Gandhi, 1918  flu pandemic and COVID19

Gandhi, 1918 flu pandemic and COVID19

In sheer statistical terms, the 1918 flu pandemic and the COVID-19 pandemic are not comparable.

Faith and judiciary: A case from Pakistan

The mosque was small and was never used as a place of worship. When Maharaja Ranjit Singh took control of the entire Punjab, the Sikhs took over the mosque, placed the Guru Granth Sahib inside it and converted it into a gurudwara. 

Geetanjali Shree first Indian to win International Booker Prize: Will it open doors for translations of great literature in all Indian languages?

Shree winning the International Booker Prize may be a cause for celebration in India and among the world of Hindi publishers. However, as Sanjaya Kumar Singh, a well-known Hindi journalist, writer and editor, said on Facebook, “Indian publishers have contributed nothing to Geetanjali Shree winning the Booker. She won despite them and not because of them.” 

A search for Guru Nanak in Pakistan

Amid Hindu-Muslim antagonism that existed even then, Nanak wanted to show that there is a direct path to God, one that doesn’t travel through temples and shrines. 

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Afghanistan, ironically like the carcass in Buzkashi

The linkages of the new masters of Afghanistan with global jihadi outfits hints towards a new Great Game that has commenced in the region, with multiple players, both state and non-state actors

Can Kamala Harris be Biden’s political successor?

She may consider herself Black, and take oath of office on the Bible, but during her run for California attorney general, Kamala Harris asked her aunt in Chennai to offer coconuts to Lord Ganesh for good luck

How AIR helped India win the 1971 war

Baruah hit the nail on the head when he said in an undated piece, probably written after the war: “The emergence of Bangladesh as a sovereign democratic republic wedded to secularism and socialism is in many ways a turning point in the history of the Indian sub-continent…

A timely recall of radio despatches on the 1971 Bangladesh war

Baruah was the Director of External Services Division of All India Radio during 1971 and keenly followed the events of this period, including the precursor events in Pakistan

A civil servant who embraced empathy

His emphasis on empathy, the culture of change and innovation for transformation, which went to define his career as a bureaucrat, are amply reflected in the essays contained in the book

I owe a great deal to both countries and cultures: Indra Nooyi

From a young immigrant student in a sari to the CEO of an iconic American company, Indra Nooyi has been a poster girl for Indians who come to the US chasing the proverbial American Dream

Six centuries of Sino-Indian confrontation

The book is unique as it packs some very important, significant, eye-opening and fascinating events

Saga of a woman extraordinary

This is a story that evolves into a narration that finds true identity amid the hurdles of bureaucracy and life, especially of a woman’s

China hopes to encircle the world

China seems to have planned to become the most influential country in any world organization, mustering the political support of countries whose numbers will increase by the day

A fishy story: Why the British Raj gifted the trout to India

Did you know that the mouth-watering trout was introduced in India by British colonialists who felt homesick without their favourite species of fish? A determined group of Britons decided to bring it to Indian streams, come what may

Indian American organisations jointly host book discussion on “Kamala Harris and the Rise of Indian Americans”

A discussion and celebration of the Indian diaspora in American and their achievements was held virtually and was attended by People of Indian Origin from around the globe

Kashmir post Article 370 abrogation: A 12-point programme for emotional integration

Has the Kashmir Valley bonded with India after the axing of Article 370? No, says Madhav Godbole, and suggests 12 points to mend the situation in Jammu and Kashmir

The Counter Moves finds salience in huge drug busts

On the whole “Proxy War” marks an important debut from an original writer

Indian peacekeepers’ gallant fightback from death in Sierra Leone

The sheer honesty of the varied emotions and the gripping story make this book a page-turner

Stories from a soldier - not only about war

Each of the stories is around 5000 words essaying an easy conversational style, often culminating in an unexpected ending