On 22 April 1955, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru spoke at the closed session of the Asian-African Conference in Bandung, Indonesia, where he said there was no no point in blaming the Soviet Union or America and Asian countries must be on the side of peace, not war. ‘If there is aggression anywhere in the world, it is bound to result in world war.’
The West must recognise that Russia is a declining power, but if pushed hard, it will react – just like Germany did after a humiliating peace at Versailles.
In ‘The 24th Mile’, Tehmton Mistry writes about Dr Jehangir Anklesaria, who took part in the war effort in Rangoon and set about to vaccinate a camp of suffering Indians.
In ‘Raj and Norah’, Peter R. Kohli and Shaina Kohli Russo write about Rajendra Kohli, who left his chemistry studies in England to join the British Army in 1939.
In ‘Bland Fanatics’, Pankaj Mishra writes how books and films portray the pre-war years as an age of prosperity in Europe. But it was full of war, racism and genocide.
During the 2008 financial crisis, leaders like Gordon Brown, Tara Aso and Kevin Rudd gained popularity, but vanished after the rise of nationalist populism.
Over generations, Bihar’s bane has been its utter lack of urbanisation. But now, even Bihar is urbanising. Or let’s say, rurbanising. Two decades under Nitish Kumar have created a new elite in its cities.
Indian govt officials last month skipped Turkish National Day celebrations in Delhi, in a message to Ankara following its support for Islamabad, particularly during Operation Sindoor.
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.
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