Well we know that Pankaj Mishra dislikes Chetan Bhagat. But at the risk of offending the great man, we have to say that Three Idiots was a great movie (and many many people thought like-wise). Pankaj should from time to time, press the pause button on the let me explain brown bastards to white liberals … Continue reading Voice of the Hindus
Narendra Modi concluded his victory speech in Vadodara by singing the national song of India. Is this a sign of the future? Perhaps with its large majority the BJP will want to force a vote on the national song/anthem? This will be a sure-fire way to permanently solidify the Hindu-Hindutva vote that has given Modi … Continue reading Ready for a change in the national anthem?
May 12, 2014. It will be a hand to hand combat between Narendra Modi (backed by majority of caste Hindu votes) and Arvind Kejriwal (backed by majority of sunni Muslim votes). The good news is that apart from some dedicated Yadav and Dalit voters, few votes will be “wasted.” People understand the stakes at hand … Continue reading Varanasi votes (Brahmins vs. Sunnis)
This is obviously a reworking of my earlier post. Written for Farooq Sulehria’s excellent Viewpointonline (http://viewpointonline.net/) Boko Haram is a Nigerian terrorist organization that claims to be fighting for the imposition of “pure Islam” in Nigeria. The Northern parts of Nigeria have been components of many Islamicate kingdoms and empires in the last few centuries, … Continue reading Boko Haramis and their ilk
I have to run, so this is a mishmash. More coherent arguments to follow. Boko Haram has (at least for a few days) put one particular “non-western” alternative form of social organization front and center: the partly imaginary, partly historical “Islamic model”. Observe their leader Abubaker Shikau in action: The video starts with quranic verses … Continue reading Boko Haramis, alternative models, and the good old days…
Our great leader has taken the pulse of Twitter and Facebook (or heard good news from on high) and has decided to throw caution to the wind and board the anti-GEO bandwagon. Sadly, once more, he may be boarding the wrong train. The army’s ability to swing itself into the harness and give orders has … Continue reading Imran Khan boarding the wrong train…as usual
We approach the first anniversary of a mass murder (of people by people whom they had trusted with their lives). May all their souls rest in peace. The living victims are another matter altogether- no justice for them even after all this time. Incidentally, why was this picture not voted as #1 (for 2013)? Sad … Continue reading Ground Zero (Rana Plaza, Bangladesh)
He is a just a kid filled with dreams, but for now it is closer to reality with admissions to Stanford and Harvard. Another Indian who will do very well for himself in the USA (hopefully morning shows what the day will be). However it will be great if he can come back and give … Continue reading World of riches awaits (perfect SAT score)
Amartya Sen can now get a second Nobel prize by pointing out that while democracies on the whole manage to avoid famines, they can still manage to condemn people to malnutrition, while the equivalent wheat production of Australia manages to rot away or worse. …. Most of you may know that India produces more food … Continue reading India: food, food everywhere, not a bite to eat
We, the denizens of North-Eastern India know that it is considered as a backward area that most Indians will never visit over their lifetimes. Man Mohan Singh is supposedly the Rajya Sabha MP from Axom but he remains a stranger to his (adopted) state. The North-East has large cohorts of non-Hindus (majority Protestant denominations) who … Continue reading The nine sisters of the North-East