More in Short Posts
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Aphorism: Freedom
First step towards being free is to realize you are enslaved. Freedom is like zero gravity. Both can only be simulated in this world, and never truly achieved.
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Quotes: Extreme democracy
A fifth form of democracy, in other respects the same, is that in which, not the law, but the multitude, have the supreme power, and supersede the law by their decrees.This is a state of affairs brought about by the demagogues. For in democracies which are subject to the law...
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Aphorism: Intellectualism
Most of the times intellectual discourse amount to debating choice of cutlery on a sinking ship. The difference between a drunk and intellectual is that while former looks under lamp post for key misplaced somewhere else, later actually insists that keys should have been misplaced under lamp post
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Manmohan Singh: Perform or Perish
Thus screams the byline of this new report that is titled : “Enough is enough, Manmohan wants to pump in purpose”. After we have seen how ministers disregard his sagely advices, are we to really believe that Dr. Manmohan Singh actually means his message “perform or perish”? By that yardstick,...
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Defending a Politically-Incorrect Cause
Over the years as I graduated from one degree to another, I found that it was becoming increasingly difficult to support the cause of Hindutva in college campuses, not because there’s anything wrong or sinister about the cause, but because it had become politically incorrect than ever before. One stood...
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Shashi Tharoor and the Indian liberal idiocracy
To understand all that is wrong with the Indian Liberal narrative on freedom of speech and on communal relations in India you must only watch this video of Sashi Tharoor debating Christopher Hitchens. It is revealing how Tharoor clumsily shifts between two positions: arguing for freedom of speech to be...
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Saffron-Left: A Misnomer
[Those of us who are sympathetic to the recent proposal of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) multi-brand retial have erred by labelling a certain group as saffron-left, for vehemently opposing this particular policy. A slighty deeper analysis will help us understand that there lies a big gulf between the group in...
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Censorship: Congress style
Remember Javier Moro? The author of the controversial book “The Red Saree,” a fictionalized biography of the life of Congress President Sonia Gandhi? In light of the recent debate over censorship in the internet Javier Moro tweeted how his work was recieved by the usual suspects of 10, Janpath. @sk631 @gsurya...
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FDI in retail: 101
Let me tell you a real life incident that I encountered just a month ago. It was 2-3 days before Diwali and after a hectic day at work I was leaving for home. I noticed a police check-post and was asked to stop. I obliged and got down from my...
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Frankly, Mr Dhume, I don’t give a damn.
(This post contains profane language) Now, compared to your typically ethically challenged journalist/public intellectual, I have a rather favourable opinion of Sadanand Dhume, which is why I am sort of nonplussed with where exactly he is going when on eve of 26/11 he reminds us that many in Pakistan (presumably liberals) were appalled by the...
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FDI in Retail – Destroying livelihoods
(Editor’s Note- This is post is part of CRI’s endeavour to provide platform to all strands of opinion on FDI in Retail and does not constitute endorsement of this position) The cabinet decision to permit 51% FDI in retail could turn to be catastrophic as it potentially undermines our economic...
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Modi goes to China
I cannot think of the last time a Chief Minister’s foreign trip making so much news. I’m speaking of-course about Gujarat Chief Minister Modi’s 5-day visit to China. Its not that just one of India’s more than two dozen Chief Ministers can change the dynamics of Indo-China relations but the overall...
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“Meaningful autonomy” and article 370
“Meaningful autonomy” is the considered recommendation of the three interlocutors appointed by the UPA government for Jammu and Kashmir. This is according to what we have gotten to hear from the media and other sources so far. The report has not yet been made public. Until that happens we will...
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The primacy of personal malice in Dravida-nadu
When the Tamil Nadu government announced the conversion of Anna Centenary Library buildings to a pediatric hospital it wasn’t the first such move rooted in excessive mutual malice that has always characterised the relationship between the Karunanidhi-led DMK and Jayalalithaa-led AIADMK. Within weeks of Jayalalithaa taking over as the Chief Minister...