Ideas News - Page 9
Subramanian Swamy is a hate-monger. Let's not make him a martyr
Who's afraid of Subramanian Swamy? A petition to force Harvard to dump Swamy might just backfire on the angry students who are circulating it. Banned by Harvard could give him more cachet than Swamy deserves.
Congress under Sonia-Rahul is all about bland speeches
In the Congress Party today silence speaks volumes. Social scientist Shiv Visvanathan reads between the gaps in the silences of Sonia and Rahul Gandhi.
Goodbye rohu, hello Chilean sea bass: the real price of the fish we eat
Have you noticed fish name-dropping on the menu of many high end restaurants? Chilean sea bass. Norwegian salmon. Yellow fin tuna. Tastes good but what does it mean that the fish we eat are coming from every further away?
The perils of anti-immigration politics: Lessons from Oslo
When a white Christian terrorist goes on a killing spree, it does indeed reflect the failure of multiculturalism in Europe -- but not in the way rightwingers would like to claim.
Meet the beggar-catchers: How Sharmaji captures his prey
The senior officer at the Beggars Court shares the special techniques our government uses to round up those pesky vagrants —including the high-tech Beggar Information System 2.1.
ABC Didi: An alphabetic guide to Mamata's victory rally
The heavens poured torrential rain on Mamata Banerjee's grand victory rally, turning it to mud and slush. Here are scenes from the historic day — in an alphabet soup.
Say no to religion in schools: Why both the BJP and the liberals are wrong
The BJP wants to impose the Bhagvad Gita on schoolkids. The liberals want a multi-religious, values-based education. Here's why neither has it right.
Potter casts a multi-billion dollar spell but I'm not falling for it
Everyone loves the young wizard, kids, adults, college professors alike. But a great part of the series success is about successful marketing rather than literary worth.
The Bengali who hates fish: The story of shame, suffering, and ilish
I was the quintessential good Bengali boy – bespectacled, obedient, diligent – except for this one fatal flaw: I didn't like fish. A failure that would forever mark me as an outsider.
Andhra and Telengana: A vast and bitter cultural divide
They don't share the same food, festivals and values, or speak the same dialect. Telengana people say they can never be equal citizens in a state that treats their culture with contempt.
Why smirk at Murdoch when our media has much to hide?
The Murdoch affair should force Indian media to re-examine their own ethics issues. We haven't seen serious soul-searching for a while, and this is as good a time as any.
The Murdoch melodrama: The Shakespearean edition
With Rupert playing King Lear and Rebekah Brooks channeling Lady Macbeth, the British Shakespearewallah put on a fine show last night.
Bhajji needs to grin and bear it
McDowell's spoof on Royal Stag has made Harbhajan Singh unhappy. But can he really do anything about it?
How Mumbai defeated the logic of terror
Terrorists seek to disrupt, destroy and fragment society. It's why they hate Mumbai, a city confident in its everydayness, dizzy with its own normalcy.
Casey Anthony and Maria Susairaj: Freed by the courts, damned by the media
Two sensational trials have come to an end - the Maria Susairaj case in India and the Casey Anthony trial in the US. Both women have been found not guilty but that seems to matter little in the court of public opinion.
Who said no good ever came of the Emergency? Jug Suraiya remembers
When Mrs Gandhi imposed the Emergency, Jug Suraiya was not yet one of India's best known columnists. A young reporter in Calcutta, he got a first-hand taste of what it was like to wait for that midnight knock. Except he just kept waiting. It never came.
Freedom vs Safety: Learning the right lesson from 9/11
We can never be entirely safe in a free society. But trading freedom for security is a fool's game — as Americans now realise.
Dear PM, I can no longer be resilient and strong...
You are the Prime Minister; it is you who needs to be resilient and strong. We are mere citizens who have no wish to be either. Can you start governing, please?
Stock Advisory: Buy Mumbai Unlimited; Sell Terror Inc
Mumbai's latest terror attacks show why the city always wins, no matter how terrible its tragedies. Our buy-sell advice to eternity is Go Long on Mumbai Unlimited, Short on Terror Inc.
Comment: Don't go back to your routine life - force your govt to act
I really hope at least this blast will wake us up. Take time out from your busy schedule... keep writing to your local MLA, MP, CM, PM, Police Commissioner, BMC commissioner, Mayor, etc.
In the heart of the Maoist underground: A Chhattisgarh chronicle
What drives thousands of young Adivasis to join the Maoists? Rahul Pandita's new book "Hello, Bastar: The Untold Story of India’s Maoist Movement", tries to explore their reasons for joining the movement. Here is an excerpt from the book.
British Watergate: The scandals mount against Murdoch's empire
The hacking scandal threatening Rupert Murdoch's media empire grows deeper with allegations that private investigators working for the firm targeted not only mobile phones, but also credit card and bank accounts.
On Gandhi-bashing: the Western writer's latest fad
Christopher Hitchens is the latest Western writer to savage the father of our nation. But this kind of vitriol reveals more about him and his Western audience than about Gandhi.
Like father, unlike son: why Rahul is the un-Rajiv
Rahul Gandhi bears a striking resemblance to his father Rajiv. But their politics are poles apart, and the only point of commonality may prove embarrassing to both.
How I learnt to love Udupi food and found myself
You never really value what is served to you – quite literally – on a platter as a child. But age, wisdom and the wonders of holige, saaru, and jackfruit bring a prodigal foodie back home.
NOTW Editor calls staff 'the best professionals' in farewell speech
News of the World Editor Colin Myler, refuses to get maudlin in his farewell to a team that has just published its last issue together.
Maria Susairaj and the media: 3 morals of this sordid story
For this age of corporate bottomlines, 24X7 news cycles, and tabloid journalism, here are the three golden rules of new journalism.
Life at the other end of the line: The call centre story that just won't hang up
The newest form of sabbatical lit is when an American leaves America to come to India to learn how to be an American.
Kolkata postcard: dangerous dakus, red BB and policemen in tight pants
A neighbourhood robbery reveals a beleaguered Kolkata police with many crosses to bear, including incoherent text messages and pants that fit too well.
Safe sex and the single girl
Responsible sexual behaviour requires taking the right precautions. But in India, being responsible entails running the risk of all-out humiliation for an unmarried woman.