A new caste rises in India- comprising of political dynasties who cornered 29% of the seats in 2009, 9% more than 2004. They are the new un-touchables, not because they have too little power, but too much. And people love them and accept this as a natural phenomena. Thus even as Brahmins fade away, … Continue reading The new un-touchables are rising
…is striving to be a bit more humane than the East India Company (the 18th c. avatar, not the 21st c. shop owned by Sanjiv Mehta). Taymoor Soomro recounts the bad old days in the Dawn …. The East India Company was to its generation, what Amazon will likely be to the next: monstrous, semi-sovereign, … Continue reading The West India company
Jayanthi Natarajan dumped the Congress back in 1996 (under the leadership of Mir Jafar Moopanar GK) and Congress got its chance to dump her back in 2013 after Congress was crushed in the state polls and industrialists complained about her to Man Mohan Singh. It was let known that this action was on behalf of … Continue reading The GM invasion is underway
The definition of a true friend in Sanskrit: Utsave Vyasane Chaiba (he is with me during festivals and good times) Durbhikshye Rashtrabiplabe (….and during famines and mutiny) Rajadware Shmashane Cha (he gives me company in crisis and in death) Jah Tisthati Sah Vandhavah (the man who stands by me is a true friend) It is … Continue reading (un)fair weather friends
Hong Kong tries hard for democracy but China will not stand for it. Imposing democracy from top is a difficult exercise (as seen in India), it will take decades for the masses to catch on (if at all). Still an imperfect democracy is better for people like us (we like to talk freely, we would … Continue reading “I have been too comfortable”
Pakistan is a major non-NATO ally of the USA and managing that relationship will be in the best interests of the USA in order to ensure a smooth passage out of Afghanistan (not to mention the real motivation/fear: Taliban will capture the nuclear complex). Accordingly today we have the announcement that $280 million in military … Continue reading SAsia (mostly India) and the USA
…and the (Christian) West must act as mediators in the S/S conflict. This is the message from His Excellency Aga Khan. SQS (sincere question set): Where are the majority of (15 million) Ismailis situated (100K in Canada)? How are they theologically different from Shias (apart from being led by Aga Khan)? They were expelled from … Continue reading Shia/Sunni = Catholic/Protestant
One gun-shy, low-power doctor is standing up against the high-powered National Rifle Association and may even win. Suddenly the second amendment is in danger due to alien beliefs held by people who were (till recently) aliens. First they take away the jobs from deserving natives and now they are after the guns as well. “Dr … Continue reading Dr David
Yesterday, I posted a piece on my blog (http://barbarikon.blogspot.com) that may be of interest to readers on Brown Pundits as well. So, at Zach’s suggestion, I am posting it here as well. If the exhortation to pity the nation that forgets is own history is taken seriously, few nations are more pitiable than Pakistan today. … Continue reading Jab We Met: Encounters between Islam and Hinduism in Early-Medieval Punjab
Right now the polls say that BJP/NDA will get 200+ seats. As I have noted this (if it actually happens) will be a game-changer because enough opportunists can be purchased to reach 272. However I consider this to be unlikely, mainly because of the impact of rural-based caste coalitions as well as that of the … Continue reading India 2014