This fortnight’s column could have been about the historic appearance by a sitting Chief Minister in the Supreme Court. Or, a piece on the tepid Union Budget presented by the Finance Minister which even the stock markets gave a thumbs down – Sensex saw its worst Budget-day fall in six years. Or, we could have… Continue reading West Bengal Budget: Substance Over Hype
When communal violence broke out in Manipur three years ago, incidents of physical and sexual violence made their way to our news feeds. Manipur witnessed a barbarity whose effects will be suffered even decades later. Earlier this month, a 20-year-old woman who was gang-raped during the ethnic violence succumbed to her injuries. Devastating. The victim’s… Continue reading When the law fails women, violence fills the gap
In about 10 weeks, four states and one Union Territory go to elections. There will be campaign songs, reels, trails, tactics and more. Policies will be launched and re-launched. From jingles to jumlas. From public rallies to podcasts. If the 2019 polls were India’s first “WhatsApp Elections” and 2024 India’s first “digital forward” elections, then… Continue reading Fake news, deepfakes and influencers — welcome to elections 2026
“My faith is in the younger generation, the modern generation, out of them will come my workers.” – Swami Vivekananda Here are 26 reasons why Gen Z will back Mamata Banerjee in 2026. This article was also published in NDTV | Thursday, January 15, 2026
“News is what somebody somewhere wants to suppress, all the rest is advertising.” – Alfred Harmsworth, founder of the Daily Mail and Daily Mirror. Now consider this: A minister in a State government gives an outrageously arrogant reply to a senior journalist who asks the minister a specific question on deaths due to contaminated drinking… Continue reading UNCENSORED. My latest column that got too hot to publish
The Christian community must not fall into the trap of being only sucked into the headlines for “negative reasons”. Positive messaging is the key. One country, two Christmases. Scene one: Kolkata, West Bengal. The resident of Calcutta (no, we are not touchy about the name) looks up, and there is definitely a snatch of song,… Continue reading Christmas was a day of festivity — and fear
1.‘Right’ not a ‘Gift’ MGNREGA was conceived and executed as ‘Demand Driven’. In the new Bill, this has been changed to a ‘Supply Based’ central scheme. This reeks of the government’s zamindari or feudal mindset. Clearly, the government does not want anyone to have a ‘right’. MGNREGA was a RIGHT. They instead want to dish… Continue reading Ten Reasons Why Modi Government Should Not Have Killed MGNREGA
As you read this, the shortest Winter Session in Indian Parliamentary history will be coming to a close. Here are a few notes from my Parliamentary diary. All-party meeting It is customary for the Government to host an all-party meeting a day before each Session starts. Floor leaders from 36 political parties attended. Every party,… Continue reading Notes from the shortest Winter Session in Indian Parliamentary history
The SIR Is Not The Problem. The Way It’s Being Implemented Is. And Home Minister is in-charge of borders By the time you read this, the three day debate in Parliament on ‘150 years of Vande Mataram’ would have ended. The Union government made the discussion on the national song a non-negotiable condition before any… Continue reading Response to Home Minister Amit Shah’s speech in Lok Sabha
As a responsible Opposition, it is our duty to protect the country’s independent institutions. So whether it is our Parliament, judiciary, Election Commission, RBI, central investigative agencies, or others, it is time we defeated all attempts to undermine them and destroy their autonomy. It is these vital institutions that protect the citizen against state power,… Continue reading How this government is stifling the autonomy of education, one institute at a time
