Most crimes are a function of the kind of people we have in our society. The occurrence of crime will not stop even if you have honest and efficient policemen in good numbers. While investigation of crime and bringing offenders to book is a function of the police department, its deterrent value to stop crimes is limited. To give an example, if Tarun Tejpal did something in the lift, what could
The other day, on Twitter, former chief of army staff VK Singh saluted our fallen soldiers in ‘Sudan’. Since I track the region, I questioned the general, requested him to respect the difference between two sovereign nations: ‘Sudan’, which he had absent-mindedly referred to, and ‘South Sudan’, where two Indian peacekeepers serving the UN Mission in South Sud
Most employees at Noida Sector 16 A, a media hub in Noida and popularly called ‘Film City’, return to their homes in Delhi on cabs returning after ferrying IT sector employees to their offices situated in Noida. Most of these cabs charge Rs 15 to 20 per passenger to take them to places like Lajpat Nagar, South Extension, AIIMS. They are fairly regular, comfortable and of course fast
The writ petitions before the Delhi high court had challenged the validity of section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the petitioner was an organization representing LGBT persons. It alleged harassment, distress and injury as a result of the penal provision. It invoked their fundamental right to life and personal liberty guaranteed by Article 21 of the Constitution. It was asserted that
In the capital, a higher voter turnout is the combined result of the two-year continuous mobilisation of people, first by Anna Hazare against corruption and then due to the ‘Nirbhaya’ tragedy. Then, there were protests by Arvind Kejriwal of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The party’s strategy of door-to-door campaign and decentralised manifestos also contributed to the higher turnout.
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, the last of the giants who led South Africa’s struggle against colonialism, is no more. “White supremacy implies black inferiority.” His words were truth to the powers and he devoted his life to opposing systems that protect and abet this superiority. It made him the most recognisable icon of struggle against oppression, injustice and discrimination
You cannot paint over it. The Congress was decimated by the BJP which is led by the controversial but increasingly high profile Narendra Modi, like it or not. He is the flavour. The rest of it is semantics. Whether it was an anti-incumbent defeat or a call for change or a warning flare to the Congress for next year’s general election, the fact is the country was sick to its guts of the sc
I had the privilege of meeting Nelson Mandela in an elevator in Cape Town when the Khaleej Times sent me to South Africa to track the changeover from the apartheid era to a more equal one in racial terms. Couldn’t find him. From Jo’burg to Durban to Cape Town, the ANC kept him well hidden from anyone who was a guest of the government. I remember meeting Chris Hani, his able
These are excerpts from the judgement on the high profile Arushi murder case. Imagine being judged by someone who has the power to put you behind bars for the rest of your life and yet, makes no sense in his judgement. These bites are out any legal realm and would be fodder for a stand up comic if it wasn’t all so tragic. Go on read it, then shudder with the fear of it…and thank Sl
After reading the Delhi Durbar piece on the Tehelka incident in the morning, I unknowingly blurted out, "That is why this industry is sick!" My senior editor countered, saying that I cannot generalise the whole industry because of this one incident. The whole world is full or perverts, so saying that the media is full of sickos is going a bit too far. I thought over it
As the Campa Cola compound in Mumbai’s upscale Worli area simmered for the last couple of days, with the supreme court on Wednesday putting a stay on razing of the illegally raised floors and finally putting a temporary lid on the scalding issue, what came to the fore were brazen apathy of the administration and lack of faith in rules among both the builders and the authorities of the tim
They did it again. In the still hot debris of the death by ambush of five Indian soldiers and a shrillness in the hostility, Prime Ministers Nawaz Sharif and Manmohan Singh had a lukewarm coming together in the Big Apple but neither bit into the fruit of what both believe is a poisoned tree. With the now stale as a biscuit promise of happier days to come being the sole outcome of this tryst no
I have nothing against statues. They look nice and pigeons love them. But the one they are planning for Sardar Vallabhai Patel and making it the largest in the world baffles me. What is this thing Indian politician having about statues; they are constantly setting up folks on pedestals. ALSO READ: Who l
As a journalist, you get to meet a lot of people. And there are some who leave an impression on your mind. Dr Nitish Sengupta, erstwhile chairman of the board of reconstruction for public sector enterprises (BRPSE) who died on Sunday, was one of those in my life. I had just started on the public sector enterprises (PSE/PSU) beat for the magazine in May this year and had no clue
The story goes that free passes for Sachin Tendulkar’s last Ranji match, largesse from Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda to his political clientele, have been freely traded for cash. Some went for Rs 10,000 apiece. Are you surprised therefore that the Lahli stadium emptied no sooner the master took just 7 balls to be bowled by a rookie called Mohit Sharma o
The author is a government officer who prefers to remain anonymous. It is quite amusing to note that on one hand government policies are framed after much deliberation and that too after much passage of time, from the date such an idea emanates in certain minds to the date of issue of such a policy for implementation. On the other hand, after declaration of a polic
Us jaded media consumers can tell from a mile away when a star or star-pair is due to have a film released. As the stars acquiesce to promotional and PR tours, the interviews, general interest, red carpet-sightings, romantic rumours swirl toward a crescendo, and reach an enduring frenzy if the film is a success. So, we knew from afar that ‘Gravity’ was coming. I also began to sen
Am I the only one who feels they are overdoing the choreography for the Sachin finale? Like, not only adding pressure on to the man but making his final showing into a kind of a circus? The venue, the hype, the 200th Test record, the suitably arranged home ground choice, the return of the tired Windies – all of it is a bit unfair and not in the finest traditions of the sport. Bet
Talking to large rallies of people with scores of everyday problems, pains and sorrows -- to a farmer, a labourer, an unemployed youth with so many dreams -- is no easy work. It is all the more difficult if you are a descendant of a ruling family whom everyone looks at with awe. Rahul Gandhi is looked at with such awe – when he talks with people in villages and on streets or lifts a load
Growth “wallahs” (the Reserve Bank of India and the finance ministry) routinely underestimate the interlinked role of land, water and housing in development. In the Indian context, these are critical for a long term growth strategy. Our growth czars are disingenuous in routinely deriding the use of equity markets and foreign investment as valid indicators for economic health but are
