Representational Photo

Why are Indians running away from India?

Quite a few years ago I had given a lecture at my alma mater IIT Kanpur. I asked the students if I had the power to grant them a US green card how many would like to migrate.  In the auditorium of around 200 students most raised their hands. This pursuit of excellence can be helped by the constant exposure of students to lectures by achievers. Students at an impressionable age once inspired can do wonders in later life. 

An agenda for the nation: Streamline business cycle; unleash entrepreneurial enthusiasm

We must also insulate enterprises from pressure and extortion by local power elites, which adversely distorts factory pricing and ultimately adds a burden to the consumer price. This will also enable enterprises to maintain healthy returns within the fixed MRP system, especially for FMCG

Kashmir: A shark-infested 'Heaven on Earth'!

Despite all my patriotic feelings, I do not recommend a visit to Kashmir. It is ill-organized and ill-prepared to receive the rush of tourists. It lacks elementary infrastructure, basic amenities, and essential facilities at present. Worse, the tourists are always at the mercy of the local mafia.

A quest in the evolution and purpose of life

This production of matter, life forms and galaxies will keep on happening till the space is “exhausted”, and then the cycle reverses which will finally lead to time and space coming into equilibrium. This is the eternal Brahmakala cycle where all life is destroyed at its end.

More on Medley

Studying the science of migratory birds - and what they tell us about the state of the environment

Keeping track of the migratory birds visiting the university campus, and how the impact of climate change would impact the migration of migratory birds, are among the subjects being promoted for research in universities across the globe. These include Beijing University, Royal University of Bhutan, University of SJP in Sri Lanka, HNB Garhwal University in India which are in the network of the Green TERRE Foundation. 

Dhaka's hazardous air quality: Official indifference aggravating public health crisis

In response to public interest litigation filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB), Bangladesh's High Court recently issued a nine-point directive to authorities to tackle the capital's life-threatening air pollution.

Nepali journalists express solidarity with Gaza colleagues; Hindutva influence questioned

During the conversations that took place afterward, the journalists discussed why Nepal’s government, press, and civil society have not been more vocal about what they termed as a genocide being enacted by Israel in Gaza.

Midnight's Third Child: Stories of Bengal that evoke a sense of yearning and connectedness

The essays cover distinct areas, exploring minority experiences and a wider Bengal, including, inevitably, West Bengal.

The art of Nandalal Bose and his message of nationalism

A democratisation of art, drawing from folk culture that is in direct contact with the realities of those who live close to the cycles of nature, represents a modern outlook that draws inspiration from contemporary reality.

Of wars, their hyped virtual reality and pocket wars

The hyped technology has led us into a frenzied time where we either switch between TV channels or move our fingers on our smartphone screen for the next reel or newsfeed. Stuck within the labyrinth of visual images we are yet to find a new strategy to recover the lost humanity.

Peacebuilding on stage: ‘Gandhi and Jinnah’ in a cathartic reenactment of South Asia’s tragic past

Against this backdrop, the staging of Dr Ahmed’s “Gandhi and Jinnah Return Home” in the Washington D.C. area offered a rare opportunity to witness peacebuilding at play. In one of the play's scenes, Jinnah and Gandhi resurface to debate the costs of partition alongside contemporary Indians and Pakistanis. After many rounds of dialogue, the two embrace one another.

The Golden Bachelor: Is India ready for mature romances?

The chemistry between Dharmendra and Shabana Azmi in the latest Karan Johar film ‘Rocky aur Rani’ suggests that Indian audiences are beginning to recognise that older people don’t just have a pulse, they actually have a heart!

Cutting-edge technologies are fast hurtling the world toward destruction

Any serious conversation about AI also needs to take into consideration the role of deep fake using AI to wreak havoc among society and even intruding into private spaces for monetary and other gains.

Tagore and Gandhi's ideas have great relevance in today's world

Today the distance between the vision and way of life of Tagore and Gandhi and current perspectives is growing. And though the effort and work done with fervour in their names continue, most of that energy is outside India.

The Indian diaspora's 'indentured route' - and a 'lost' children's quest for identity

Ironically, the forced migration also laid the seeds of a diaspora in countries where Indians of another generation looking for better economic opportunities would not have normally settled.

Why was the Aragalaya movement in Sri Lanka personal to me?

What had started as unrest – in response to decades of failed promises, nepotism – had been reduced to a mob seeking revenge. The question remains on how to preserve the spirit of the former whilst recognising the nature of the latter.

A South Asian film festival in Lahore - and the allegory of a sacrificial lamb

A well-connected and bonded youth of the region can ensure a much happier, more creative society and contribute to a better future.

The Eurocentric Nobel Prizes: Smacking of biases and double standards

After all how objective or desirable can the Nobel Prize for Peace be if Mahatma Gandhi, the greatest messenger of non-violence the world has seen for centuries, never got it? His name was nominated several times but Sweden did not want to annoy Britain. 

A World Cup without boundaries? Musings of a South Asian cricket fan

I am thrilled that Pakistan will be playing in India. I’m thrilled that this format allows an India-Pakistan encounter. Obviously, it’s something any cricket fan would look forward to. This is the World Cup and not a bilateral series, so it’s extra special.