You cannot hope to build a better world without improving the individuals.”— Marie Curie When people tell me that I became President on January 20th, 1981, I feel I have to correct them. You don’t become President of the United States. You are given temporary custody of an institution called the Presidency, which belongs to…
Sharath Jois Beyond the Yoga Mat
December 21, 2024Last month, the Yoga world was shaken by the untimely passing of Sharath Jois, the esteemed Mysuru-based Yoga Guru, who died of heart failure while hiking with his students in the United States. When I received the news, I too was embarking on a long and tough trek. Amid the profound sense of loss, a…
Power & Glory of our Constitution: Debate was a Charade
December 17, 2024The Congress party asked for it and it got it in full measure — The Parliament Debate on the “Glorious Journey of 75 Years of the Constitution of India.” The debate was initiated by the Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday. Those who have seen and read Parliamentary debates on Constitutional amendments and issues in…
‘Decolonisation’ & Rewriting Indian History: Rational approach expected
December 15, 2024I received a WhatsApp message with a photograph yesterday (14.12.2024) from an ex-army Major General which set me thinking about the way we Indians are. I think the reason for all our problems as a Democratic country is because the way we are — tolerant in the face of intolerance, compromising in the face of…
S.M. Krishna’s gone. We need another… soon
December 14, 2024On Dec. 10, Karnataka lost a visionary leader, S.M. Krishna (Somanahalli Mallaiah Krishna). Some politicians leave behind more than policies; they leave an enduring legacy. Krishna was one of them — a leader who transcended caste and community, striving to make Karnataka a model State. Dubbed the ‘CEO Chief Minister,’ Krishna governed like a corporate…
My thoughts on the world we live in
December 12, 2024“If you feel pain, you’re alive. If you feel other people’s pain, you’re a human being.”—Leo Tolstoy Newspaper reading is a reminder that man has learnt nothing from his past nor from his present situation. He seems to be repeating the same mistakes and as a consequence suffer. Let me not go back to millennium…
Perils of Hero Worship
December 7, 2024Three days ago, 39-year-old Revathi lost her life, and her nine-year-old son was critically injured in a stampede at a movie theatre. The chaos erupted as frenzied fans scrambled to catch a glimpse of Allu Arjun, the star of ‘Pushpa 2.’ This tragedy isn’t an isolated incident but a glaring symptom of India’s dangerous obsession…
Second coming of Donald Trump
December 4, 2024He Promises to Make America Great Again. Will Narendra Modi Make India Great Again? Today no country in the world matters much other than America (US) in international trade, commerce, war and peace. Donald Trump, its President, is like an elephant in US politics that knows its strength. Which is why, he seems unpredictable to…
Rambling thoughts on three news items
December 1, 2024During working years, one rarely finds time to read newspapers in depth. One generally browses the headlines and sets out to his place of work. However, when one retires, reading newspapers becomes his second nature. That was how a friend shared with me three news items he thought were important. He said that the issues…
The joy of reading, the right book!
December 1, 2024By Dr. K. Javeed Nayeem Last Tuesday, an elderly gentleman walked into my consulting room and introduced himself as Suryanarayana Rao, a retired engineer, who had served in many States, across the country. He said that he was a full ninety-two years old but to me he seemed only to be a full seventy-two at…
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