Columns

Rajeev Srinivasan
Is the future of education leaving India in the dust?
The digital revolution in education is coming at a most opportune time for India. Leadership in this is something India could seize, if only it had the vision. Archives B S Prakash
Are we surrendering our minds?
'Are we submerging our individual abilities, memories and consciousness to a larger anonymous cloud over which we have no control?'
'Is this a surrender of our mind to an omniscient, omnipotent Viswa Chaitanya, a Universal Consciousness that the great scientists or rishis dreamed of?' Archives Colonel Anil A Athale (retd)
Why are some army officers becoming Dabangg?
Is the Nyoma incident, where a group of army officers allegedly thrashed a jawan for alleged misbehaviour and then defied their commanding officer, an aberration?

Or is the matter more serious than what the army is making it out to be? Archives

Rajeev Srinivasan
Parliament: Is it even worse than it looks?
'India's parliamentary democracy is ridden with flaws... Parliament has become a monarchy, with seats captured by a strongman, and then inherited by his wife or children.' Archives Shashi Shekhar
Nothing diminishes the fact that we are a Great Nation
'The history of our nation may not always have charted a linear trajectory to greatness. But that must not distract us from recognising that we as a nation we continue to find new and innovative ways to reconcile contradictions, transcend fault-lines thus avoiding the pitfalls of so many of our neighbours.' Archives Arvind Kejriwal
MPs are reduced to bonded labour of their parties
'There is no mechanism for the people to intervene in the affairs of Parliament, to direct it to enact laws on particular subjects, to prevent it from passing certain other kind of laws.
The People are supreme, not Parliament. But unfortunately, in India, the People do not have any control, whatsoever, on the functioning of Parliament,' says the Magsaysay Award winner. Exclusive to Rediff.com Archives Shobha Warrier
Why did we forget Alex Menon's dead bodyguards?
Life may have returned to normal for the Sukma collector, but will the lives of the families of his two bodyguards who died during his abduction be the same again? Archives Subhash Kashyap
People feel that for our MPs the nation comes last
'People feel the new breed of politicians in all parties are selfish, power hungry, greedy, dishonest hypocrites and power merchants for whom the nation comes last,' says the former secretary general, Lok Sabha. Archives Sherna Gandhy
Systemic change needs sustained effort, not just Aamir Khan
'The appeal of a courageous superstar with a conscience on a Sunday morning television show may help resolve some of the issues that affect us. But to for us to change as a people needs much more effort and awareness.' Archives Rajeev Srinivasan
Rethinking education in India
'Indian education has, after Independence, produced nothing whatsoever -- yes, absolutely nothing -- of global calibre. Not one earth-shaking discovery or invention, not one outstanding theoretical insight!' Archives T V R Shenoy
Is India serious about investigating Tatragate?
'Did an Indian agency place a 'mole' within the Tatra subsidiary in Britain? Did powerful forces in India snuff out a life before anything emerged?' Archives Aakar Patel
Parliament's role in making India a great nation is over
Give this fact that the middle class is not responsible in India and cannot be trusted to lead, it is remarkable that our legislature, even given all of its vulgar traits, has performed as superbly as it has.
The first column in a series as India celebrates the 60th anniversary of the first sitting of the Joint House of Parliament on May 13. Archives Wilson John
The looming Haqqani Network threat to India
The Haqqani terror Network, is likely to step in as a 'service provider' to groups re-launching terrorist activities in Kashmir. This 'confluence' of anti-India terror will coincide with the US drawdown as well as the political transitions in most of the South Asian countries, including India. Archives Shashi Shekhar
Why India needs a Sardar Patel today
'From NCTC to GST and from economic reforms to targeted subsidies/entitlements, the political need of the present times is leadership in Sardar Patel's mold that can engage, negotiate, build trust and confidence where possible, awe and overwhelm when necessary.' Archives Claude Arpi
Bye Sarko: What France's new president means for India
'A solid political relation with France could balance India's foreign relations, which have often tilted towards the United States or Russia.' Archives T V R Shenoy
Why the Congress and BJP are having sleepless nights
'The squabbles we are seeing today over the election of the next President will be nothing compared to the all-out war ignited by a fragmented verdict after the 2014 general election.' Archives Sherna Gandhy
Do we need Sachin and Rekha in the Rajya Sabha?
