Breaking Views News - Page 21

CBI autonomy: Why the 'caged parrot' can't be 'half-free'

The proposals that the Group of Ministers outlined for the CBI amount to taking half a step forward, but they don't insulate the CBI from political coercion or powerful enticements to which CBI officials have in the past proved susceptible.

Uttarakhand musings: Why does tragedy strike pious people?

When people who go on a pilgrimage suffer grievous tragedy, it seems fair to ask: what is faith worth if it cannot buy insurance from heartbreaks?

Photo-op politics: For netas, push comes to shove in Uttarakhand

The tug-of-war between the Congress and the TDP in Dehra Dun shows that for provincial-minded politicians, even a Himalayan tragedy is a mere backstory for the macabre promotion of their parties and their own political careers.

Uttarakhand floods: Why netas should stop playing politics

When it comes to scoring political points, nothing - not even the death of over 1,000 people and a tragedy of this scale - is sacred. That may well be the bigger tragedy in Uttarakhand.

Girls just wanna get inked

Tattoos are not just for bad boys anymore. Girls are starting to outnumber boys in the get-inked department. And it's not just wild chicks — unless that includes British PM David Cameron's wife.

The legacy of Masterchef Australia — Food Ambition

It's only in the kitchen that the full impact of life after Masterchef will be felt.

Why we are waiting to see The Dirty Picture

Because Silk Smitha's story is not a story of deprivation and desperation but one of raw ambition.

Obama's 'peace at any cost' talks with Taliban may recoil on India

The talks in Doha will hand Pakistan and its jihadist proxies the keys to Afghanistan’s future—a decision that could impose enormous costs on India.

Remembering B Raman: A role model for Indian espionage

The lesson to learn from him is: Flamboyance does not always pay in the tricky game of intelligence; perseverance and a level head alone are the main keys to success.

Cabinet shuffle: UPA has given up even pretence of governing

The UPA has lost the will to govern and is merely marking time until the next elections. But between now and then, if it doesn't ratchet up its administrative efficiency, it will have made the nation pay a tragic price.

With JD(U) exit, BJP is past the point of no return

Any further dithering in naming Narendra Modi as the BJP's candidate will only mean that its loss of JD(U) as an alliance partner - and the likely loss of its foothold in Bihar - will have been in vain.

How Nitish Kumar's principled position could turn out

Politics is a numbers game. And if the BJP manages to get within striking distance of forming a government, the JD(U) could once again be back in the NDA fold.

Pointless political posturing behind BJP-JD(U) rift

That a politically astute politician like Nitish Kumar should risk near-certain political defeat in Bihar by walking out of an alliance with the BJP unless it rules out Modi as its candidate is astonishing. But posturing is a habit that's hard to break.

Dear MPs, please heed Lancet and debate the Food Security Bill

Even as the UPA government is trying to enact the National Food Security Bill one last time through the Parliament, two significant global initiatives on nutrition took place last week that must be noted by India.

How Modi's rise is redrawing the political map

Modi's elevation within the BJP and the proximity of the elections have galvanised other political parties to reflect on where they stand in the political spectrum and how best they can leverage their political clout.

What LK Advani achieved: he validated his irrelevance

Advani's resignation drama was entirely pointless. It is the arithmetic of elections that will determine who will be the BJP's prime ministerial candidate.

BJP must see Advani's dissent as a blessing in disguise

it's a good thing that Advani has revealed his now. If a showdown was inevitable within the party, it is better to get it over with, rather than have it drag on until the election season is near at hand.

Advani: At BJP’s inflexion point, he no longer matters

It was never so much a battle between Modi and Advani as it was a battle between the Right and the Centre-Right within the BJP.

In Goa today, BJP faces a moment of reckoning

Given the heavy-duty build-up by the pr-Modi faction in the party, leaving Goa without clarity on his nomination would be an anti-climax, and could end up signalling that the party is hostage to its past

Will bypoll results buoy Modi to his political goal?

Modi's ascension in the BJP leadership has triggered a revolution of rising expectations from party cadres and supporters, which border on the hyperbolic.

How far will Advani go to scuttle Modi's bid for the top job?

For the BJP, which is in the throes of a divisive leadership tussle, the next week could prove an eternity.

Will RSS nominate Modi for PM and admit its irrelevance?

The sangh parivar has to realise that ideology takes a back seat when it comes to winning elections.

Even RTI radar may not be enough to cleanse political rot

The CIC order is welcome, but its effectiveness will be severely tested by the political parties' reluctance to submit themselves to scrutiny.

Why LK Advani is taking the BJP to the end of the precipice

LK Advani's efforts to belittle Narendra Modi show that he is willing to risk further blood-letting in the BJP that only recently rediscovered some of its mojo.

BJP wants early Monsoon Session to pass Food Bill in Parliament

Observing that the BJP is in favour of passing the Food Security Bill with some amendments, party President Rajnath Singh on Tuesday asked the government to advance the monsoon session of Parliament for the purpose.

#BreakitFakeit: Faking News is now a part of Firstpost

Our strong belief is that those who are digital news addicts, are also those who have an enormous appetite for satire.

Beyond Chhattisgarh: Are the Maoists rebels without a cause?

You’d think the government and analysts would have a better idea—not the least because both human lives and expensive economic decisions are at stake.

Chhattisgarh attack: Why Sonia, Rahul have many lessons to learn

For those who understand how the Maoist mind works, this tactical counter offensive campaign was just waiting to happen.

Chhattisgarh attack: Why the Indian state was caught napping

For years, India’s élite has been complicit in Maoist savagery because of misplaced guilt and misguided apathy. The war against the Maoists will begin to be won when Indians decide that the democracy we have is worth killing for.

Srinivasan, for cricket's sake, go! And take CSK with you

This IPL series has shown up the carnival to be a can of worms and India's cricket administration to be rotten at its core. As a first step towards fixing it over the long haul, Srinivasan should be made to resign, and the Chennai Super Kings team disqualified.