Category: Current/ Political Affairs

  • 75 YEAR TWITCH

    Married men are supposed to suffer from the 40 year itch when, though hitched, they start looking for greener pastures. A body continues to twitch for sometime as the muscles and nerves relax. Does a nation also itch or twitch in the course of its history? India Today magazine tried to stitch together this itch…

  • WHOSE FAMILIES ARE THEY ANYWAY?

    This piece has been inspired by two recent events. This morning (4th July), I read that “nice guy” Amir Khan was divorcing Kiran Rao, his second wife, of over a decade.  The previous day I had read a Vatican News report by Devin Watkins that Pope Francis was convening the 10th edition of the World…

  • KANPUR STANDS WITH STAN

    The citizens of Kanpur stood as one under the banner “We Stand with Stan” at a commemoration cum commitment service held at St Patrick’s Church hall on 9th July. It was organised by the Kanpur Catholic Association (KCA), with the active collaboration of St Aloysius’ School. Due to Covid protocol the gathering was restricted, nevertheless…

  • BELLS, SHELLS, STILL NOT WELL

    This is being written on the first anniversary of another of those dramatic announcements by the pseudo sage on the stage.  It was on this day last year that he did another “surgical strike” on the public, on the lines of notebandi and GST.  All for dramatic effect and electoral advantage. He announced a “Janata…

  • TRACTORS, TANKS, TREASON & TRUMP

    This piece is being written in the evening of Republic Day.  This morning I had addressed a Flag Hoisting gathering and spoke about democracy in India and the USA, about the farm agitation and the Trump negation of his election. As a conscientious citizen, not a pseudo desh bhakt, I enjoy watching the annual Republic…

  • SYCOPHANCY ISN’T FANCY

    Ouch! They’ve done it again.  Those Gandhi topi wearing Congress wallahs.  The original Gandhi topi has been replaced by another Gandhi hat – the obsequious and sycophantic one, before the descendants of another Gandhi – Indira. This sycophancy was at its worst display at the meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) held on March…

  • STATE SPONSORED AGGRESSION IN U.P.

    Renowned human rights activist and former IAS officer, Harsh Mander, visited Kanpur, U.P. on 14th February to meet the victims of alleged police firing. He also held a press conference and released a comprehensive report in both Hindi and English titled “A State at War with its people”. If the title is disturbing, the contents…

  • GANDHIAN LITERATEUR DONATES BODY

    Noted Gandhian litterateur, Padmashri Dr Giriraj Kishore, had pledged his body for medical research. Accordingly, after his demise on Sunday 9th February, at the age of 83, his body was donated to the local GSVM Medical College at Kanpur. Body donation has been the brainchild of Manoj Sengar who began the Yug Dadeechi Deh Daan…

  • AFTER TAJ WHAT?

    Does anybody remember Hina Rabbani Khar? You mean Hina Khan the TV actress from Kashmir? No I mean Hina Khar the Pakistani politician. Public memory is short indeed. She was Pakistan’s Foreign Minister from February 2011 to March 2013. When at the relatively young age of 33 she came India calling the country sat up,…

  • SOFT P*RN OR HARD NEWS?

    Do we have a choice? Why not? When I did a short course in journalism about 40 years ago we were taught the importance of the headline, the lead in and the bait to hook the reader. Today it is called grabbing eyeballs, and at times the other ones, minus the eyes! If you, dear…