Burning Issues India and the World is Facing
आप को बचपन से सिखाया गया… “बेटा, कमा कर खाओ, पुरुषार्थी बनो, दूसरों का मुंह मत ताको।” और वही आप करते भी हैं: अपना काम मेहनत से करते हैं, समय पर टैक्स भरते हैं, बिजली चोरी नहीं करते, रेडलाइट जम्प नहीं करते…दूसरे शब्दों में आप एक ‘उत्तरदायी नागरिक’ हैं, पर आपको आज तक मिला क्या, …
Can I ask you an uncomfortable question? Are you corrupt? Yes, I am speaking to you—the person reading these lines. “Me? What? No, I am not corrupt.” Cool. Maybe your father is, or your mother, perhaps. “Are you out of your goddamn mind? Nobody in my family is corrupt.” Okay, okay, don’t get angry. I …
Corruption in India (An Ugly Truth about Indians) Read More »
Pollution Propaganda. A masterpiece of a kind. And who’s the creator? Politicians, of course. They have been telling you that the gravest danger India faces is pollution. But the reality is quite different: pollution is not the issue, not the real one. Then what is? Well, think about this: How many times have you seen …
Pollution: Propaganda to Camouflage the Real Danger Read More »
Green Diwali. You’re serious about it. And why wouldn’t you? The night sky on Diwali can make any sensible person frown at the absurdity of crackers. Deafening noise pierces eardrums like a needle desperate to bust a balloon. Nasty debris tortures eyes as if you’re trapped in a dust storm in the Thar desert. And …
Green Diwali: Annoying, Misleading, and Insidious Propaganda Read More »
“I am a Hindu nationalist.” The Indian prime minister, Mr. Narendra Modi’s statement, created a lot of controversies once. People started asking each other, “Are you a nationalist? What kind?” TV news channels conducted debates about nationalism, and still, nobody can answer who is a nationalist and who’s not. Let’s keep the politics behind nationalism …
Are You a Nationalist? (What Makes You Think So?) Read More »
I rarely blow the horn in the streets. And for a good reason: Well, first of all, roads in residential areas are meant for pedestrians. It’s a miracle that you’re allowed to ride a bike or drive a car in the streets. I’d say it’s a privilege. But have I always been like that—a non-honking …
He was staring at me. His lips didn’t utter a word, but the look in his eyes said it all, “You’re dumb.” I was on a train from Delhi to my hometown Muzaffarnagar, Western Uttar Pradesh. And the guy staring at me was one of the boys coming back after (apparently) appearing in some competitive …
Littering Habit: 3 Simple Ways to Say Goodbye to It Read More »
My mother once asked me: “How about organizing a ‘Jagaran?’” (a musical night honoring Goddess Durga). “Well, that’s a nice idea, but I shall disconnect the loudspeakers as soon as the clock hits ten since speakers are not allowed post 10 pm. The musical group can sing the ‘Bhajans’ and ‘Bhents’ the whole night but …
Loudspeakers And Religious Sentiments: Are They Interconnected? Read More »
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. – Edmund Burke. Ghar Wapsi. It happened in Agra, a city in Uttar Pradesh. Few notable Hindu organizations welcomed back Muslims (former Hindus) into Sanatan Dharma. They termed it ‘Ghar Wapsi’—homecoming. “Those Muslims were either converted by force or …
Ghar Wapsi (Why Blaming Muslims and Christians Won’t Help) Read More »
You blame The Government for: Corruption. Unemployment. Potholes. Dry taps. Mosquitoes. And whatnot. Blaming the government for everything is the norm. We—as a society, as a country—are habituated to criticize the government. And why wouldn’t we? What’s easier than finding fault with the governments? When we bash the government—the councilors, the MLAs, the MPs, the …
Don’t Blame The Government (A Brutally Honest Advice) Read More »