Author: Dilip

I'm a scholar, writer and teacher; and my blog is designed for intellectual exploration. It carries no advertisements and requires no cash subscription

Russia’s military wives and mothers are challenging Putin’s war on Ukraine

Russia’s anti-war movement should learn from the ‘patriotic dissent’ used by women involved in the war Natasha Danilova / Jennifer Mathers The women in Russia’s military families are posing a subtle but significant challenge to Vladimir Putin’s handling of the war in Ukraine by engaging in a form of political activism best described as ‘patriotic… Read More Russia’s military wives and mothers are challenging Putin’s war on Ukraine

Dilip

‘Written out the history books’: the British spy who planned the Iranian coup

Julian Borger Seventy years ago, the fate of Iran hung in the balance, when a US-UK coup to oust the elected prime minister appeared to have failed. The CIA was ready to pull the plug on the operation, but a 28-year-old British intelligence officer, monitoring events from a clandestine base in Cyprus, insisted on persevering.… Read More ‘Written out the history books’: the British spy who planned the Iranian coup

Dilip

Gandhi During Partition: A Case Study in the Nature of Satyagraha

First posted August 14, 2015 The following article, which appeared in 1970, is a detailed account of the Calcutta satyagraha. It was part of a book titled The Partition of India: Policies and Perspectives 1935-1947; by C.H. Philips and M. D. Wainwright, (ed). Professor Dalton later published a full-length account of Gandhi’s political activism: Mahatma Gandhi: Nonviolent… Read More Gandhi During Partition: A Case Study in the Nature of Satyagraha

Dilip

Donald Trump indicted in Georgia 2020 election subversion probe

The 13 charges against Trump himself include racketeering, forgery and perjury. NB: Despite my severe misgivings about the American polity, I must acknowledge its deep rooted acceptance of the concept of accountability. No one should be above the law, even Presidents and ex Presidents. It is a concept that has singularly failed to take root… Read More Donald Trump indicted in Georgia 2020 election subversion probe

Dilip

As our 76th Independence Day approaches, revisiting ‘Indian Ideas of Freedom’

Ramachandra Guha In his landmark book, Dennis Dalton had originally examined the approaches of Vivekananda, Aurobindo, Gandhi, and Tagore. In the early 1980s, while a doctoral student in Calcutta, I read a brilliant essay by the American scholar, Dennis Dalton, on the evolution of Gandhi’s views on caste. This was published in an edited volume… Read More As our 76th Independence Day approaches, revisiting ‘Indian Ideas of Freedom’

Dilip

What the 2023 Monsoon Session of Parliament Tells Us About the State of Governance

Deepanshu Mohan Waves of parliamentary theatrics define the disjointed operative functionalities of Indian democracy.  For watchers and observers of session proceedings, repetitive adjournments, an ecosystem of chaos, protests in and outside the chambers of the house, bias and favouritism among House speakers against opposition party parliamentarians have all become a part of an unusual norm.… Read More What the 2023 Monsoon Session of Parliament Tells Us About the State of Governance

Dilip

Kautilya’s observations on the causes of discontent in a polity

Impoverishment, greed, and disaffection, he says, are engendered when the king: 1/ ignores the good [people] and favours the wicked; 2/ causes harm by new unrighteous practices; 3/ neglects the observation of the proper and righteous practices; 4/ suppresses dharma and propagates adharma; 5/ does what ought not to be done and fails to do… Read More Kautilya’s observations on the causes of discontent in a polity

Dilip

Corruption and Fraud / Auditor General of India calls out massive financial irregularities

Here are some recent exposes of recent happenings; aside from corrupt practices over the years. Not much is reported of it on mainstream media. Now there are calls for the arrest of independent journalists Derek O’Brien takes a snipe at PM Modi Modi Reality & INDIA : मोदी इकोनॉमी की फाइल खुली..तो पलट जायेगी बाज़ी… Read More Corruption and Fraud / Auditor General of India calls out massive financial irregularities

Dilip