Rehana Azmi – The inspiration of late Adv. Shahid Azmi
TCN series on Muslim women empowerment
On International Women's Day on 8th March, TCN is bringing great stories of Muslim women empowerment from different states of India -- Editor
Behind the Obama win: An insider view
By Latha M. Srinivasan, IANS,
It was the sheer hard work of his campaign volunteers and extensive ground game that won Barack Obama his second term as US president.
Celebrating women’s power through extraordinary tales
(March 8 is International Women's Day)
A woman's ability to fight back is her biggest strength. As we will celebrate the many facets of women ahead of International Women's Day that falls March 8, the IANS book stack offers you extraordinary tales of triumph and memories. Take a look.
Marshall Fahim (1957-2014) stood for Afghanistan’s unity
By Jayant Prasad, IANS,
The demise of Marshall Fahim will impact adversely on Afghanistan's post-2014 stabilisation. He fought against the Soviet occupation of and against Taliban rule in Afghanistan. Following the assassination of the charismatic Commander Ahmed Shah Massoud on Sep 9, 2001, Fahim, a fellow Panjsheri, played a key role in mobilising and leading the Northern Alliance troops against the Taliban, whose leadership soon abandoned Kabul and retreated to Pakistan by mid-November 2001.
Wheel chairs, ramps for disabled voters this election
By Rupesh Dutta
New Delhi: Delhi’s over 80,000 disabled voters, including the visually challenged and hearing impaired, will get special attention on April 10, the...
Bring political parties under the ambit of RTI
By SM Fasiullah,
With every election in India, influx of huge amount of money into public domain becomes apparent. Police officials and I-T sleuths gear up to nab those politicians and their aides who pump in black money to woo voters ahead of voting dates. Where does all this money come from?
Why ‘May’ effect may elude Indian equities markets this year
By Vatsal Srivastava,
One of the most popularly cited examples of market anomalies which contradict an efficient market hypothesis (EMH) is the "sell in May"...
Indian Government, United States agree to Tax Evasion Pact
By Brian Mahany,
The United States government announced that it has agreed in principle to terms with India for enforcement of an American law aimed at combatting tax evasion. The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act – FATCA – was passed by the U.S. Congress in 2010. That law requires financial institutions outside the United States to review their accounts and report any account with ties to a U.S. taxpayer.
The India that Narendra Modi inherits
By Amit Kapoor,
India is looking forward to the tenure of its 14th Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, with the expectation that he would take the country out of the muddle and disorder that is driven by deeply ingrained thoughts and beliefs. We, as Indians would have to fight battles of the mind to overcome the challenges we face.
Don’t expect yen to appreciate further
By Vatsal Srivastava,
The USD/JPY cross is trading just shy of 102, having drifted lower from multi-year highs 0f 105.2 in early January. After the...
Will saffronites heed Modi’s I-Day counsel of restraint?
By Amulya Ganguli,
Perhaps the most important part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day speech from the ramparts of New Delhi's Red Fort was his call for a 10-year moratorium on caste-based and communal violence.
What drives prosperity?
By Amit Kapoor,
One of the fundamental questions in the realm of economics is: What drives prosperity? One may ask prosperity of ‘what’? The ‘what’ can be described as a region, which could be a locality/city, region/state, nation/country or an international free trade area. Framed differently, the question can also be put as why some (cities/regions/countries) become rich while others remain poor? The question appears to be quite broad and has fundamental implications for all the peoples of the world. This is because fundamental questions like these if properly answered can impact the lives of all the 7 billion inhabitants of the world. It is not just a theoretical academic question but has a bearing on economic growth, which is imperative for improving the quality of life of all peoples of the world.
B.G. Verghese: They don’t make editors like him anymore
By Sevanti Ninan,
In a world captivated with social media and instant opinions, B.G. Verghese, who died on Tuesday at 87, would be considered an anachronism. There was nothing instant or fleeting about the concerns he pursued in a 60-year career. His interests were multiple, backed by diligently acquired expertise - and they remained consistent. He was India’s original development reporter, focusing on environment, planning, infrastructure and rural development right from the 1950s to the second decade of the 21st century.
India’s corruption and competitiveness
By Amit Kapoor ,
The Aam Aadmi Party's electoral success in the Delhi assembly polls is a reflective of how the people of capital rate...
An opportunity for ‘nouveau’ chapter in India-France collaboration
By Rajendra Shende,
AS Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarks on a visit to France, the first stop of his three-nation tour, it's worth bearing in mind that the country's hexagonal geography and its multi-dimensional policies and technology skills have the potential to match India's 21st-century aspirations. At the same time, the French are looking at India as a land of technology-savvy youth with diverse abilities and a multicultural mass base that poses extraordinary opportunities for business and cultural exchanges.
