Two days ago, a 40-year-old balloon vendor was filling helium balloons for children near the Jayamarthanda Gate of Mysore Palace. Seconds later, the cylinder exploded. The vendor was killed instantly. Six bystanders, including women and children, were badly injured and two of the women died later. Just two months ago, a four-year-old boy died of…
Malice in Blunderland!
December 21, 2025By Dr. K. Javeed Nayeem, MD Now, let me warn you at the very outset, that the title of this article qualifies eminently, to be labelled as an act of barefaced plagiarism. But I am using it here nevertheless, because plagiarism is today an act that is much committed and much condoned too. And I…
This Hate Speech Bill is the Wrong Pill
December 20, 2025Across States and at the Centre, lawmaking has been reduced to brute arithmetic: If you have the numbers, you ram the Bill through. Debate is optional. Deliberation is dispensable. Karnataka’s Hate Speech Bill fits neatly into this disturbing pattern. The Bill was passed amid BJP protests demanding a detailed discussion. But this is not a…
Gold Watches, Rusting Governance
December 13, 2025When Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar stepped out after their second ‘unity breakfast meeting,’ the real headline wasn’t the unity. It was what gleamed on their wrists — Gold watches. NDTV identified the identical gold timepieces on the CM and Dy.CM’s wrist as Santos de Cartier, each estimated at over Rs….
Taking Lalitha Mahal on Lease and maybe for another Ride too!
December 7, 2025By Dr. K. Javeed Nayeem, MD The Lalitha Mahal, now named the Lalitha Mahal Palace Hotel, one of the most magnificent among the many Palaces in our city of Maharajas, is once again back in the news, after seven years. Located on a vast expanse of landscaped gardens at the base of the imposing Chamundi…
Vexed by… Vexatious Litigation
December 6, 2025Recently, I bought a beautifully produced book titled ‘Mother Mary Comes to Me’ by Arundhati Roy. The cover is undeniably striking: A lush red fabric with a sleeve featuring a black-and-white photograph of Roy holding a hand-rolled cigarette. It is bold and artistic. I had barely placed the book on my table when our Advertising…
The Chamundi Hill Jinx
November 30, 2025By Dr. K. Javeed Nayeem, MD Our Chamundi Hill is undoubtedly the most imposing backdrop that lends a very unique and majestic look to our city. Being visible from far and wide and from all directions, its visibility heralds to all our guests and visitors that they have arrived at their destination. And, to the…
Siddu is a Lion because … the Congress High Command is a Pussycat
November 29, 2025As expected the inevitable tug-of-war between the Karnataka Chief Minister and his Deputy for the coveted CM’s kurchi has begun. What we are witnessing today is the direct consequence of indecision and chronic incompetence within the Congress High Command. Everyone knew this day would come. Yet the party was ill-prepared. No timeline. No strategy. No…
Where are the real dog-lovers?
November 23, 2025By Dr. K. Javeed Nayeem, MD The vexing and all too real street dog problem, widely prevalent across the country, seems to be defying a workable solution, thanks to the opposing interests of the dog-fearing and the dog-loving groups. It is strange that we are unable to come up with a practicable compromise formula, acceptable…
Educating the Educators…
November 22, 2025Just a week after we celebrated Children’s Day, we were confronted with a brutal truth: Our children are not safe in the schools meant to nurture them. In Delhi, a 16-year-old boy died by suicide after relentless harassment by his teachers. In Mumbai, a 13-year-old girl collapsed and died after her teacher forced her to…















Recent Comments