Shouldn't the government's nominees for the Rajya Sabha have shown some interest in public affairs, some evidence that they have an understanding of national issues? Archives Hamid Mir
How Obama fulfilled Osama's dreams
A year after Osama bin Laden's death, Al Qaeda is determined to make stay alive, feels Hamid Mir, the last journalist to interview bin Laden. Archives Sonali Ranade
Machiavelli explains our politicians best
As politicians dismantle the levers of power, whether it is subsidies, allotment of land or spectrum, etc, they fear the prospect of losing the power of patronage much more than the power to extract rents therefrom, says Sonali Ranade. Archives Shivam Vij
India's skewed internet censorship debate
The current mechanisms of internet censorship in India are draconian and unconstitutional. They need to be replaced with a new set of rules that are fair, transparent and accessible for public scrutiny, says Shivam Vij. Archives Mahesh Vijapurkar
Citizen's dilemmas: Deficits of all kinds
I wonder if I can find anyone I could trust as a citizen, asks Mahesh Vijapurkar. Archives Harsh V Pant
Wanted! VIP treatment for ordinary Indians
'When the government has been so vociferous in demanding an apology from the US for Shah Rukh Khan, may I ask for an apology from my own government for not even bothering to inform me and other 'ordinary' citizens that our passports have been revoked.' Archives B S Prakash
The India that is not Bharat...
'A battle for a glass of red wine ends happily when an Air India traveller magnanimously accepts whiskey instead...' Archives T V R Shenoy
Is Rahul Gandhi's vision for India based on caste?
His remark 'I am a Brahmin, and I am general secretary of the party' would have been dismissed as a stray thoughtless remark if it were not for the fact that it shows a trend in his thinking. Archives Sushant Sareen
Agni 5 -- going ballistic over a missile
If India's nuclear and missile capability before Agni-5 was not enough to deter China, then it is unlikely that Agni-5 will, argues Sushant Sareen. Archives Brigadier S K Chatterji (retd)
Will the jihadi tiger devour Pakistan?
Pakistan has no alternative but to surgically eliminate its bonds with jihadi groups, cleanse its security establishments of jihadi patrons and focus on rebuilding the State on democratic lines. Archives Shashi Shekhar
Prime Minister Modi? The idea is inevitable
'With the Special Investigation Team's closure report finding no case to be made against Modi on Zakia Jafri's complaint, the public debate has once again returned to The Narendra Modi Question' Archives Devesh Kapur
Has India become less violent?
India is less violent, privately and publicly, than ever before, says Devesh Kapur Archives Tarun Vijay
Mr Zardari, will you protect Hindus in Pakistan?
'Is the ease available to a Pakistani Muslim to visit his places of faith in India also available to an Indian Hindu to visit his places of worship in Pakistan?' Archives Bibhu Prasad Routray
Odisha's 'real' hostage crisis!
'Abduction for the release of jailed Maoists is becoming a trend in Odisha. Considering the almost habitual surrender of various state governments to their demands, the extremists will use this tactic regularly.' Archives T V R Shenoy
Revealed: The real story behind CBI's Tatra probe
'A K Antony's office receives something like ten letters a week, all alleging corruption. That works out to better than an allegation a day on average, holidays included.' Archives Sunil Dasgupta
Why civil-military conflict is GOOD for India
'The ongoing dispute between General V K Singh and the government is an important -- albeit costly -- test of policy and institutional efficacy in an area of governance that is normally hidden from public view.' Archives Shashi Shekhar
It's time to reform the Rajya Sabha
Chief ministers who have been championing federalism must take the lead in reforming the Rajya Sabha so that it truly represents the interests of their states rather than the permanent political interests of unelected party apparatchiks in Delhi, says Shashi Shekhar. Archives B S Prakash
No issues! Why you don't need to learn a foreign language
'As a vegetarian in this mainly carnivorous nation, how does he manage food; how does he commute in a complicated city; what does he do for news and entertainment since virtually everything is only in Portuguese in Brazil, etc. "No issues," he kept saying.' Archives T V R Shenoy
Who is responsible for the embarrassments facing the government?