Doesn’t Mr. Advani deserve better?
By Amitava Mukherjee
Very quietly, a very important thing happened in the BJP on July 20 when L.K. Advani was not invited to participate...
Value of Hussain: life, not painting
हà¥?सैन की कीमत: पेंटिंग की नहीं, जान कीÂ
नासिरूदà¥?दीन हैदर खॉंÂ
Oil pricing – between devil and deep blue sea
By Sushma RamachandranGlobal crude oil prices are rising once again. And once again developing countries like India are going to be the worst hit....
NRIs and Blair: Curry and Custard
By Kul Bhushan
During the 10 years of Prime Minister Tony Blair's rule in Britain, NRIs never had it so good. Or did they? As Indians in Britain bid goodbye to Blair and get ready to welcome Gordon Brown, they take stock of the decade gone by and wonder how will they fare in future.
NRI saga goes back over 2,500 years
By Kul Bhushan
For most of the new NRI generation, the Indian migration started about 60 years or 100 years at the most. But this saga goes back over 2,500 years ago much before Biblical times to distant shores of Africa, South-East Asia and the Far East. Considering that they travelled by sailboats into uncharted seas in voyages that took months to the Far East, it remains a humongous achievement.
Presidential poll: messier than ever
By Amulya Ganguli
If the presidential race has become messier than any previous contest, the reason is the petty antics of the Indian political class.
Is IAF’s long wait for combat jets over?
By Gulshan Luthra, IANS
Paris: The weeklong biennial Paris Air Show is over, and so it appears is the long wait for an Indian Air Force (IAF) tender for 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCAs).
IAF chief Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major, who attended the air show with senior defence ministry officers, has been quoted by representatives of half a dozen aircraft suppliers as telling them that the request for proposals (RFP) should come within a couple of months.
Muslims need to self evaluate
By Mir Hasan Ali
A loud explosion…gasps of fright amid shock…followed by the growing sound of ambulance sirens.
It has happened yet again.
Terrorism and educated youth
By Asghar Ali Engineer In the recent attempted terrorist attacks in Central London and on Glasgow airport, it is alleged, Mr. Kafil Ahmed of...
The limits of Pakistan-US counter-terror cooperation
By Nasim Zehra
In Pakistan insecurity and concern about a US attack is catching on. The only logical and plausible Pakistani response to such a possibility is for the government to publicly warn the US that all cooperation on anti-terrorism will immediate stop if the US violates international law and attacks Pakistani territory.
Searching for a Palestinian Mandela
By Byron Bland
Several years ago, a high-level Israeli official asked me to tell him everything I could about how the Israelis might find their Palestinian Nelson Mandela. His question was interesting and appropriate, but also troubling; the Afrikaners didn't really "find" Mandela. It took several months before the answer came to me: Show me the Palestinian to whom you Israelis are willing to lose, and I will to show you your Palestinian Mandela.
When political survival triumphs over energy imperatives
By K. Subrahmanyam, IANS
Both in politics and in military strategy buying time by reaching a tactical agreement with the potential adversary is a standard procedure. India's governing United Progressive Alliance (UPA) move to assure the Left that the operationalisation of the nuclear deal - negotiating the safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) - has been held up falls in this category.
Board keen to license sports management firms to avoid conflicts
By Veturi Srivatsa, IANS
After the national selectors, it might be the turn of event management and sports management companies to take on the India cricket board. These companies could be hamstrung by the board's move to register and license them as the board is in the process of formulating guidelines and the anti-corruption agency may well be asked to keep tabs on the agencies.
Muslim quota & Hindu fear of national disintegration
Need For a Paradigm Shift
By Iqbal A. Ansari
As the National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities has recommended, inter alia, reservation of seats and posts for religious minorities in education and public employment the bogey of its unconstitutionality and the slogan of ‘secularism in danger’ is bound to be raised by not only the Sangh Parivar but the secular intellectual and political class, and the judiciary.
Should journalists accept state honours?
By Mayank Chhaya, IANS
Three journalists feature in this year's list of India's high civilian honours. And that begs the question: Should journalists accept state honours? The answer is an unequivocal no.
State anywhere in the world is a political entity and invariably represents the interests and biases of the ruling dispensation. By implication, any honour coming from such an entity ought to be viewed for what it really is. It is a political prize, which in itself is not bad, but it does come burdened with expectations.
