Rajesh Talwar

Naming and shaming of invisible polluters

November 27, 2024

Every year there are visible polluters in our cities and towns. In the NCR for instance the smoke carried across from the fields in Punjab and Haryana that where crop waste is burnt is a significant contributor to air pollution levels. Pollutants are emitted by vehicular traffic, construction activities, smoke...

MYSTIC POET KABIR

June 19, 2024

As Kabir Jayanti approaches on 22 June this year, it is an opportune time to remember Sant Kabir, a mystic poet who defies classification. Hindus and Muslim both claim him. It is said that upon his death the two communities both fought for custody of his body, one for burial...

No country for old men: India versus the West

June 10, 2024

For many years, middle-class Indians have contrasted the benefits of aging in India vis a vis a developed country such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada or even Australia, nations that have a fairly large Indian diaspora. Those arguing in favour of returning to India when you became...

FASANO SUMMIT: SHOULD G7 BECOME G9, D10 OR G8?

May 10, 2024

Towards the middle of next month, the G 7 will be held at Fasano, a scenic Italian town overlooking the Adriatic Sea in the province of Brindisi in the southern part of that nation. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has already sent out an invitation to the person with whom her...

A tale of three Bharat Ratnas

May 3, 2024

It’s a matter of historical record that when Maulana Abul Kalam Azad was offered the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award, he refused to accept it. It was his considered view that serving member of the cabinet were able to exert ‘control and authority’ over such decisions, which he then...

Recalling Hanuman’s gentleness in a world riven by conflict

April 22, 2024

If nations are to live in peace, they must learn to be human and humane. As Hanuman Jayanti approaches on 23 April it is time to reflect on one of the central characters in the Ramayana, the redoubtable Hanuman and his impact on the minds of millions of Indians. A...

Reflecting on Lord Rama and Jesus on the occasion of Ram Navami

April 18, 2024

As Ram Navami approaches it is time to remember Lord Rama. This year will be a special year for his devotees because leaving aside the question of political affiliations, the majority of Hindus were happy with the inauguration of the temple at Ayodhya. It had been a long wait and...

Polygamy – and the dreams and hopes of a billion Muslim women

February 19, 2024

Few sensible people will contest the idea that the decision of the Supreme Court to declare triple talaq unconstitutional was an excellent idea in keeping with the idea of equality enshrined in Article 14. The practice clearly contravened the idea of equality between the sexes. Besides the Muslim Personal Law...

Mnemonics, Madhuri Dixit and the Indian Civil Servant

February 15, 2024

In a general sense, the term secretary in government does not exude power Briefly stated, mnemonics is said to be a system for assisting and improving the memory. Within the science of mnemonics, some methods use images, others use rhyme, and there are even some that use a simple catch...

The Terrible Truths the Colonialist must Hide from his Own People

February 8, 2024

Intellectual honesty is a crime in any totalitarian country: George Orwell A few years ago, Shashi Tharoor was on a show with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation to discuss his new book. In ‘An Era of Darkness: The British Empire in India,’ a title possibly inspired by V S Naipaul’s ‘An...

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