BJP must bite the bullet

Although it was widely acknowledged that the BJP had small stakes in the recent state elections, the overall results are cause for concern. The party has fallen victim to a derailed leadership, an infidelity to core values, and flawed decision-making processes. It is already evident that the stocktaking exercise with … Read More

Kashmir and the Hindu ethos

It is truly ironical that Dr. Farooq Abdullah, variously berated as a playboy and non-resident politician, should have emerged as the principal proponent of India’s civilizational ethos. In a significant, though unfortunately largely ignored statement last week, the Chief Minister offered to abrogate the contentious Article 370 which confers special … Read More

Gujarat: Accountability first, Mr. Vajpayee

It is a sad commentary on this country’s sense of public accountability and political morality that over two weeks after Gujarat’s apocalyptic earthquake, the effete and incompetent Keshubhai Patel continues as Chief Minister. National and international relief and rescue teams including ordinary citizens, the army, voluntary organizations, media and visiting … Read More

Respect for the Hindu vote

Two events compete compellingly for attention on the anniversary of the Republic: the lustrelessness of the political elite, and the sheer vibrancy of the millions celebrating the millennium’s first Kumbh with a dignity and fervour that invests the sannatan dharma with its eternal flavour and affirms the nation’s civilizational ethos. … Read More