Will the Deoband edict restrain jehadis?
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS
Although belated, the condemnation of terrorism by Darul-Uloom Deoband is a major step forward in the war against religious extremism. It can seem odd, however, that it took this widely respected religious seminary based in Uttar Pradesh so long to express its disapproval of the militancy of bigots and mercenaries although this country, and the world, have been battling this menace over a long period.
Indian hockey left to lament on the sidelines
By K.Datta, IANS
When Joaquim Carvalho took over as national coach from V. Baskaran after the 2006 Doha Asian Games, where the Indian hockey team suffered for the first time the ignominy of failing to win any medal and losing to China of all teams, he had declared that Indian hockey was not dead.
Uncertainty looms large over madrasa teachers, Maulana Mazharul Haq University
By Tarique Anwar, TwoCircles.net
Darbhanga: Changes come with change of guard, almost everywhere but not in Bihar or at lease for madrasa teachers. When will Bihar’s government undertaking madrasa teachers get justice is a question Muslims are concerned over nowadays.
Nuclear deal standoff exposes myopia of Indian political class
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS,
The stalemate over the India-US nuclear deal is the result of a standoff between an ideologically driven Left and an ideologically confused Congress party, whose uncertainties have been boosted by its minority status. The Congress' dependence on the Left's support in parliament has prevented it from moving ahead on the deal although Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has set his heart on it.
What statistics wont tell – all that is wrong with India’s police
By Maja Daruwala and Navaz Kotwal, IANS,
It looks like India's policing is in pretty good shape. The annual report of the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) 2006 is just out. It lists just 29 human rights violations for the year. Looks like it is time to shut down the human rights commission. Its work is done.
India’s national interest and smaller parties
By K. Subrahmanyam, IANS,
The current political turbulence and the calculations about the way in which the smaller political parties will vote on a major issue involving India's changing foreign policy paradigm have highlighted the need for smaller parties taking interest in foreign policy and international relations.
NRI investors, have your cake and eat it too!
By Kul Bhushan, IANS,
NRI investors are watching the current bearish days on the Indian stock market with trepidation. From the peak of the bull run at over 20,000 on June 8, the Sensex has plummeted to less than 14,000 now. The rise in crude prices has fuelled inflation at over 11 percent and the recent monetary policies to curb demand have accelerated the decline of the Sensex.
Dhoni’s message: The nation’s changed, now let’s change cricket
By V. Krishnaswamy, IANS,
"Desh badla, bhesh badlo (The nation's changed, now change your deportment)", says Indian one-day captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni in one of his latest advertisements. And now, he may as well add: "Ab cricket badlo (Now, let's change cricket)".
Instead of resorting to doublespeak, Dhoni has put his mouth where his money is. Within days of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) vice president Rajiv Shukla saying that tired players can inform the board and opt to rest, Dhoni has done just that.
Syria and Lebanon, more than just neighbours
By Sami Moubayed, CGNews,
When the French occupied Syria in 1920, they famously dissected the country, giving four major parts to the newly created state of Lebanon. The French left Syria 26 years later, and Syrian lawmakers claimed that the division was null and void, asking President Shukri al-Quwatli to officially request the area be restored to Syria.
Israeli and Palestinian doctors affect change on the ground
By Leo Kramer, CGNews,
Last week, Prof. Marc Gopin wrote an article titled, "Leo the Healer: an untold story of Jewish/Palestinian medical partnership." The first responses have been positive and encouraging.
The article asks what we can do to help Israelis and Palestinians live in peace with justice. Prof. Gopin examined one of the foremost difficulties existing between the two sides: the border closing problems between Israel and The West Bank/Gaza, and the daily struggle of medical practitioners to save lives when political issues interfere.
Hope for coexistence enthuses delegates
By Michel Cousins, CGNews,
"I never expected anything like it" was the comment of one Pakistani Muslim attending the World Conference on Dialogue organised by the Muslim World League and hosted by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah.
He could have been speaking for most of the participants at what is proving to be quite an extraordinary experience.
Somalia: Time to pay attention
By Frankie Martin, CGNews,
While the world looks elsewhere, Somalia is in flames. The nation just topped a list of the world's most unstable countries by Foreign Policy magazine, and the United Nations has declared the humanitarian situation there "worse than Darfur."
Public indifferent, Muslim leaders have SIMI-lar views
By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
It is Gali No. 9 that starts along the Jama Masjid of Zakir Nagar, a thickly populated locality in Delhi’s one of the biggest Muslim ghettoes, Jamia Nagar. I entered the gali first time since I entered the national capital three years ago. I had got the reaction of Muslim leaders to the Delhi High Court tribunal order acquitting Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) of all terrorism charges and quashing the ban it had been carrying for eight years.
