Ideas News - Page 5

The Left-liberal 'idea of India' is mere idea and no India

The Left's so-called ‘Idea of India’ includes no loyalty to India per se, but only some vague slogans about ‘inclusiveness’.

Why I am not a feminist

It is humanism that will matter ultimately, not feminism.

Happy ninth birthday: The perils of being a Facebook slut

Facebook was meant to share your world with your friends. Now it's the last place in the world you'd want to share anything important like how drunk you got last night.

Wife of slain soldier continues fast, demands more respect

Slain soldier Lt Lance Naik Hemraj Singh's wife continued her fast even though her health condition worsened. She vowed to continue until the government met her demand of greater respect for the martyr.

From bullet-proof cell to video conferencing: Rs 35 cr spent on Kasab in 4 yrs

Z-plus category security, a special bullet- and bomb-proof cell, access to the court proceeding through video conferencing -- all this was made available to the sole surviving Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab, convicted for the attacks in Mumbai.

Why the Anna 'movement' leaves the aam aadmi cold

It is one thing for the media to brand an urban picnic campaign against bribery as a “mass movement,” quite another to be blind and deaf to the aam aadmi's real struggles.

TV channel named after Modi gets EC nod

The new 'NaMo Gujarat' television channel today got the Election Commission's nod but with some riders in the election-bound state where model code of conduct is in force.

My cartoon was not wrong, won't apologise: Aseem Trivedi

Trivedi slammed the sedition law under Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code, stating that the law was a colonial relic that was used by the British government to "silence rebel voices".

In defence of Fareed Zakaria, and so-called copying

The extreme criticism of Fareed Zakaria's so-called plagiarism is totally unwarranted. As is excessive protection for IPR

Memories of Enid Blyton's past: A birthday ode to her

On Enid Blyton's birth anniversary, Sandip Roy offers thanks for childhood filled with pixies, crumpets, wild adventures, and a parrot named Kiki.

No relief for ND Tiwari, SC tells him to give blood sample

The Supreme Court directed the former Andhra Pradesh governor to undergo the blood test to verify his paternity.

Even in the age of Google, 'general knowledge' matters

There is no substitute for a nuanced understanding of subjects that goes beyond just Wikipedia references or 'Googled' information. It matters enormously if our youngsters aren't curious about the world.

The cynics are wrong: Team Anna is far from finished

Obituary writers are writing off the anti-corruption movement lead by Team Anna as dead. On the contrary, the job is far from done, but it has to be carried forward in ways that are different from the past.

When someone compares Anna Hazare to Gandhi, I want to throttle them

In this wide-ranging interview, the Tehelka editor speaks of his widely praised new novel, the Hazare protests, corruption, and the failures of the Indian media.

Pakistan has always been a negative identity: Aatish Taseer

Novelist Aatish Taseer on his new novel Noon and what he fears about Anna, why he rejects the premise of Pakistan, and the appeal of dangerous men.

A Delhi postcard: Sex, marriage and air-conditioning

A whimsical meditation on the trade-off between sexual freedom for air-conditioned comfort in the sweltering heat of Delhi.

Run DK run: dirty lyrics that ring perfectly true

The profanity-laced song perfectly captures a modern Indian reality. But it's time we stop acting coy about the more, um, colourful words in our language.

Delhi Belly: A love letter to the modern Indian male

Delhi Belly ushers in a new kind of hero who doesn't need to prove his masculinity by getting rich, scoring with the girls, or beating up the next guy.

The Call Centre of Last Resort: 1888 Dial India

Arun Gupta, the hilariously insane anti-hero of Anuvab Pal's new novel, is determined to create the next Google. No, not a search engine but an American suicide hotline outsourced to India.

A subversive reading list for self-proclaimed 'liberals'

The protests over the withdrawal of AK Ramanujam's 300 Ramayanas from a history reading list are warranted. But here's a reading list to test those who think they are liberal.

Anna Hazare says... way too much!

Not a day goes without Anna issuing a statement or posting to his blog — and this despite a recent vow of silence. And his words reveal a leader out of step with the demands of modern-day leadership – at the national level, and perhaps even in his own village.

Twitter mob or Twitter revolution? NOTW and the journalism dilemma

NOTW surfaces once again, that the line between news for public interest and news for infotainment continues to blur. Who now decides what information the public NEEDS to know, and what information might just entertain them? Twitter?

Must-see Sunday TV: Say hello to The Dewarists

Here's what you ought to be watching tonight: The best music show on television which showcases a dynamic and vibrant Indian indie scene that is coming of age.

The moral of Gaddafi: Old dictators can run, but they cannot hide

In the good old days a dictator on the run could count on a sunny exile in a villa in France or a suite of rooms in Riyadh. But times have changed. The list of safe havens for retired despots is fast shrinking. And Gaddafi's last option went down the drain.

Nuclear energy: No longer a sacred cow

The nuclear debate in India has changed dramatically over the decades. Once even questioning nuclear power was taboo, a dissenter dubbed anti-national. But the old hawks are suddenly sounding out of tune, even when they are brought on television as experts.