'India faces a very peculiar situation where the two most honest men in the Union Cabinet are suddenly facing the charge that massive scams took place in their own departments. Is that just coincidence?' Archives T V R Shenoy
Is 2012 witnessing the birth of the Fourth Front?
'Make no mistake, that nightmare is inching closer to reality. What should concern the BJP, CPI-M, and Congress is the manner in which they are losing -- often coming third -- and the states in which they are losing.' Archives Rohit Pradhan
Modi: Damned if he does, damned if he doesn't
Narendra Modi's opponents must respect the legal system; otherwise they risk damaging the very cause they protect, says Rohit Pradhan. Archives T V R Shenoy
Congress, BJP don't understand big changes in politics
'The Nehru clan seems more comfortable with somebody like Vijay Bahuguna -- a scion of a political dynasty -- than with a man like Harish Rawat who carved his own path. That attitude drove out Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal and Sharad Pawar in Maharashtra.' Archives Mahesh Vijapurkar
New civic bodies in Maharashtra, but cities will not gain
The city can wait, indefinitely. Of course, its citizens don't count. Those who thought they did and went to vote for a change have fooled themselves, says Mahesh Vijapurkar. Archives Himanshu Thakkar
Why inter-linking of rivers is not possible
Can we laugh away the Supreme Court order on implementation of inter-linking of rivers as a comedy or tragedy, asks Himanshu Thakkar. Archives T V R Shenoy
Is the Congress ready to look away from the politics of dynasty?
'If there is one lesson that should be heard by every political party it is that both candidates and campaigners need something more than a famous surname to push them over the winning line.' Archives Shashi Shekhar
Is the BJP becoming a caricature of the Congress?
For far too long, the BJP has postponed an uncomfortable debate on the need for radical change. The outcome in Uttar Pradesh presents the perfect opportunity to force that debate, says Shashi Shekhar. Archives Rajeev Srinivasan
Why Narendra Modi scares the usual suspects
Rajeev Srinivasan on why Narendra Modi is a threat to the establishment because he overturns many of the convenient myths they propagate Archives Shashi Shekhar
Can the Congress afford a high-handed approach anymore?
The tenth anniversary of the Gujarat 2002 riots comes at politically importune moment unfortunately for the process of justice inside the courts and for the process of reconciliation outside the courts, feels Shashi Shekhar. Archives T V R Shenoy
Can the Congress afford a high-handed approach anymore?
'The Congress has been reduced to dust in Tamil Nadu by its allies. The Trinamool Congress is set to do the same in West Bengal. And the NCP is gaining at the Congress's expense in Maharashtra.' Archives B S Prakash
What a monster Steve Jobs could be!
'Are the great always good? Few of his associates would use the adjective 'good' for Steve Jobs. The circuitry and the code that runs an individual is more complex than that which runs a computer. The world would be a duller place if it were not so.' Archives T P Sreenivasan
Kerala fishermen's killings: A crisis beyond diplomacy
'If only the Italians had accepted that it was a wrong judgement on the part of the crew of the ship, apologised and offered adequate compensation, the matter could have been resolved. But their whole approach has been defiant.' Archives Tarun Vijay
Can't the government help an Indian mother in distress?