Jammu and Kashmir: At Crossroads!
By Ram Puniyani,
In the aftermath of the Amarnath shrine board land transfer and then reversal of the same, the matters in the state are going from bad to worse. One was witnessing a gradual decline in acts of terror and increase in the democratic space, democratic patterns, despite the heavy presence of the army in the state. With the Shrine board issue being used by the separatist elements and communal elements, the things seem to be heading in the direction which will have far reaching adverse impact on the politics of the region.
The boxer, the body – knockout combo for Indian sports
By Chitra Padmanabhan, IANS,
The Beijing Olympics have proved one thing at least: the prophets of doom who claim that India is only cricket -- sorry, cricketer -- crazy have mud on their collective face.
A keen sporting instinct has taken root in the Indian psyche as never before. The sheer genius of the media in popularising sports and mentoring the public is worthy of salutation.
Take Indian middleweight Vijender Kumar's momentous quarterfinal bout Aug 20, which earned him a bronze.
Thoughts on terror
By Yoginder Sikand, TwoCircles.net,
As in the case of many previous deadly blasts across India over the past decade or so, there is much speculation about the real masterminds behind the recent blasts in New Delhi. Depending essentially on who you are—which these days has largely come to mean for many people which religious community one identifies with—the monsters behind the carnage could possibly be disgruntled Muslims or Islamist terrorists (for many Hindus) or Hindutva militants (according to many Muslims).
Why the global recession is also an opportunity for India
By Prasanto K. Roy, IANS,
The near recession in the US and the global meltdown will, of course, have its impact on India's high-tech industry, as it is one of the greatest financial crises of our globalised times. But it also presents an opportunity for Indian services vendors to improve their market share, while forcing them to diversify and de-risk across sectors and geography.
BJP in a quandary with temple and terror cards
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS,
The Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) cosy world of emotion-driven politics has been turned upside down by the Mumbai tragedy.
From the late 1980s, the BJP has used ultra-nationalist postures to garner votes. These ranged from the movement to "liberate" the mythical birthplace of Lord Ram in Ayodhya to the pillorying of the Congress for being soft on terror.
BJP will remain under RSS’ thumb
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS,
Since defeat invariably leads to internal rows in a party, it is no surprise that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is experiencing acrimonious finger-pointing over the reasons for its setback in two successive general elections.
The problem is compounded, however, by the fact that the BJP is not quite the master of its own destiny. Unlike other parties, it does not stand alone, but is part of the Sangh Parivar (the fraternity of Hindu nationalist groups) headed by the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS).
Hope – and disappointment – in Tehran
By Alex Verghese
Just a few days ago, the same street in Central Tehran where my taxi had to slow down due to joyful opposition supporters, had now turned into an obstacle race as we walked and ran to escape the teargas and passed burning garbage bins. On Saturday, it was a harrowing experience while returning home from work.
Byline: A will without a way
By M.J. Akbar,
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is juggling with a hydra-headed question that is both philosophical and practical. Worse, it is also immediate.
How much benefit should one give to doubt?
With farm output poor, India’s recovery projections premature
By Sushma Ramachandran, IANS,
With the Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council projecting India's economic growth at 6.2-6.75 percent for the current fiscal, the question arises whether industrial output will rebound sufficiently to make up for the dismal performance of the farm sector.
At 60, some queries about the rule of law in India
By A. Srinivas and Kaneez Fathima,
This year our country completes 60th year of Republic. In these 60 years, were the constitutional principles implemented? Did the governments which came to power in these years follow the constitution? These are not doubts but queries which come to our minds after analyzing the incidents from past.
Muslim Brotherhood and liberals: partners for change in Egypt?
By Bilal Y. Saab,
Washington, DC - Papers around the world have speculated that Hosni Mubarak, the 82-year-old Egyptian president, is suffering from terminal stomach and pancreatic cancer and may not live to see the next presidential elections. This has once again raised the crucial question of political succession in Egypt, the Arab world's largest country and the most important Arab ally to the United States. Major shifts in Egyptian politics within the next year are needed to bring about change and usher in a new reformist era.
Indian Mujahideen: poison fruit of saffron politics, jehadi mindset
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS,
The style, content and tenor of Muslim politics are self-defeating.
