August 5th, 2012 In 1947, the only real outcome of ‘Independence’ was partition. Today, we must realise the importance of brokering peace and trust across the border for sustainable development. 65 years after Independence, it is crucial to break India-Pak stalemate.
July 29th, 2012 The culture of some ancient civilizations in Saudi Arabia and India bestowed a high status to those who had poetic talent. In Arabia, a poet enjoyed the status of ‘half a prophet’ while in India the poet was a seer who could ‘see’ the past and the future as clearly as ordinary… Continue reading Poets foresaw an unviable future
July 22nd, 2012 Many of the horrors and the injustices of 1947 were swept beneath the carpet, under the naive and irresponsibly jingoistic chant of ‘independence’ from foreign rule.
July 15th, 2012 While Hinduism and other ‘pagan’ religions have thrived on uncertainty, the Abrahamic ones believe in a singular truth. We must re-assess the value of doubt, as pronounced in the Rig Veda.
July 8th, 2012 A new exhibition sketches Genghis Khan in a new, non-Eurocentric light — that of an efficient leader. Perhaps the virtues of uncertainty, as illustrated in the Rig Veda, are to be cherished. A reader has commented that the idea of abolishing visas for Pakistanis is impractical and fraught with danger as jehadis… Continue reading History devoid of Western distortion
July 1st, 2012 The only route to development is for the Indian government to practice tolerance and restraint. We must not fall victim to the communal cards played by vested interests in the West. The salt hath lost its savour can be said about the first republic of free India. It appears to have lost… Continue reading Pak’s game is to provoke; India should not react
February 26th, 2012 In 1947 there was no consensus on what independent India should be like. Today, Hindutva forces are playing sectarian politics and still living by the British ‘divide and rule’ policy. The brutal repression of the 1857 uprising included the killing of all those who were already leaders or had the potential for… Continue reading In Savarkar’s India we stand eternally divided
February 19th, 2012 Urdu is a linguistic repository of the country’s glorious past, yet it has become an undervalued language today. Even All India Radio, a patron and consistent promoter, has abandoned it. The language Urdu, which has a special claim on Dillee, is in a sorry state today. It is sad to remember that… Continue reading Urdu: Lost in its birthplace
February 12th, 2012 Communalism in India is a product of British partisan politics, L.K. Advani’s personal grievances, and forced links between the fabricated histories of Somanatha temple and Babari Masjid. How could an incident like the Babari Masjid demolition rear its ugly head in secular India? This was not a surreptitious act like an assassination,… Continue reading Personal hatred spurns national pride
February 5th, 2012 An evening with maestro Saeed Zafar Khan illuminates a rich history of the sitar, an instrument believed to be invented by Amir Khusro to enhance qawwaalee performances. In the oral tradition of Dillee, the beloved city, its 13th century poet, Amir Khusro Dehalvi was blessed by the grace and favour of his… Continue reading Sitar Ragas: A trove of Indian music
