Strategic review of national security management
Unless one is able to convince the serving officers of the need for changes, reforms, new thinking and new concepts and ideas, even the best of task forces would fail to meet the objectives for which it was set up, says B Raman on the new task force set up to review our national security. Pranab Mukherjee's office was never bugged: Pillai
Home Secretary Gopal Krishna Pillai, who is retiring on Thursday after 39 years of service, told rediff.com in an exclusive interview, that, "No bugging took place" in the office of Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee. IM on back foot, terror suspect tells Gujarat cops
Danish Riyaz has told interrogators that the arrests have severely dented IM's operations and badly affected its recruitment and fund-raising drives. That in turn has reduced the Indian Mujahideen's capabilities to execute serial bombings. Toral Varia reports People, not Parliament supreme
Do not defend corruption by advancing specious arguments as to who is authorised to speak for the people. Mr PM, the dithering on Lokpal has to end NOW!
It is time for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to take the debate on the Jan Lokpal Bill to the people through the media as well as through direct interactions with the people during tours across the country, observes B Raman How to overcome Lokpal drafting committee impasse
The roller-coaster ride of the government-civil society joint drafting committee on the Lokpal (ombudsman) Bill has ended in a draw, but left both sides badly injured. Whether the tie will be broken when they present their separate recommendations to a proposed all-party committee in July remains an open question. Why are we neglecting our life-giving rivers?
We can still clean up India's rivers only if have the resolve. That is, the resolve both of the people and the authorities, the former for good behaviour the latter to ensure that once cleaned up, they stay that way, says Mahesh Vijapurkar. Why is the Congress 'leader of the youth' silent?
One can easily understand just why Rahul Gandhi chooses to dance away from the minefield that is the ongoing brouhaha over the Lokpal Bill. But why is he silent on issues that specifically concern young men and women? asks T V R Shenoy. DSK and Krittika: Illusions of immunity
The managing director of the IMF, doubtless, had diplomatic immunity, but it became irrelevant, while Krittika's immunity was in question, but her humiliation stood condemned. Former ambassador TP Sreenivasan offers an insight into the world of diplomatic immunity 'People' factor missing in anti-Maoist operations
The government needs to get the tribals in the Maoist-dominated areas on their side, if they are going to win the battle against the Maoists. But that is easier said than done, says Bibhu Prasad Routray. The untold story of Obama's mother
Barack Obama's mother was a truly unusual person, a woman with a curiosity, a keen intellect, and an internationalist orientation much ahead of her times, says B S Prakash after reading A Singular Woman Lankan Tamils: Inaction is not an option for India
The Indian government should pay serious attention to the alleged evidence produced by the Channel4 TV documentary on Sri Lankan war crimes. However, it should not be used as a stick to beat the Lankan government with, but to ensure that justice is done to the relatives of the victims, writes B Raman The Guru, the Gandhian, the Organisation Man
Rajeev Srinivasan on how Ramdev, Hazare, and Husain are all representative of different strands in Indian society. Tribute: J Dey was first among equals
MiD DAY executive editor Sachin Kalbag pays tribute to J Dey, the veteran investigative journalist, who was shot dead by unknown assailants in Mumbai on Saturday. Tribute: Fundamental loss to Indian art
Nishad Avari pays tribute to M F Husain, who passed into the ages on Thursday morning. What is the Indian State's duty to citizens?
Rajeev Srinivasan on the cavalier nature of the Indian State's actions against its own citizens Revealed: Why Centre changed its Ramdev stance
Neerja Chowdhury explains why the government was soft where it could have been tough. And tough where it could have demonstrated more patience Revealed: Why Centre changed its Ramdev stance
Neerja Chowdhury explains why the government was soft where it could have been tough. And tough where it could have demonstrated more patience New Delhi's summer of discontent
What do you make of the sheer fecklessness of the political class, those men and women that are supposed to be the pillars of our representative democracy? Why are they all seemingly blinded by folly? asks T V R Shenoy. A Dyer situation at Ramdev's midnight eviction
The main issue is the high risk that government took in a midnight swoop where things could have gone horribly wrong! Apart from illegality of use of force against sleeping citizens, the utter insanity of the decision making and panic syndrome is an issue of concern, says Colonel Anil Athale (retd). View: The corrupt will not yield easily
For everyone who is exercised enough to give vent by joining the demonstrations at Jantar Mantar and Ramlila Ground, there are a few thousands who remain quiet. This is where the strength of the corrupt is. This is what pre-empts a Jasmine Revolution and why India will not have a Tahrir Square, says Mahesh Vijapurkar. View: Satyagraha is not for commercial use
Injustices cannot be evaluated, modified, twisted, suppressed or brushed aside. The colour of the anti-corruption movement should be the tricolour, says Shehla Masood Ramdev's capital humiliation serves democracy well
After the warm welcome, the stern send-off to Baba Ramdev shows that the writ of the State still runs and that is a good sign, says Navneet Anand. Why an unstable Pakistan is a danger to India
India needs to be aware of the potentially-catastrophic implications of the collapse of governing authority in Pakistan. A boost to fundamentalist forces in the neighbourhood will have some serious consequences for the utility of nuclear deterrence in the sub-continent, says Harsh V Pant Ramdev arrest: The prime minister should act now
The first step for the government to get out of this mess is to convince the public that they have taken note of its anger and are serious about dealing with this issue, suggests B raman Fatal flaw in communal violence bill
The manipulative syntax of the bill smacks of a furtive agenda to tilt the scales in favour of a specific community at the cost of the majority and violates the basic tenet of equality before the law, says Vivek Gumaste. Mamata: Change agent in chappals
A pair of slippers does a good a job of saving Mamata Banerjee's soles from thorns, while her Santro runs as efficiently as a siren-blowing Safari. Navneet Anand on the West Bengal chief minister's mystique Jasmine's revolution unfolds in Inner Mongolia
China's Inner Mongolia, where Mongolians are in a minority of only 20 per cent out of the total population of 23 million, has been going through a Jasmine- type revolution since May 10. There have been widespread protests in different towns following the death of a herdsman by name Mergen who was allegedly killed by a Han Chinese truck driver during a protest against mining operations in their area. The communal polarisation of Kerala's voters
There was a clear polarisation of Christian and (especially) Muslim votes in favour of the UDF. This caused enough misgivings to start a consolidation of Hindu votes behind the LDF, says T V R Shenoy. May 2011 | April 2011 | March 2011 | February 2011 | January 2011 | December 2010 | November 2010 | October 2010 | September 2010 | August 2010 | July 2010 | June 2010 | May 2010 | April 2010 | March 2010 | February 2010