By Mohammad Zeyaul Haque, The situation of Indian Muslims suggests that aggravation is the only word which symbolizes them, suggests Mohammad Zeyaul Haque
Anna Hazare’s Campaign against Corruption
A Perspective from India’s North East
By Madhu Chandra
Exercise, exposure to sun keeps osteoporosis away
(Oct 20 is World Osteoporosis Day)
By IANS,
BJP’s bumpy entry into post-Advani phase
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS,
The Bharatiya Janata Party's preparations for next year's general election have been hit by several snags - all of them predictable.
Indian think tanks need more institutional support
By Nihit Goyal & Shweta Srinivasan, IANS,
Inside some countries and contradicting capitalism
An anthology of Sri Lankan literature, getting to know Tibet better, unraveling paradoxes about capitalism and a journalist's account of terrorism - the IANS...
Bank of Japan’s liquidity splurge will counter US Fed taper
By Vatsal Srivastava,
One might think that the Zero Interest Rate Policy (ZIRP) era is coming to an end. The US Federal Reserve will be concluding its Quantitative Easing (QE) program by year-end and we can expect the first interest rate hike in mid-2015. The Bank of England (BoE) is sounding hawkish as is seen by the run-up in the pound over the past few months. The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) has already started hiking interest rates and is widely expected to raise the benchmark rate further by 25 basis points later this week. The European Central Bank (ECB) has said that it would unleash a European version of QE if deflationary threats are not overcome but there remain too many legal and political challenges for Mario Draghi to implement the QE. One has to look far east to the Bank of Japan to answer the following question: Where will the liquidity come from post the ZIRP era?
Taking directional call on gold risky over next six months
By Vatsal Srivastava,
Gold has been in a narrow trading range of $1,200/ounce-$1,400/ounce so far this year. The yellow metal has managed to trade above the key support of $1,200/ounce mainly because US 10 year yields and the US Dollar index have not witnessed an uptick on the back of the US Federal Reserve taper. Prices have also been supported by factors such as weak economic data releases in the US early in the year due to the weaker manufacturing activity, corporate bond market fears in China, the Ukraine crisis and the militant insurgency in Iraq. Thus, although the US Federal Reserve has maintained its stance on tapering its monthly purchases of bonds and mortgage backed securities to the extent of $10 billion a month, the "fear trade" has been providing upside to gold prices despite the sucking out of cheap liquidity out of the financial system.
The man who would have made India the most powerful country
(August 20 is Rajiv Gandhi's 70th birth anniversary)
By Firoz Bakht Ahmed,
On the fateful day, May 21, 1991, at Sriperumbudur, Rusy Karanjia, chief editor of the Blitz tabloid, was with Rajiv Gandhi for a few minutes. Gandhi disclosed to Karanjia that he had learnt from the mistakes of the past and that in the days to come, he was going to be really an enlightened leader - either as the prime minister or as the opposition leader.
Can Assam push BJP’s northeastward thrust?
By Subir Bhaumik,
From Mamata Banerji in West Bengal to Manik Sarkar in Tripura, not to speak of Assam's hat-trick Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, a host of regional chieftains are under fire in the east and the northeast. This could make the BJP's task of penetrating the region much easier than what many would imagine.
IPR policy and India’s competitiveness
By Amit Kapoor,
India's current Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) regime is at the cusp of a major change. The past year has been quite momentous...
The geopolitics of Putin’s visit to India
By Monish Gulati,
Russian President Vladimir Putin will be in New Delhi on Dec 11 to attend the 15th annual India-Russia Summit. The yearly meeting of the leaders of Russia and India, alternatively hosted by Moscow and New Delhi, was last held in Moscow in October 2013. The current visit will be the first full-fledged summit between India and Russia after the Modi government too9k office in New Delhi.
Indian Navy ignored during tsunami for want of media policy
By Saeed Naqvi,
Boxing Day reminded me of Dec 26, 2004, the day the tsunami trampled Aceh in Indonesia, Galle and Trincomalee in Sri Lanka and devastated the east coast of India. An air force plane enabled me to be in Galle that fateful day.
GST and India’s Competitiveness
By Amit Kapoor,
Over the past few weeks, there has been a growing interest among media in Inddia's indirect tax regime.
On the one side are...
Modi’s modernity vs saffron orthodoxy
By Amulya Ganguli,
Historian Ayesha Jalal has writen in her latest book, "The Struggle for Pakistan", that "at the root of Pakistan's national identity crisis has been the unresolved debate on how to square the state's self-proclaimed Islamic identity with the obligations of a modern nation-state".
