The VHP’s endorsement of Narendra Modi as the BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate to carry forward the Hindutva agenda is a double edged sword. It might unite the Sangh Parivar’s core base while cutting the NDA into pieces. Read more

The Bharatiya Janata Party’s refusal to join debate in Parliament on the CAG report on what has come to be called Coalgate could prove to be a self defeating exercise in the longer run. Read more

It’s about time the UPA began worrying— not as much for its own survival but that of India. One doesn’t really care who spread the rumors that made people from the north east return home in panic from across India. Read more

India has leaders in abundance but few among them are heroes or role models. The political among them thrive on caste loyalties, pelf and patronage; the Bollywood stars on fantasy, glamour and media glare. It’s in the field of sports that one stumbles on stories of human perseverance, dedication and hard work despite daunting roadblocks. Read more

Anna Hazare’s anti-corruption encore at Jantar Mantar was riddled with contradictions the mainstream media failed to catch. There’s a lot for which the UPA has to answer. Read more

If the exit polls come true, the Samajwadi Party will either have the numbers or shall be tantalizingly close to the magic figure of 202 to form a government in Uttar Pradesh. Read more

I’ve always held that India lacks the political culture to fight terrorism. The onus for creating the right ambience is primarily on the government at the Centre, regardless of who’s in power. Read more

Much is happening in Pakistan. Self-exiled Pervez Musharraf is threatening to join politics back home, Asif Zardari says he isn’t under the army’s pressure to quit, Nawaz Sharif’s struggling to hold his own and Imran Khan going great guns in his quest for power. Read more

Comparisons are odious. But this one seems irresistible without meaning to equate parliamentary democracy in India and Pakistan. Read more

Let me at the very outset confess that I was impressed by Anna Hazare’s latest show of protest. There was a certain variety to the debate. One didn’t feel being shepherded in the direction chosen by the organizers. Read more