Making a ‘Moral Man’ has been the quest of the philosophers for centuries. Some believed that God and religion can achieve that; some believed in man’s ability for reason. In the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes, King Solomon finds man’s moral virtue to be just to “fear God and keep his commandments”. But the later […]
“What do I think of western civilisation? I think it would be a good idea” – This famous quote attributed to Mahatma Gandhi may sound a bit condescending. But many share this scepticism and condescension about the west; that its lifestyle and value system is not worth calling a civilisation. It is not fully true. […]
India has played its geo-strategic cards very effectively through the entire process The diligence, dexterity and determination that Prime Minister Narendra Modihas displayed in diplomacy in the last six years and the immense geo-strategic costs that he has inflicted on India’s traditional rivals, is an important chapter. India’s handling of the stand-off with China in the last few […]
The Gupkar leaders are resorting to that dangerous game once again, this time in the name of Islam Islamism, in the Kashmiri separatist movement, was largely a subtext in the past. Mainstream identity politics used to be, at least overtly, centered on an undefined idea of Kashmiriyat. The Chaks were the last Kashmiri dynasty who […]
It is an ambitious vision. But the path to it should be pragmatic. In today’s context the path should mean leaner government, ease of doing business, greater investments, massive employment generation and greater integration with the global economy, not just as a beneficiary, but as a contributor. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about Atmanirbhar […]
Traditionally power and strength are associated with size of a nation. The conventional wisdom is that bigger and more populous nations will be stronger and powerful. Conversely, smallness is equated with weakness. The smaller a nation is, the weaker its role and influence would be, it is surmised. Author R. James Breiding challenges this conventional […]
Israel is a country that fascinates many. A tiny Jewish island surrounded by largely hostile and many times bigger Arab countries, Israel has defied conventional understanding of statecraft to emerge as one of the developed, strong and courageous nations kindling a romantic imagination about the uniqueness of its people, and the government. I have been […]
Part 1: On the night of August 14-15, 1947, when India was celebrating its independence, the architect of the independence movement, Mahatma Gandhi was not among the revellers. When his protégé Jawahar Lal Nehru was making that epochal speech about ‘India’s tryst with destiny’, and the ministers of his new cabinet were taking the oath […]
Damnatio Memoriae is a Latin phrase roughly meaning ‘erasing bad memory’. Although the phrase came into vogue much later, the practice dated back to the Greek and Roman periods in the European history. Erection of statues, not of men of God or of wisdom, but of power was a practice prevalent during those times. At […]
Ayodhya represents a shared sentiment of sacredness, not merely because of its association with Ram, but also because of the value system it represents. Every nation has its sacred spaces and every religion its sacred places. Culture determines the sacredness of physical and metaphysical spaces. Cultures are the soul of nations. Nations create their sacred […]