LPG subsidy: Make choice opting in, not opting out
By Nihit Goyal,
It was believed that Finance Minister Arun Jaitley would withdraw the LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) subsidy for those who fall in the 30-percent tax bracket. However, this budget included no such measure. Thereafter, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly called on people to "give it up" and join the "opt out of subsidy" scheme. While over 300,000 consumers have thus far enrolled in this scheme, this is a tiny fraction of the 150 million LPG users in the country.
Governance has largely been on track
(One Year of Modi Government)
By Anuj Puri,
As the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government enters its second year in office on Tuesday, there is...
Only 16 of every 250 fake notes detected in India
By Devanik Saha
Is India doing enough to detect fake notes, cited by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a significant reason for withdrawing...
Long march to a just solution to Bhutan refugee crisis
By Malavika Vartak
The Bhutanese refugee issue is in the news for all the wrong reasons. While there appears to be a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel for some refugees with announcements of third-country resettlement, recent incidents in the camps and on the India-Nepal border only reiterate the need for careful and sensitive handling.
Minority judgement
By Nasiruddin Haider Khan
"The court finds that Muslims have ceased to be a minority religious community in the state of Uttar Pradesh on consideration of the materials on record which includes various census reports of 1951 and 2001 and, therefore, directs the state of Uttar Pradesh to treat any member of Muslim community equal to other non minority religious communities…"
Message from the Prophet is clear: coexist
By Hisham al-Zoubeir, Common Ground News Service
As the world watches the terrible eruption of violence between Sunnis and Shiites in Iraq and is subjected to sporadic communiqués by vigilantes calling for violence against their opponents both within the Muslim community and without, many who are unfamiliar with Islam and Muslims may be forgiven for thinking the worst of both the religion and its followers. Yet in Islam and Muslim history, the precedent for religious co-existence is primordial.
Why India courts Myanmar’s military junta
By Rahul Bedi, IANS
India's continuing policy of 'constructive engagement' with Myanmar, even after the brutal crackdown on protesting Buddhist monks and despite pressures from the US and the UN to adopt a tougher line against the military junta, is driven exclusively by its strategic and economic interests.
Indian American in White House! Why not?
By Kul Bhushan, IANS
While celebrating the election of Bobby Jindal as the governor of Louisiana, many Indian Americans are beginning to ask, "Why not an Indian American in the White House?"
Ashok 'Rocky' Madan writes from California, "The White House is not far now!"
NRIs support charities to brighten Diwali
By Kul Bhushan, IANS
While celebrating Diwali, NRIs do not forget the less fortunate in their countries and in India. In every country they have settled, NRIs share the joy of their most important festival by donating to charities in cash and kind; and directly assisting the less fortunate through their organisations or as individuals to share the brightness and light of Diwali.
Musharraf lifts emergency: more cosmetic than substantive
By C. Uday Bhaskar, IANS
On Saturday, Dec 15, President Pervez Musharraf, now a retired general, dramatically announced the lifting of emergency rule imposed by him on Nov 3, when he was still the Pakistani chief of the army staff. In reality this was more an imposition of martial law with the constitution suspended and the judges of the Supreme Court sacked but the semantic charade of emergency continued.
Be the moderate you’re looking for
By Kareem Elbayar
"O ye who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to God, though it may be against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, and whether it be against rich or poor: for God can best protect both. Follow not the lusts of your hearts, lest ye swerve, and if ye distort justice or decline to do justice, verily God is well-acquainted with all that ye do." (Qur'an 4:135)
The West takes notice as Russia and Iran get closer
MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti political commentator Pyotr Goncharov) - The West appears amazed to see Russian-Iranian strategic partnership surviving and even strengthening.
This partnership is quite logical, but the West turned its attention to it only with supplies of Russian long range surface-to-air S-300 missiles. Due to start in January, these supplies were agreed upon a long time ago. Judging by the response of the media, the West is panicky to see Russia stick to the promise.
After Bhutto
By John Esposito
The world will long remember Benazir Bhutto as a modern Muslim woman who served two terms as Pakistan's first woman prime minister: bright, attractive, articulate, talented, courageous, charismatic, an astute politician and political leader who called for a secular democratic Pakistan. Benazir was all of these, but – like her father, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, and a number of other Pakistani political leaders – she also left a flawed political track record that both reflected and contributed to many of Pakistan's problems.
Civil society in Pakistan and India: A study in contrast
By Harold Gould, IANS
Much has been said and written about the contrasting state of civil society in Pakistan and India. Essentially civil society took root in India in the post-war era while in Pakistan it did not.
Expect people-friendly budget ahead of 2009 elections
By Sushma Ramachandran, IANS
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government is gearing up to present its last budget before the general election and there is no doubt that "please-all" is going to be the mantra for this annual accounting ritual.
