Articles

He was my Pope

  I am a Catholic and go to church every Sunday. On most weekdays, it’s the online service at home from 7 to 7.30 in the morning. Six popes have passed away in my lifetime. While I have no recollection of the first — the death of Pope John XXIII in 1963, when I was… Continue reading He was my Pope

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Am I Indian Enough?

Many of us have never had to ask ourselves this question. And maybe that’s the privilege we need to confront first. Because for millions of Indians, especially those from our minority and marginalised communities, this is not a rhetorical question. It’s a lived reality. It is a quiet burden. It is a deep suspicion cast… Continue reading Am I Indian Enough?

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Parliament Session Recap: Don’t Let The All-Nighters Deceive You

For two days during this recently concluded Budget session, MPs were in Parliament from 11 am to 4 am the next morning. Seventeen hours on the trot. Surely, parliamentary democracy is all energised and in top form. Right ? No. Completely wrong. Don’t let the contrived all-night-long sessions deceive you. To borrow a sentence first… Continue reading Parliament Session Recap: Don’t Let The All-Nighters Deceive You

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In Parliament, beyond politics

A look at some of the interventions by MPs, across party lines, on issues that affect the lives of citizens Parliament session after Parliament session, a few things change. The coffee spoons have moved from Central Hall to the seemingly swank, yet soulless, corridors of a modern-day cafeteria. Heritage can’t be traded in for the… Continue reading In Parliament, beyond politics

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PM Modi Podcast: An Alternate View

The Prime Minister’s podcast to a friendly interviewer was a master class in how to attempt to set a narrative. Soft questions. No follow-ups. A popcorn Q&A, then coated with caramel and served up by news platforms falling over each other to please the Masterchef. The key words from the podcast were then plated, garnished… Continue reading PM Modi Podcast: An Alternate View

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Private zoos must be accountable

Human animal conflict also a serious issue On World Wildlife Day this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Vantara, a wildlife rescue, rehabilitation and conservation centre – also called a private zoo. (To give you context, the Delhi Zoo is spread over 200 acres. Vantara is 3000 acres!). As Sagarika Ghose, a colleague of mine… Continue reading Private zoos must be accountable

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Rail Fail. That’s the Headline

Three reactions after the stampede and deaths at Kumbh Mela. Multiple news platforms: A stampede-like situation occurred at Kumbh… Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister: Between 1 am to 2 am, at the akhara route where arrangements were made for the Amrit Snan of the akharas, some devotees crossed over the barricades and were critically injured. They… Continue reading Rail Fail. That’s the Headline

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How to be a visible politician

When Donald Trump took the stage at the Capital One Arena in Washington, DC for a post-inaugural rally, he had an unlikely hero to thank for his victory. Not a Silicon Valley technocrat. Not a trusted DC campaign manager. Not a donor. Instead, a first-year student at New York University. Correction: His son, a first… Continue reading How to be a visible politician

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