“Spare the rod and spoil the child” was the old dictum. Now that the print and electronic media have highlighted the suicide of Rouvanjit Rawla, allegedly after having been caned by Sumrinal Chakraborty, the Principal of La Martiniere, Kolkata, we have another trial by the media. It makes for good copy and TRPs. Shobhaa De,…

The pink sheet slipped through the letter hole in the front door; and the chowkidar coughed loud enough to draw our attention to it. It was a bitterly cold December night, and four of us kids were snuggled up near the fireplace in the drawing room, as Dad regaled us with shikar stories, and Mum…

Last month the mulberry tree in our garden was laden with blossoms. It did not excite me, because I did not expect to get any fruit from it! Because the bats and birds would devour all the fruit before we got to see any, as had happened the previous year. We also have pomegranate and…

After “Lagaan” and “Taare Zameen Par”, Aamir Khan has done it again with “3 Idiots”. He has established himself as the most versatile contemporary actor. His latest blockbuster premiered on Christmas day, and some idiot raised a hullabaloo calling it an insult to Jesus. That idiot had obviously not seen the movie. Having just seen…

Father Josef Neuner SJ passed away in early December in Pune, at the grand age of 101. I did not grieve his death, because for a holy man like him, death is but another step forward in the journey of life. Normally the number 101 is associated with the book/ movie “101 Dalmatians”. Dalmatians are…

“Oh when the saints go marching in … Good Lord I want to be in that number.” An old song, an even older human aspiration; the desire to get to heaven, to attain nirvana, moksha, jannat, eternal life and bliss. To be counted among the saints. There are also countless jokes about St. Peter and…