These are articles from the year 2003.
April 6th 2003 The Iraq War of 2003 is a continuation of what used to be called “The Great Game (1) (2)”. In the 19th Century India was the prize, the UK lead actor or hero while Russia was seen as the villain. Oil has supplanted India and the UK is no longer lead actor.… Continue reading The Great Game Continues
15th June 2003 “Pratap” is a name redolent with glory and the aura of greatness. Maharana Pratap of Mewar (Udaipur) was a doughty warrior, resolutely independent, who never submitted to the might of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. This unswerving resistance has made him a victim for the RSS attempt to rewrite history in as anti-Muslim… Continue reading Rana Pratap of Mewar
Column for 6th July 2003 This story is about [Rana] Pratap’s ancestor Hammeer winning back Chittor (Chittaudgarh) for his clan, the Sisodias. Hammeer started his reign by forbidding the growing and harvesting of crops in his realm. Chittor and Mewar became an area without income, profitless and untenable. The Dillee Sultans fief holder, Rao Maldeo… Continue reading How Rana Hammeer Won Chittor
29th June 2003 A theme that occurs again and again in Mewar (Meywaad) history to provide for tales of heroism and panegyric is based upon the fort of Chittor (Chittaudgarh). Its capture and recovery were matters of great consequence in the history of India.
Column for 1st June 2003 The attempt to resurrect memories of Muslims opposed to partition and Pakistan has caused some little stir. A correspondent writes: Allah Baksh was premier (those days chief ministers were known by this designation) of Sind during the eventful days of the Quit India movement of 1942 as head of… Continue reading More on Allah Baksh
25th May 2003 The move for healing the Indo-Pak rupture has affected people of Indian origin in the core of their being. The importance of Indo-Pak relations can be judged from the fact that we already have two responses to the column for 18th May 2003. Both are from the USA and from heretofore or… Continue reading The Disease Becomes Remedy!
Column for 18th May 2003 Perhaps it is time again to talk of cross border ties and of friendships on hold, of shared joys and sorrows. The partition of the country (14th and 15th August 1947) is a living memory for those who were adult at that time. It is as well to remember that… Continue reading Cross Border Friendship
Column For 11th May 2003 Atal Behari Vajpeyi, Prime Minister of India can talk about a last chance for peace in his lifetime because in India, unlike Europe and the USA, death is not a forbidden subject. This may be because the Hindu looks upon death not as a full stop but as a comma,… Continue reading Bahadur Shah’s 1857 Proclamation and the British Response
Itihaas : Correcting A Limited, Stereotype View Urdu is now a ‘dead’ language. It is easy to dismiss its poetry as decadent and its poets as maudlin sycophants who eked out a living by writing panegyrics redolent with fulsome flattery of their patrons. The patrons were Emperors and Nawabs… Continue reading Correcting a Limited, Stereotype[d View of Udru]
April 13th, 2003 2003 Spring is witness to an outrage against humanity. This is the unprovoked war on Iraq. It has killed maimed and rendered homeless many thousands of Iraqis. The claim made is that the war is being fought by ‘to liberate Iraq’. This great economy with the truth recalls ‘The White Man’s Burden’ invented… Continue reading Return of the White Man’s Burden
