Don’t blame misfortune. This is colossal incompetence and insensitivity. So bad, heads would have rolled even in the old PSU-era Indian Airlines and Air India.
None of Pakistan’s PMs has lasted 5 years. That the current PM has given Asim Munir 5 years shows that of all military dictatorships history has seen, Pakistan’s is most creative.
The India-South Africa series-defining fact is the catastrophic decline of Indian red ball cricket where a visiting team can mock us with the 'grovel' word.
It is a brilliant, reasonably priced, and mostly homemade aircraft with a stellar safety record; only two crashes in 24 years since its first flight. But its crash is a moment of introspection.
Without a Congress revival, there can be no challenge to the BJP pan-nationally. Modi’s party is growing, and almost entirely at the cost of the Congress.
Bihar is blessed with a land more fertile for revolutions than any in India. Why has it fallen so far behind then? Constant obsession with politics is at the root of its destruction.
This world is being restructured and redrawn by one man, and what’s his power? It’s not his formidable military. It’s trade. With China, it turned on him.
On 21 Oct, a buzz went up that the govt had released full list of gallantry award recipients along with Op Sindoor citations. I put an AI caddy on the job. It took me into a never-ending rabbit hole.
Education, reservations, govt jobs are meant to bring equality and dignity. That we are a long way from that is evident in the shoe thrown at the CJI and the suicide of Haryana IPS officer. The film Homebound has a lesson too.
Pakistan’s army has been a rentier force available to a reasonable bidder. It has never come to the aid of any Muslims including Palestinians or the Gazans, except making noises here and there.
For over three decades, AR Rahman has been a cultural ambassador of Indian pluralism. And yet, in today’s climate, that legacy seems disturbingly fragile.
Instead of buying more Mirages outright in early 2000s, the requirement was tweaked in favour of a medium-weight, multi-role fighter with Mirage-like performance.
Pakistan not only has zero chance of catching up with India in most areas, but will inevitably see the gap rising. Its leaders will offer its people the same snake oil in different bottles.
I think the author misses symptoms for causes. An authoritarian regime is usually propelled by a justification for its authoritarianism. External threats is a good justification as in the case of North Korea that coupled with deification of the ruler. In general the religion that has doctrines that demand obedience against which is the threat of hell is better suited to force people in to getting led. This is generally true of Abrahamic religions and Islam in particular. So given the right environment such as a power hungry military, Islam lends itself to justify dictatorial environments. The first Islamic governments in Arabia were similar, justification of rule by new elites on the basis of religion rather than inherited rule of old kings. But it is swapping one dictator for the other. Islam or any religion does not kill a form of government. It yields better to certain forms of governments than others. Religions such as Hinduism or Buddhism where individual progress through Moksha etc is paramount, the individualism leads to a more democractic set up because the individual is allowed to pursue their truth.
Current author probably like many other Indians are fond of US / Western Democracy. No mention of Western Liberal Democracy – which is run basically by DEEP STATE , definitely not by the people – USA is a classical example. How much and why it is better than TURKISH DEMOCRACY – for many of us difficult to fathom. I recall the famous quotation of US President Jimmy Carter – US has been in peace for only 16 years out of 242 years. US liberal democracy has killed most number of innocent people in human history in our planet. Committed genocides more than any dictator all dictators taken together. This essay probably wants to prove that Hindus are better than muslims or we should take inspiration from American brand of democracy. This essay would probably please the Americans !!!
You have very conveniently avoided Hinduism. What’s happening right now in India you don’t see any problem and even if you’re forced to write you wear kids gloves or turn saffron blind. Talking about Buddhism, you forget how it was wiped out of India. Same thing happened with Jainism. Why suddenly Bangladesh has become biggest oppression for Indian journalists. Because Hindus are targeted? But when this happens in India you forget about RSS and fascist ideology and Modi’s background. I am not defending Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar but it would fair if put India among these countries.
Shekhar sahab, your mask has fallen
Lame argument. Check out how many Islamic countries are democratic. No point in quoting the exceptions that prove the rule. Democracy is incompatible with Islam and Communism. As for whether Sri Lanka is a democracy, the jury is still out. Finally socialism and secularism was installed in the Indian constitution by an illegal government. What the constitution framers did in 1947/48 by refusing to insert these words was progressive. Since then India has only constitutionally regressed.
I think the author misses symptoms for causes. An authoritarian regime is usually propelled by a justification for its authoritarianism. External threats is a good justification as in the case of North Korea that coupled with deification of the ruler. In general the religion that has doctrines that demand obedience against which is the threat of hell is better suited to force people in to getting led. This is generally true of Abrahamic religions and Islam in particular. So given the right environment such as a power hungry military, Islam lends itself to justify dictatorial environments. The first Islamic governments in Arabia were similar, justification of rule by new elites on the basis of religion rather than inherited rule of old kings. But it is swapping one dictator for the other. Islam or any religion does not kill a form of government. It yields better to certain forms of governments than others. Religions such as Hinduism or Buddhism where individual progress through Moksha etc is paramount, the individualism leads to a more democractic set up because the individual is allowed to pursue their truth.
Current author probably like many other Indians are fond of US / Western Democracy. No mention of Western Liberal Democracy – which is run basically by DEEP STATE , definitely not by the people – USA is a classical example. How much and why it is better than TURKISH DEMOCRACY – for many of us difficult to fathom. I recall the famous quotation of US President Jimmy Carter – US has been in peace for only 16 years out of 242 years. US liberal democracy has killed most number of innocent people in human history in our planet. Committed genocides more than any dictator all dictators taken together. This essay probably wants to prove that Hindus are better than muslims or we should take inspiration from American brand of democracy. This essay would probably please the Americans !!!
Is this discussion relevant? This obsession of democracy vs religious setting with your summarisation is a flight of imagery with no substance.
You have lost your sense of balance and time for you to take a complete break … from writing. Try farming?
Muslims are a curse to the world.
Mr. Shekhar Gupta has become an apologist for Islam and it’s misdeeds.
Within two decades India will also join the list based on infiltration of hindutva into army
You have very conveniently avoided Hinduism. What’s happening right now in India you don’t see any problem and even if you’re forced to write you wear kids gloves or turn saffron blind. Talking about Buddhism, you forget how it was wiped out of India. Same thing happened with Jainism. Why suddenly Bangladesh has become biggest oppression for Indian journalists. Because Hindus are targeted? But when this happens in India you forget about RSS and fascist ideology and Modi’s background. I am not defending Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar but it would fair if put India among these countries.
Shekhar sahab, your mask has fallen
Lame argument. Check out how many Islamic countries are democratic. No point in quoting the exceptions that prove the rule. Democracy is incompatible with Islam and Communism. As for whether Sri Lanka is a democracy, the jury is still out. Finally socialism and secularism was installed in the Indian constitution by an illegal government. What the constitution framers did in 1947/48 by refusing to insert these words was progressive. Since then India has only constitutionally regressed.