On Thursday, our Chief Minister said, “Someone had sent agents to sting me.” Karnataka, it appears, is no longer run by politicians alone.  Vidhana Soudha has a buzzing population of honeybees!  Not the kind that make honey, but the kind that leave politicians trapped in it, a honey trap. Last year, Co-operation Minister K.N. Rajanna…

The recent debate over the ‘creamy layer’ within Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST), coupled with allegations of caste discrimination at IIT Bombay, has once again thrust caste into the national spotlight. But it has also exposed one of India’s biggest myths that caste is the exclusive burden of Hindu religion. For decades, Left-leaning intellectuals,…

I love three festivals very much: Ramzan, Ganesha Chaturthi and Christmas. No, I’m not attempting an Amar, Akbar, Anthony trick to establish my secular credentials. My affection for these festivals has little to do with religion and a lot more to do with religion’s greatest side effect… food. Ramzan is over; I am now waiting…

Dasara’s most beloved feature, the illumination, is going overboard and it comes with its own dark side. Every year, thousands of decorative lights are strung across Mysuru by hammering hooks and nails into roadside trees. When the festival ends, the lights come down but the nails don’t. Worse, more nails are added with every passing…

After the devastating flash floods struck Nepal, many were surprised, even offended, when the Himalayan nation politely declined offers of international rescue assistance. For many, it appeared arrogant, but it wasn’t. It was a wise decision born of experience. Nepal’s decision was shaped by the lessons of the 2015 earthquake. The tragedy triggered an extraordinary…

Every few years, Indian politics reminds us that misogyny is still alive and kicking in Indian politics. The latest controversy involves derogatory, double-meaning remarks allegedly directed at actor Trisha Krishnan, who is Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s partner. In Indian politics, when a man cannot defeat another man, he attacks the woman associated with him. Our…

The CJP (Cockroach Janta Party) protests and the Government’s response revealed something far bigger than a controversy over a leaked examination paper. They exposed a clash between two generations, each convinced that the other is fundamentally broken. Ask the older generations about Gen Z and you’ll hear familiar complaints such as, they are intellectually lazy, with…

India’s officialdom has a curious talent. It never solves problems. It merely fixes symptoms. Every few months, footpaths are cleared, flex boards are removed and illegal vendors are evicted. A few weeks later, everyone is back. Our Governments perform what doctors would call ‘symptomatic treatment.’ They prescribe painkillers instead of curing the disease. Which is…