Open lobbying has begun in favour of Kiran Bedi, the country’s first woman IPS officer for the position of the Chief Information Commissioner. Actor Aamir Khan, activists– Anna Hazare, Arvind Kejriwal and Sandeep Pande and media baron Subhash Chandra have all come out openly in her support in letters to both Prime Minister and UPA Chairperson strongly recommending her case. Read more

The happenings in Karnataka where a legitimately elected chief minister is being sought to be replaced by someone else from his own party at the behest of money bags is a reflection of the power tussle within the Saffron Brigade. Read more

Bhagat Singh was barely 23 when he was hanged by the British in a case which symbolizes total miscarriage of justice. He and his two associates—Sukhdev and Rajguru-became martyrs and symbols of India’s freedom struggle on March 23, 1931. It was Bhagat Singh’s birth anniversary on September 27/28 and yet the media virtually blacked him out. Read more

Two days of rain in a span of about a month have thoroughly exposed the lack of infra structure in the capital as also raised serious doubts on whether Delhi was prepared to hold Commonwealth Games next year.

The showers demonstrated that the city had a non-functional drainage system, an erratic traffic controlling mechanism and there was no attempt by the authorities to fix responsibility and take action so that things could move smoothly thereafter. Read more

The RSS Sarsangchalak, Mohan Bhagwat’s interview to a TV channel has essentially made it clear that change was imminent in the BJP and the impression created by the coterie around Mr LK Advani that he had continued in his position as the leader of the opposition at the instance of the Sangh was erroneous. Read more

Rajiv Gandhi would have been 65 years old next Thursday had he lived. He was only 46 years old when he was targeted by a human bomber and killed in the most gruesome manner in Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu at a meeting venue, which was not there on his original schedule.

But destiny had other things in store and India’s youngest Prime Minister (he was only 40 when he became the PM) died with an unfinished agenda. Read more

The much publicized failure of actor Emraan Hashmi in getting a house of his choice in Bombay’s posh Pali Hill area “on the grounds that he is a Muslim” is perhaps an attempt by him and his uncle and film maker Mahesh Bhatt to get publicity and rake up an unnecessary debate during the sensitive times we live in. Read more

Ameen Sayani will always be known amongst lovers of hindi film music as the King of Broadcasting.

Any Radio listener in the sub continent is familiar with one name that has become synonymous with hindi film music and broadcasting of the highest calibre. Yes I am talking about Ameen Sayani who shot into fame with his presentation of the Binanca Geet Mala show on Radio Ceylon in the fifties. Read more

The recent developments within the BJP are perhaps first pointers to a split in a party started in 1980 by members of the erstwhile Bharatiya Jana Sangh with the blessings of the RSS. The party came into existence in the aftermath of the failed experiment of the Janata Party. The aim was once again to consolidate forces of hindutva.

However, as the party stands today, it has moved away from its basic ideology and a number of BJP leaders while squabbling over party posts share the opinion that the party should adopt a softer approach. In other words, the hindutva agenda goes for a six.

But somehow, the BJP without commitment to the hindutva does not seem to be acceptable to the RSS. Therefore, in a clash that is going to take place during the next few weeks, the BJP could ether end splitting or may have to finally choose the RSS line. In other words many of the top functionaries if they do not relent may find themselves marginalized as the BJP without the support of the RSS is a party which will not get support of its traditional voters.

I have been watching with great amusement the power struggle warming up in the Saffron party which has been under the stranglehold of either Atal Behari Vajpayee (now ailing) or L.K.Advani for neartly 40 years if one also takes into account the Jana Sangh years.

In the first 15 years of its existence, the Jana Sangh had 10 presidents, some of whom after disillusionment even joined the Congress. But since 1968 in the aftermath of the death of Deen Dayal Upadhyaya under mysterious circumstances, the party has had basically two main controllers, Vajpayee or Advani or their proxies with a brief period of two years in the early nineties when Murali Manohar Joshi was the party chief.

Past Jana Sangh president and one of the founders of the Jana Sangh, Balraj Madhok attributes dilution of the hindutva agenda to the way the BJP was run by Vajpayee and Advani.

The latest round of fight is within the coterie of Advani over succession and not because those who are fighting have any love lost for ideology. As a matter of fact, those who are fighting have similar views about hindutva and want the hindu card diluted. This is something which the RSS may not allow as long as the BJP is aligned with it.

The problem is that the BJP has always presented the negative aspects of hindutva before the people in the past and never the positive sides. It is like you can play Holi with mud and with Gulal but the BJP has chosen to play it with mud, the Gujarat riots were an example. It has never tried to project Swami Vivekanand or Sri Aurobindo’s thoughts in a concerted manner.

The most crucial test for the survival of the BJP in its present form may come during the meeting of its National executive on June 20. The RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat is going to be in delhi and may watch the developments keenly. The BJP stands at cross roads today and if it does not fall in line with the RSS, the BJP maybe headed for a split. But who knows?

There have been now several instances of Indians being targeted by some anti social elements in a few Australian cities. The attacks which are being defined as racial in nature have not only led to a feeling of great insecurity amongst the Indian community Down Under but could jeopardize relations between India and Australia. Read more