarly types who are up for a good debate anytime, and are willing to defend Sanatana Dharma on the strength of [...]

Somebody Rescue Yogi Sikand

By admitting him into an insane asylum. Yeah, he’s not (my mistake, confusing him for the original, Yoginder Yadav) the same statistical evil genius that the Congress party employs to get the pre-poll/exit poll predictions it wants. He now froths like a mongrel in heat but getting none.
…the possibility of some hapless Muslim victims of [...]