Does this title shock you?  It is meant to.  Is it audacious?  The word is described as being recklessly daring.  I am being daring; but reckless?  Wait till you finish reading this.  Our former President APJ Abdul Kalam advised young people to dream with their eyes open, so as to convert their dreams into reality. …

There was an old song that went “ Do you want to know a secret? Do you promise not to tell?” There was also the sexist remark that if you don’t want to keep a secret you should tell a woman. It was supposedly a faster means of communication than the telegram or telephone. With…

Reflections on the Sesquicentennial (1860 –2010) of St Patrick’s Church, Kanpur INTRODUCTION: It is with a deep sense of mystery and humility that I embark upon the mammoth exercise of trying to reconstruct the history of St Patrick’s Church, Kanpur, on the occasion of its Sesquicentennial (150th Jubilee) from 1860 – 2010. At the outset…

Poor Barkha, having often dragged others over the coals, she found herself in the dock, in a bizarre reversal of roles. Seasoned journalists like Dileep Padgaonkar, Manu Joseph and Swapan Dasgupta lampooned her over Radiagate. This was a reportedly “unedited” NDTV debate, which may have been Barkha’s own idea to exonerate and extricate herself from…

Has Aamir Khan’s “Three Idiots” been in vain? Because engineering students continue to commit suicide.  The latest in the series is Madhuri Sale, of IIT, Kanpur (IITK), my hometown. This is the eighth suicide here in the last five years.  The IITK authorities nonchalantly attribute it to excess internet and mobile usage by students! Are…

If you see this sign outside a hospital room you will know that the patient inside is critical, and visitors not allowed.  If you see it outside a hotel room it usually means that there is couple inside who do not relish an invasion of their privacy, their cuddle huddle! But I have been disturbed…