An Indian like me across the unfriendly border from Pakistan cannot help finish reading this article with sadness rather any sense of schadenfreude. https://thefridaytimes.com/25-Jul-2024/the-looming-showdown-in-pakistan “Pakistan’s democracy has been mangled by repeated overtures to authoritarian tactics, often to justify violence and oppression. That has resulted in a hostile and polarized political landscape, where finding any commonContinue reading “High Noon in Pakistan”
Category Archives: History
Dushyant Sridhar sets the cat amongst the pigeons and laughs his way to the bank? – (Part 2 of 2)
Dushyant Sridhar is a young ‘upannyaasaka‘ of rare ability. He is a professional raconteur of purana, itihaasa and other Vedic scriptures. His scholarship, intelligence, eloquence and stage-presence appeal to young audiences and make him an ambassador even abroad for our Indian religious culture, especially of the Sri Vaishnava strain. None therefore should deny him hisContinue reading “Dushyant Sridhar sets the cat amongst the pigeons and laughs his way to the bank? – (Part 2 of 2)”
Dushyant Sridhar sets the cat amongst the pigeons and laughs his way to the bank? – (Part 1 of 2)
What is the cat?! Where is it?! And who let it out?! The cat is a just a book on Ramayana! And the man who let the feline out is the dashing, young Vedic scholar and “upannyaasakar“, Sri.Dushyant Sridhar! By all appearances (both sartorial and media-wise) he is a man who holds “rock-star” status amongstContinue reading “Dushyant Sridhar sets the cat amongst the pigeons and laughs his way to the bank? – (Part 1 of 2)”
Justice Chandru, must rank amongst the top-listed “Abou Ben Adhams” of India
Under Manu Smriti there were only 4 varnas . Now there are countless ! Under the Constitution of India over the last 75 years we have seen right across this country, jurists and intellectuals like Justice Chandrus (and Chandrachuds too?) being inspired to pave the way for ceaseless proliferation of “jaathi”. Their great efforts at championing their cause best exemplifiesContinue reading “Justice Chandru, must rank amongst the top-listed “Abou Ben Adhams” of India”
“In the Hindu nation-states of Nepal and Mauritius, is Caste consciousness prevalent?”: An informal chat with noted Tamil writer and scholar, Sri Indira Parthasarathy
The above video clip when I shared it with Sri Indira Parthasarathy this morning, it triggered off a very interesting and freewheeling conversation between us on the eternally controversial subject of Caste in Hindu society. Below is reproduced the Q&A verbatim : Me: Sir, watching the video-clip made me feel that NRI Indians are likeContinue reading ““In the Hindu nation-states of Nepal and Mauritius, is Caste consciousness prevalent?”: An informal chat with noted Tamil writer and scholar, Sri Indira Parthasarathy”
What makes Chinese people different from us Indians is what distinguishes “atma nirbhar” from “pate bharo”.
To me the most interesting passage in the above Foreign Policy article is this: “In its first phase, Wang writes, industrialization “took off in situ.” Rather than moving to cities, farmers began to work as industrial laborers in their villages. “By the mid-1990s, 40 percent of China’s rural labor force was producing industrial goods inContinue reading “What makes Chinese people different from us Indians is what distinguishes “atma nirbhar” from “pate bharo”.”
அரியும் அரனும் ஒன்று. அறியாதவன் வாயில் மண்’: Part-1: A pilgrim’s jottings
A pilgrim’s jottings on a 3-day whirlwind pilgrimage, May 3rd-5th, 2024 (Tirunelveli-Nagercoil) *************** Last Friday, 26 April 2024 I was in the Hills of Tirumala-Tirupati awaiting Darshan at the temple of Tiruvenkatamudaiyaan. This Friday afternoon on May 3rd I’m now in the city of Tirunelveli. I’ve planned over the next two days to complete aContinue reading “அரியும் அரனும் ஒன்று. அறியாதவன் வாயில் மண்’: Part-1: A pilgrim’s jottings”
Will the Madras Music Academy be “vikshith” in the year 2047?
The year 2024 could well be a watershed moment for modern India. There is amongst many sections of our people today an exciting Vision of India as “Vikshith Bharath 2047” i.e. a country in the comity of nations of the world recognized at last as fully developed in the centenary year of our Independence. TheContinue reading “Will the Madras Music Academy be “vikshith” in the year 2047?”
“The People Vs Democracy”: In the court of the Hon’ble Sir Winston Churchill
The latest Pew Research Survey, summarised in columns of The Hindu today dt. 4 March 2024, reports that more than a third of the world in terms of number of nations — and much more than half in terms of population size— has already lost faith in Democracy as a system of governance. Zoom inContinue reading ““The People Vs Democracy”: In the court of the Hon’ble Sir Winston Churchill”
Constitutional conundrum: Is “Sathyam” greater than “Dharmam”?
Here’s a press report dt.28 Feb 2024 which makes for interesting reading https://lawbeat.in/columns/dharma-not-truth-constitution-former-sc-judge-bats-removal-hindu-shloka A former judge of the Supreme Court, Justice Kurian Joseph, has recently stated that the Supreme Court’s motto “यतो धर्मस्ततो जयः” (Where there is Dharma, there is victory) should be removed. He pointed out that Dharma, as stipulated in the Hindu fold,Continue reading “Constitutional conundrum: Is “Sathyam” greater than “Dharmam”?”