Finance Minister P. Chidambaram has made it clear that next year will only be a vote on account, so his last budget speech - at least under the present regime - will be on Feb 29.
Madhesi agitation threatens to derail Nepal elections
By Shubha Singh, IANS
The Madhesi agitation in the Terai region of Nepal has intensified with the United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) displaying their intention of keeping out of the elections to the Constituent Assembly by not submitting their list of candidates for proportional representation, the deadline for which ended Feb 20.
Terrorism: Islamic or un-Islamic?
Ram Puniyani
In current times the popular perceptions in the major parts of the World including India, Islam and Muslims have become synonymous with terrorism. There is an act of blast, and the finger of suspicion points to some descript or non-descript Muslim named group. Many of these groups are so 'helpful' to the investigating authorities that they leave their dairies, and identification mark for making the investigation for police an easy job.
Rahul breaks security cordon – like father like son
By Maxwell Pereira, IANS
"Rahul Gandhi gives cops the slip in Naxal heartland", read the headline recently. That was soon after his visit to a tribal village in a Maoist-infested area in Orissa when the MP, who is scion of the extremely vulnerable Gandhi family, ducked out of the Koraput SP's security cordon and melted into the night, accompanied by only a few personal SPG (Special Protection Group) guards.
Watch where the prices are going to judge government’s fate
By Sushma Ramachandran, IANS,
It is a strange irony that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government has been caught on the backfoot over its handling of the economy despite having an economist as prime minister. High prices could well be its Achilles' heel with seven percent plus inflation at the wholesale level translating into 10 to 20 percent at the retail level. Food prices, especially edible oils and pulses as well as those of key industrial inputs like steel, are going through the roof and government managers are scrambling to tackle the situation.
From Dubai to Doha
By John Defterios
There is a rich history of trading in Dubai that stretches back to the 1850s. And it is this mindset which is at the heart of the Emirate's business plan for the next quarter century.
Take DP World, the trading division of the company, Dubai World. It has forged 23 different deals stretching from China to Djibouti. This allows Dubai Inc. to place a corporate flag in each country, planting the seeds for future relationships and growth.
Pokhran-III prospects dead on Pokhran-II anniversary?
By Tarun Vijay, IANS,
What difference does it make who signed the Pokhran files? Brajesh Mishra, the powerful former security advisor to then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, revealed a bit too late. There was a time when the Congress must have felt elated to claim making India nuclear. The first Pokhran test (in 1974) was their contribution and Indira Gandhi dared the Americans bravely. Should we be ashamed of it or try to delete that chapter from Indian history just because she happened to be another party's leader?
Transforming police crucial to counter-terrorism
By Ajay Sahni, IANS,
The tragedy of the Jaipur blasts - as with virtually every major terrorist outrage in India -is infinitely compounded by the utter obtuseness, the manifest incomprehension and the pervasive disorder and confusion that attend official responses.
Despite an experience with terrorism that has extended over decades, it is evident that the state and its agencies are yet to establish even the most basic protocols of response - at least minimally for the securing of the incident location and the ordered and humane transport of the injured and dead.
What Syrian-Israeli talks mean
By Hasan Abu Nimah, CGNews,
There was a surprise announcement last week that Syrians and Israelis started indirect peace negotiations under Turkish patronage in Istanbul. That was confirmed in both countries' capitals soon afterwards.
Almost simultaneously, the Israeli daily Ha'aretz reported that the two sides had already reached understanding as a result of secret talks in Europe two years earlier, between September 2004 and July 2006, and that the two sides would sign an agreement of principles, and once they had fulfilled their commitments, a peace agreement would be signed.
Plus points trump the minuses on Independence Day
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS,
It is not beyond the realms of possibility that this year's Independence Day will prove to be, in retrospect, more memorable than any in the recent past.
The claim may seem exaggerated in the context of the bomb blasts in Bangalore and Ahmedabad last month and the fear of home-grown Muslim terrorists. But terrorism, by common consent, does not pose a major long-term threat to India's integrity, however menacing it may seem at present because of the suicide bombers and the indiscriminate killing of innocent people.
A nation not interested in sports piggybacks the victors
By Chitra Padmanabhan, IANS,
Abhinav Bindra, the well-heeled shooter who became the first sportsperson from independent India to win an individual gold medal at the Beijing Olympics, remained sober - no doubt helped by a natural reserve. But the delirious orgy of official and officious cash award celebrations went on for long.
