By T.J.S. George Rahul Bajaj’s reference to “the atmosphere of fear in the country” has drawn widespread attention.  Newspaper editorials and channel discussions carried its echoes.  Failing to understand the mood of the moment, Nirmala Sitaraman added to the atmosphere of fear by warning that if personal impressions such as Bajaj’s gained traction, it would…

By TJS George This week, I shall plagiarise. Without shame.  I shall reproduce whole sentences from a book review in the Financial Times of London because they are sentences that sum up our lives here in our country.  The book is How To Be A Dictator by Frank Dikotter and the reviewer is Tony Barber,…

By T.J.S. George Unimaginable things happen in our country.   Remember the scene news channels broadcast recently?  A uniformed Police Officer leaving the  premises of a Court in Delhi on his official bike is hit on the neck by a lawyer with other lawyers watching.  He slaps the officer on the face, then slaps him again. …

By T.J.S. George Come to think of it, everything in our country has a religious dimension to it — food, clothing, Universities, Hospitals, Civil Service, the professions like Law and Journalism, and even this column because its byline has a religion’s brand on it. (I gave up religion long ago.  I retain my belief in…

By T.J.S. George Plans are proceeding at breakneck speed to change the history, geography, archaeology, philosophy and essence of Delhi.  The central vista, the imposing Secretariat buildings, Raj Path with its sprawling expanses on both sides, even the majestic Parliament building will all be gone.  A completely new capital city will rise from the ashes. …

By T.J.S. George Okay, so lynching is phoren. “It never happened in Bharat,” said Mohan Bhagwat, well informed on such matters. “It is not a word from Indian ethos.” He then moved on to a different kind of assertion. “It is a Western plot to defame India,” he said. That’s where some difficulty arises. Why…