First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win. These words ring so true for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Many may remember in 2013 the National parties, BJP and Congress, first ignored them. Then they ridiculed them, with the BJP calling them a ‘chillar party’ and Congress calling…
Misinformation virus (Coronavirus)
February 8, 2020As we stepped into the New Year, we were welcomed by a new strain of Coronavirus (CoV). A virus named so because the protein spikes around the virus makes it look like a crown and in Latin corona means crown. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from common cold to…
Voters’ Day
January 25, 2020Today is National Voters’ Day and the Election Commission of India has released advertisements asking voters to take a pledge. And that pledge goes like this: “We, the citizens of India, having abiding faith in democracy, hereby pledge to uphold the democratic traditions of our country and the dignity of free, fair and peaceful elections,…
Armed Forces… stay at arm’s distance
January 18, 2020In the last few years, Army Chiefs and senior security personnel have met the Press and spoken quite candidly. And that interaction has dragged them into a public debate, interpretation and criticism which has become political fodder. Recently, the first Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat said, de-radicalisation camps are operating in the country…
Power-Stress
January 11, 2020As we have had a politically charged week with protests and violence, it’s time for some inane banter. This reminds me of my dinner a few days ago. I had been to Olive Garden restaurant and after we sat down, I noticed a young girl frantically asking the waiter if he had an iphone charger?…
A credo for 2020: Acceptance & Kindness
January 4, 2020As the New Year rolls in, so also gifts. And like all offices do, I too get annual diaries and calendars as gifts. But this year, a gift rolled into my office that reminded me of an India we all have forgotten but exists. The gift arrived in a narrow and long three-foot high box….
Secular Who?
December 21, 2019So, protests continue. While initially the protest was against leaving out illegal Muslims from Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), it has now moved to a ‘pre-emptive protest’ against National Register of Citizens (NRC). We say ‘pre-emptive’ because there is no draft in place for a nationwide NRC. Now, the protestors claim, if NRC is implemented and…
Thoughts on CAB
December 14, 2019The Citizenship Act of 1955 has been amended again and passed. This Act has been amended five times before, thrice by the Congress Government and twice by the BJP. The Bill was amended in 1986, 1992, 2003, 2005 and 2015. In the recent amendment, illegal Muslim immigrants have been left out from being legalised as…
When Gavel Breaks, Gun Fires
December 7, 2019Yesterday at an ungodly hour, four ungodly men were shot dead by the Telangana Police. All hailed it as justice served. A justice of biblical proportions in modern times, as the line from the Old Testament reads, “Eye for eye, tooth for tooth.” So yes, ancient style of justice was delivered in modern times and…
Crotch-Crushers & Smart Clothes
November 30, 2019I have been wearing the same tailored trousers for a few years now and thought it was time to update my wardrobe to the latest trends. So on a recent visit to Bengaluru my friend Zaki became my sartorial guide. He took me to a shop called TexMart behind Commercial Street. They had many international…
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