Much of the ire of Indian elites and those left of the Indian political center simply boils down to one thing – the poor and lower-castes aren’t voting the way they want them to. Over decades, an assorted motley crew of political parties has taken the votes of India’s subalterns for granted. Through sops and … Continue reading How the BJP Became the Bahujan Janata Party
This was on old post about blasphemy laws that I wrote in 2015 and revised in 2021. It is on the site, but hard to search for, so i decided to repost it now that blasphemy is again in the news with two recent episodes where the police were able to arrest the accused (ie … Continue reading Blasphemy and blasphemy laws in Pakistan
(A few additional comments added on 02/21/21) COVID-19 is still a menace that is affecting thousands of people every day across the globe. However, vaccination and palliative therapies indicate that there is less of it ahead of us than behind us. I am training in pathology at a hospital in Texas and do not have … Continue reading Looking back at COVID-19
From Dr Hamid Hussain Many folks asked me about recent news item about conflict between two senior Indian army officers. It was simply personality clash & nothing significant. However, pedigree of both officers and some interesting historical facts were too tempting for the story teller like me. Regards, Hamid Clash of Two Jats Hamid Hussain … Continue reading Clash of two Jats in the Indian army
Whenever there is a debate on Kashmir, there is often a parallel drawn, particularly in Pakistan, between the accession of Junagadh to India, and the accession of Kashmir (also to India). The narrative in Pakistan typically goes – In the case of Kashmir, a predominantly Muslim state acceded to India, as its Maharaja was Hindu. … Continue reading Some notes on the accession of Junagadh vs. Kashmir
Book Review – The Wellington Experience: A Study of Attitudes and Values Within the Indian Army by Colonel ® David O. Smith Hamid Hussain David Smith’s book The Wellington Experience is a detailed study of Indian army’s prestigious Command & Staff College that trains armed forces officers for higher ranks. This book is based on … Continue reading Book Review: The Wellington Experience
What is the difference between introspection and self-hatred? Introspection brings reflection, intention, and evolution. Self-hatred brings rumination, doubt, and rot. One is essential, the other is extinction. Engagement of either shift one’s fate. From the roots of mentality grow branches of thought, blooming into flowers of action and eventually the fruits of result. Nowhere … Continue reading The Self-Hating Prophecy of Indian Elites
Last year marked the 280th anniversary of Nadir Shah’s invasion of the city of Delhi – an event as catastrophic as the invasion of the city by Timur in 1398. It is worth reflecting on this remarkable event in early 18th century – an episode that underscores the perils of a weak state. Source : … Continue reading Reflections on Nadir Shah’s exploits in India
@FrankBullit67 is a well-read Rajput from India, and an active presence on Twitter. He composed a thread on partition and his view of why India and Pakistan have diverged in many ways since independence. I tweeted it with the comment that it was interesting, but I may not agree with all of it. Which led … Continue reading Pakistan and India: Why Did They Diverge?
In my previous two posts, I traced the roots of India as a civilization state and proposed a framework which would seek to retain modern India’s classical Anglo-liberal framework but embellish it with Dharmic values. In this third and final post, I will seek to demonstrate how these seemingly contradictory systems could be reconciled in … Continue reading The Middle Path: Towards a Liberal Conservatism in India (Part 3)