All stories by VIVEK GUMASTE
Why talks are not the way out in Kashmir
Rediff.com30 May 2017Talks will ensure the rise of Islamism in Kashmir and the death of the Idea of India, warns Vivek Gumaste.
Why the 2 videos from Kashmir show our Army is the best
Rediff.com19 Apr 2017Indian soldiers in Kashmir are not on a joy ride scouting for people to kill, says Vivek Gumate.
Do Muslims really need government upliftment?
Rediff.com30 Jan 2017While there is no denying that certain sections of the community deserve aid, the politics of reservation can be suicidal for India.
A year after Pathankot, has anything changed?
Rediff.com26 Dec 2016'More needs to be done in less time,' says Vivek Gumaste. 'A sense of urgency is crucial if the BJP wishes to fulfil its promise of tough, no-nonsense, governance in matters of security.'
Will military action teach Pakistan a lesson?
Rediff.com29 Sep 2016'For India, the phase of pure restraint has passed.' 'Restraint has failed to reform Pakistan or rein in terrorism,' says Vivek Gumaste.
Did the Last Queen of Kashmir have a message for the present?
Rediff.com26 Aug 2016The solution to the Kashmir problem does not lie in India speaking to Pakistan; it does not lie in the Indian government speaking to the separatists; it lies in the Kashmiris talking to their inner selves. They need to trace their history to include their rich cultural heritage of Hindu Saivism and Sufi mysticism. Only then will Kashmiris be at peace with themselves, says Vivek Gumaste.
China, the nuclear hypocrite, preaches to India, the nuclear model State
Rediff.com4 Jul 2016'This was undoubtedly a premeditated strategy to thwart India's entry into the NSG.' 'If India hopes to be a major player, it must use its rising clout on the world stage to influence amenable members of the group to alter such discriminatory practices and ensure fair rules of engagement,' says Vivek Gumaste.
Why Bharat Mata Ki Jai is a secular slogan
Rediff.com18 Apr 2016'Genuine secularism cannot be built on the backs of Hindus alone.' 'In a pluralistic society every religion is duty bound to respect the rights and sentiments of the others.' 'Vande Mataram was a casualty of minorityism. Bharat Mata Ki Jai cannot be allowed to go the same way,' says Vivek Gumaste.
How we should honour Rohith Vemula's memory
Rediff.com28 Jan 2016'Reflex responses to Dalit student Rohith Vemula's suicide are band aids that stem the current hemorrhage but do precious little to the festering wound beneath,' says Vivek Gumaste.
Why the BJP must be cautious in talking to Pakistan
Rediff.com24 Dec 2015'The softening of India's attitude towards Pakistan -- whatever the compelling reasons -- opens up the BJP to harsh scrutiny.' 'This is a high stakes gamble with the potential for devastating losses,' warns Vivek Gumaste.
Why the BJP must stand up to fake protests
Rediff.com5 Nov 2015'While the government must be relentless in its efforts to curb unruly elements to ensure secular harmony and protect its goal of national development,it must not lose the moral high ground by giving in to the antics of the anti-nationalist lobby.' 'They must be countered and relegated to the dustbin of history,' says Vivek Gumaste.
Why the anti-Digital India petition must be called out
Rediff.com22 Sep 2015'The anti-Digital India campaign is a vindictive hatchet job rather than a fact based, rationally sound appraisal; a personal attack rather than issue based criticism; an ideological assault rather than altruistic effort. It must be called out for what it is,' says Vivek Gumaste.
Why we need to stop talking to Pakistan
Rediff.com6 Aug 2015To persist with talks in the face of continuing terrorism that puts hundreds of Indian lives at stake is not only naive but morally repugnant and ethically unacceptable. It is time to see through this charade and abandon a path of high risk and no returns, says Vivek Gumaste.
Why the RSS and BJP are the true champions of our democracy
Rediff.com26 Jun 2015Ironically, it was the members of the BJP (which the Indian press loves to dub as fascist) who resisted the assault on democracy and were jailed for 18 months. The RSS too played a stellar role in the resistance movement during the Emergency. Yet by some strange warped logic, the Indian media deems the Congress party with an established record of authoritarianism as a standard bearer of democracy while damning a true champion -- the BJP, says Vivek Gumaste
Modi@1: Why Modi has to succeed
Rediff.com21 May 2015Modi cannot afford to fail the Indian people and in return the Indian people cannot fail Modi. There is too much riding on this equation for failure to be an option. There is too much invested in this relationship for it to splinter, says Vivek Gumaste.
Anti-Christian acts: The myth and reality
Rediff.com25 Feb 2015'When the BJP first came to power in the late 1990s we heard of anti- Christian incidents perpetrated by members of the Sangh Parivar, the majority of which proved to be blatant falsehoods.' 'We need to recall those events to give a reality check to a similar campaign of unsubstantiated calumny that is raising its head again to discredit the BJP government.'
Anti-Christian acts: The myth and reality
Rediff.com25 Feb 2015The double standards over conversions
Rediff.com18 Dec 2014The million dollar question that begs for an answer is: Why is it that an amateurish attempt to convert a handful of Muslims by fringe Hindu elements garners so much attention while large scale systematic attempts to subvert Hinduism go unnoticed or are deliberately overlooked? If this is not double standards then what is, asks Vivek Gumaste.
The BJP should not ignore Indira Gandhi
Rediff.com4 Nov 2014By deeming October 31, Sardar Vallabhai Patel's birthday as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas, the BJP has rightly made amends for the short shrift that the great leader received at the hands of the Congress. By the same token, the BJP cannot be seen as being petty towards Indira, a leader who despite her flaws, did render yeoman service to the nation, says Vivek Gumaste.
Why the RSS is not untouchable
Rediff.com7 Oct 2014The real danger in India is not majoritarianism but minorityism, a bane we have already experienced. Majoritarianism in the India context means plurality and tolerance. No one needs to fear, says Vivek Gumaste