'In Norway, an Indian mother and father are struggling for the custody of their children taken away by a Norwegian child care agency. Nine months passed and India has been able to do nothing.' Archives Rohit Pradhan
Rahul is too busy now to worry about India's future
'Rahul Gandhi can force the Congress to get rid of its old Socialist baggage and become a truly secular and forward looking political formation. Instead, he has confused minority communalism with secularism and entitlements with development. This 'youth icon' is too busy fighting 20th century wars to worry about India's future.' Archives Nitin Pai
After the Dalai Lama
Future of millions of Tibetans around the world will depend on who takes his place as the spiritual leader, says Nitin Pai. Archives Nitin Pai
No reasons for India to raise tensions with Italy
'In the absence of hostile or malafide intents (politically speaking), it is best to agree to pursue the matter soberly in courts of law. Fattening lawyers is far more conducive to international peace than agitating politicians.' Archives Harsh V Pant
Iran or Israel: India must make the choice
Tehran continues to be hyper-critical of the Indian government on Kashmir, even forcing New Delhi to issue a demarche last year as a protest against Iranian interference in Indian domestic issues. Iranian interference in Indian domestic politics has been going on for a long time with sections of the Indian government suggesting that Iran 'has been buying off journalists, clerics and editors in Shia-populated areas of UP and Kashmir, doling out large sums to stoke anti-Americanism.' Archives T V R Shenoy
Why aren't Chidambaram and Madhavan Nair treated equally?
'G Madhavan Nair is punished by being barred from all government jobs. P Chidambaram continues to hold one of the most powerful offices in the government. Is that equal treatment?' Archives T P Sreenivasan
How India missed the opportunity in the Maldives
'India's decision to fall back on an Islamic and authoritarian government to protect and promote its interests is a sad commentary on its neighbourhood policy.' Archives Rajeev Srinivasan
Why is Indian culture so anti-female?
'There is the hangover from colonial practices, which should disappear with greater educational freedom for women, and also, ironically, because of the looming woman shortage due to selective foeticide.' Archives Shashi Shekhar
The Congress and its desperation for the Muslim vote
It is clear that the Congress party is now in a last ditch attempt to raise the Narendra Modi bogey with an eye on the Muslim vote in Uttar Pradesh. Archives T V R Shenoy
Is corruption truly an issue in India?
Kanimozhi and Kalmadi were welcomed as if they were freedom fighters emerging from jail. Getting bail does not mean that the cases against them have come to an end, or that they have been found innocent by the trial courts. Archives Mohammad Sajjad
UP's Muslim parties don't talk of social justice
'The urge of democratisation among the Muslim communities remains unaddressed by these emerging Muslim outfits. Do they wish to pursue the emotive identity politics of religious exclusivism which may degenerate into the politics of religious reaction.' Archives T P Sreenivasan
The foreign service has lost its Bhishma pitamaha
Ambassador A K Damodaran was the last link between the freedom struggle and Indian diplomacy, the last of those, who walked from a British prison to take on national responsibilities. Archives Harsh V Pant
India's MMRCA decision continues to create ripples
Major defence purchases should be a means of helping a nation achieve its strategic objectives. It's not readily evident what strategic objectives of India are being served by choosing Rafale over Typhoon, says Harsh V Pant. Archives Seema Mustafa
Does General V K Singh know what he's up against?
'General Singh does not have the reputation of a greedy, grasping, man. Far from it, and his word along with the records should have carried weight with the government. Unfortunately, the pettiness of the ruling class has pushed the senior officer to a corner where not wanting to, he has had to approach the civilian courts as a last resort.' Archives T V R Shenoy
How Indian women can head the household
If the Food Security Bill is enacted as per the draft, then women shall be considered the 'head of the household' and the potential implications are staggering. Archives Satish Chandra
Why Krishna's visit to Lanka can't be termed 'successful'
S M Krishna's praise for the Sri Lankan government-appointed Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission will diminish our credibility as an honest broker in the eyes of the Sri Lankan Tamils who are becoming increasingly bitter towards India Archives Rohit Pradhan
Rushdie issue: Only in India can one get away with such farces!
