Anil Dharker
Read biographyAnil Dharker is a writer and columnist on social and political issues.
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‘Hang them’ is no solution when 3 out of 4 rapists walk free
Off with their heads! Yes, hanging has been suggested as one of the punishments for rapists, but should the people making this suggestion lose their heads too? The reaction to the horrific Delhi gangrape has been of white-hot anger right across the country. And why shouldn’t that be when reading about #Death Penalty #Delhi gangrape #InMyOpinion #Protests #Rape
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How we have created a mess with our police force
The police force is in the news again, and – not surprisingly – for all the wrong reasons. There’s the shift (camouflaged as a promotion) of Mumbai Police Commissioner Arup Patnaik a few days ago. He needed to be shifted, that’s for sure, but it was done for the wrong reason #Arup Patnaik #Mumbai riot #Police Reforms #PoliceReforms #Raj Thackeray
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Does it need a foreign hand to goad Manmohan to action?
As a nation we lack a sense of perspective, and this generally happens when a foreign entity is involved. What a ruckus followed the Time magazine cover story on Manmohan Singh! And, then, when The Independent called our PM Sonia’s Poodle! The Congress party reacted strongly, forgetting that however important #Congress #Manmohan Singh #Politics Decoder #Sonia Gandhi
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Is Sangma worthy of contesting the presidential poll?
Can one think of a more unworthy candidate for the President of India than PA Sangma? Sadly, one can, and we don’t have to search further than the present incumbent of Rashtrapati Bhavan. But whatever the views of Pratibha Patil’s past record, and her family entourages on foreign trips in the #OnOurMind #PA Sangma #Pranab Mukherjee #Presidential Poll
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Why we deserve someone better than Anna and his Team
So Team Anna is at it again. Its latest move is to bring corruption charges against the Prime Minister, Home Minister, Foreign Minister, etc, etc. In fact, it’s a wonder that the whole cabinet has not been put into the Team’s imaginary dock. Do we see in this signs of #Anna Hazare #Anti-Corruption movement #InMyOpinion #Lokpal #Team Anna
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Dignity of house? Sanctity? Who were our MPs talking about?
Parliament is celebrating its 60th anniversary, and MPs got together "to uphold its dignity, sanctity and supremacy". Does this 'solemn pledge'—the general description in our newspapers—mean anything at all? It probably means different things to different people. The Prime Minister says, "Leaders of parties should sit together to find ways to #Ambedkar Cartoon #B. R. Ambedkar #ConnectTheDots #parliament #Sonia Gandhi
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Kalam should decline Prez job; Why not Manmohan?
Abdul Kalam for President? You hear these murmurs growing louder by the day and wonder if you are in a time warp. Wasn’t Kalam President earlier? Wasn’t there a clamour to give him a second term, a clamour which the Congress resisted, probably because he had become too popular, and #A. P. J. Abdul Kalam #Pranab Mukherjee #Pratibha Patil #The Presidency
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Gen Singh failed on decorum; time for him to stop speaking
The general says “It’s absolutely stupid.” That’s typical blunt army talk, but if you want a more nuanced reaction to The Indian Express story about suspicious army movements, you won’t get it from the army chief. Just as well, because Gen VK Singh has done enough damage without opening his #AK Antony #Gen VK Singh #The General's War
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Despite BMC loss, Maharashtra CM is doing the right things
There have been strange murmurs, promoted by a section of the media, that Prithviraj Chavan has offered to resign as chief minister because of the Congress party’s dismal showing in the recent municipal elections. This is really quite absurd: should the chief minister of a state resign every time his party #BMC #Builder Lobby #Kripashankar Singh #Municipal Polls 2012 #Prithviraj Chavan #SRA
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Why write Satanic stuff when it’s not really material?
The limitation of freedom of speech is defined by this well-known example: You can say 'Fire' in a conversation, but you can't shout 'Fire!' in a crowded auditorium. The reason is obvious: people will panic, a stampede for exit doors will ensue and that might result in injuries or even #Free Speech #JLF #Salman Rushdie #Satanic Verses #ToWhatEffect