Bronze medallist, wrestler Sushil Kumar, with his experience of grappling with mind-numbing adversity and obscurity, remained humble. But his achievement triggered another frenzied moment under the sun for politicians, Delhi chief minister downwards.
Government must put in place a strict anti-terror law
By Joginder Singh, IANS,
Terrorists struck in the Indian capital again in a big way Saturday. All blasts were of low intensity. The defused bombs used a cocktail of ammonium nitrate, gun powder, ball bearings and nails, with timer devices. It is the same kind of bombs used in Jaipur, Bangalore and Ahmedabad. They were set off using electronic timers.
The state cannot legislate on a citizen’s sexual preferences
By Mayank Chhaya, IANS,
India's Additional Solicitor General P. P. Malhotra, who supposedly represents the Indian government's views on all socio-legal matters, has called gay sex "immoral and perverse." There could not be a more egregious example of medieval obscurantism.
As quoted by media reports Malhotra's views are so fundamentally out of sync with social reality that it begs the question whether the Indian government continues to live in the 18th century while the rest of the country may have moved in to the 21st century.
A train and a resolve: Symbols of hope for South Asia?
By C Uday Bhaskar, IANS,
History was made in South Asia last week by two seemingly different but yet inter-connected events that could become symbols of hope in a region that has been blighted by terrorism and discord for well over a decade.
Washington summit: Expect major showdown between US and world powers
By K. Subrahmanyam, IANS,
Whether it is the ASEM summit in Beijing or the G-20 meeting convened by President George W. Bush in his last weeks in office, it is obvious that the present global financial turmoil is recognised as being an international problem that needs to be handled globally in a cooperative manner. It is difficult to find a precedent for such a cooperative approach towards finding a global solution.
Obama’s first opportunity to become ‘Man of History
By Hem Raj Jain,
This refers to wide coverage in media of the news that in the backdrop of on-going global financial / economical problems, Russia & China are demanding Global Currency (GC) whereas USA is insisting on keeping Dollar as ‘de-facto global currency.
But before opposing the GC, Obama ought to keep in view the following and also which I mentioned in my earlier letters of dated January 28, 2008, February 9, 2009 and March 1, 2009 :-
(1)- An economist who does not respect the sanctity of currency is not worth the name, but most of the economists do not respect this.
Talibanizing secularism
By Kashif-ul-Huda, TwoCircles.net
Secularism is indeed a foreign concept for India. Many Indians have difficulty understanding it and therefore are confused on how to apply it in their personal and professional lives. Latest example is Supreme Court’s Justice Markandey Katju. While denying a request by a Muslim student to keep a beard while going to a convent school, Justice Katju termed it as “overstretching” of secularism.
Prachanda’s worst nightmare comes true
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : The very danger that Nepal's first Maoist Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda had feared one year ago has now come true to plague him and his party.
Last July, when a newly-republic Nepal held its first election to choose a president, Prachanda had an easy choice and a difficult one.
The two biggest parties after the Maoists - the Nepali Congress (NC) and Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (UML) - both offered to support him as prime minister if in return he backed their candidates for presidency.
CPI-M’s cup of woe brimmeth over
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS,
The CPI-M's troubles seem to be brimming over. As if its worst-ever electoral performance wasn't enough, the party has now become embroiled in two other critical situations in its putative strongholds of West Bengal and Kerala.
The crisis in Lalgarh is a virtual repeat of the earlier one in Nandigram, which earned the party so much disrepute. The reason for its current predicament is the same - the old Marxist penchant for highhandedness when dealing with their opponents.
The next health tsunami: Non-communicable diseases
By Bobby Ramakant, Citizen News Service (CNS),
Geneva: The International Diabetes Federation (IDF), the International Union Against Cancer (UICC) and the World Heart Federation (WHF) called today on the UN’s Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) to take immediate action to avert the fastest growing threat by non-communicable diseases (NCDs) to global health.
Eliminating the US-Muslim world trust deficit
By Huma Yusuf
Gathered around a table with Karachi-based bloggers one evening last week, Farah Pandith, the US Special Representative to Muslim Communities, asked, "Can't a person do more than one thing at a time?"
British NRIs expect immigration cuts, pro-rich policies
By Kul Bhushan, IANS,
NRIs may well grit their teeth at the new Conservative-Lib Dem government. The new British government will probably come down hard on immigration and introduce economic policies that help the rich. Plus, the Tories usually have cool relations with India.
Rahmah Foundation – Ray of hope for Muslims in West Bengal
By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
Justice Krishna Iyer’s praise for Modi – just another paradox
By Abdul Basith, TwoCircles.net,
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