'Ashok Gehlot may very well pat himself for winning over a few Muslim votes, but he has simply provided the template for the next offended group: The past is often the prologue to the future.' Archives Justice A K Ganguly
'Every case of helplessness is a result of a corrupt act'
'In our society... a corrupt man is not a social outcast. He is most of the time a hero, a leader.' Archives Shashi Shekhar
Rushdie brouhaha is another strike against Free Speech
'When Truth dies along with it dies the 'Fabric of Trust' that holds nations and societies together. From raising dishonest questions over the Batla House encounter to raising false bogeys over the Rushdie visit, the Congress stands guilty of causing irreversible damage to that fabric of trust.' Archives Vipin Vijayan
I for once hope the PM says 'to hell with the allies'
'I am sick of hearing the prime minister parrot the 'compulsions of coalition government' line. I for once hope he says 'This is what I will do. You have a problem, go hang!' Archives Faisal Kidwai
Mayawati, Mulayam's caste-iron strategy
'Uttar Pradesh, unlike almost any other Indian state, is ruled and run on caste. In some ways, caste is a bigger player in the state than either religion or national issues' Archives The new international caste system
'But where were the majority of my cousins from South Asia, the multitudes from Pakistan and Bangladesh and my own compatriots. They were the service class: Cleaning, pouring, clearing, wiping, sweeping and getting rid of the rubbish.' How India can eternalise its predominance in the Indian Ocean
The Maldives will be the nucleus of future security order in the Indian Ocean. Patently the Maldivians will have to migrate before the portended watery grave. Given what could happen by 2100, it is imperative for India to act in good faith, and also with an eye on our national interest. India should offer Maldives statehood within our Union. Shashi Shekhar
Why India needs a leader like Narendra Modi
'Let us start the debate in 2012 in favour of a directly elected executive with a civil society-based Electoral College as a check for a directly elected strong leader in the mould of a Narendra Modi with civil society as a check which serves the national interest far more than an indirectly selected, weak but acceptable prime minister vulnerable to pressure from regional parties and outside groups that may have propped him or her up.' Archives An Old Soldier
Army chief age row: Government must show sagacity, grace
'Befitting the government of a great nation, it must act suo moto to correct (NOT change) the chief's date of birth, thus setting right an anomaly, which an honourable soldier strongly feels impinges on his 'izzat.' Archives Anvar Alikhan
Is this what my country has come to?
'We have proved right Winston Churchill , when he warned in 1947 that 'Power will go to rascals, rogues, freebooters... leaders will be of low calibre and men of straw... They will fight amongst themselves for power and will be lost in political squabbles.' Archives T V R Shenoy
Mulayam better option than Mamata for the Congress?
'The bottomline is that Rahul Gandhi's dream of ruling Uttar Pradesh has been buried. The talk is no longer of 'strengthening' the party, but of 'extending' the life of the Congress ministry in Delhi -- at almost any cost.' Archives Brigadier S K Chatterji (retd)
Army chief's age issue: Government loses face either way
'For the men and women in armed forces, for whom their chiefs have been the sole leader, the age controversy has only eroded their confidence in our State. It's time for the defence minister and the army chief to decide the issue based on legally tenable evidence.' Archives Rajeev Srinivasan
India in 2012: Another 2011 coming up
'I would not be surprised if there is a spectacular act of Pakistani terrorism in India in 2012 intended to celebrate the triumph over the hyperpower. Of course, the home minister of India will once again mouth the terrifying formula: 'If there is another terrorist attack, we will...' Archives C Uday Bhaskar
India in 2012: Strategic and security challenges beckon
'The greatest challenge to India is that its political class seems oblivious to the contours and challenges of the big picture and national security does not receive the objective and constructive attention it warrants in Parliament.' Archives