NB: My old schoolmates from the Sainik School Kunjpura will recall that the village of Kunjpura is named after the Demoiselle Crane, which is a sub-species of the Siberian crane. The name koonj is derived from the Sanskrit word kraunch, which is a cognate Indo-European term for crane itself. Our School magazine was named The Grey Kunj. In the winter the lake besides the school… Read More Siberian crane: Back from the brink
Roman Gautam 10 Sep 2025 Nepal’s parliament burns after an anti-corruption uprising that brought down the prime minister and government. IMAGO / NurPhoto Nepalis don’t often pay attention to the politics of their Southasian neighbours beyond India. But when Sri Lankans rose up in 2022 to boot out the Rajapaksa regime, they took notice. Then… Read More Nepal’s horrific reckoning with its failed political class
Amish Mulmi (FB) If what I felt on Monday [8 September 2025] was rage, there is only despair and fear today. The burning down of state institutions and public property [on 9 September 2025] means that we have gone backwards as a state. The gains – I know there was a lot of frustration at the… Read More An anguished pro-democracy voice from Nepal / Dr Sanduik Ruit calling for restraint
Modern corporations are not merely economic entities, but political entities without democratic accountability Grace Blakeley‘s Vulture Capitalism critiques the alliance of corporations, finance, and states underpinning the capitalist system that drives inequality, stifles democracy and enriches elites. Brilliantly combining theory, analysis and practical solutions in engaging prose, this book offers a blueprint for reclaiming power… Read More Vulture Capitalism: Corporate Crimes and the Death of Freedom
Supposedly irrefutable evidence of division is said to lie in the Muslims over the last 1,000 years having victimised the Hindus, treating them as enslaved. Romila Thapar explains why historians question this theory The following is the text of the C.D. Deshmukh Lecture delivered by Romila Thapar on January 14, 2023, at the India International… Read More What History Really Tells Us About Hindu-Muslim Relations
Senior advocate and retired Delhi High Court judge S. Muralidhar said that the courts have failed to uphold constitutional values in the aftermath of the Babri Masjid demolition. Senior advocate and retired Delhi high court judge S. Muralidhar has delivered a sharp indictment of the judiciary’s handling of communal disputes, warning that the courts have… Read More ‘Unforgivable Institutional Amnesia’: Retired HC Judge Slams Judiciary’s Handling of Communal Disputes
Iris Leal It is, of course, not the first instance in history in which a regime builds a community of crime, as historian Adam Raz has described, and expands it to the entire nation: war crimes, annihilation of life-support systems, killing 20,000 children Smoke rises as a residential building collapses after an Israeli air strike,… Read More Israel’s War in Gaza Is Nothing but a War of Annihilation
For Iris Murdoch, morality is not about duties and rules but stopping our ego fantasies and attending to others with love Cathy Mason Being in love is one of the most profound experiences we can have, one that can powerfully move us and irrevocably change the way we see ourselves, one another, and even the… Read More Why love matters most
John Yang In recent weeks, Indonesia has been rocked by massive anti-government demonstrations. The protests are led by students, workers and women’s rights groups angered by the yawning gap between Indonesia’s elites and shrinking middle class, and turned violent after a delivery driver was killed amid a police crackdown. John Yang speaks with The Economist’s… Read More Violence sweeps across Indonesia amid protests over worsening economy
Young protesters clash with police after breaking barricades outside the Federal Parliament in Kathmandu, on September 8, 2025. Demonstrators rallied against corruption and the government’s social media shutdown, while security forces responded with tear gas, water cannons, and rubber bullets. Photos: Skanda Gautam/THT Nepal has lifted a ban on social media platforms following mass protests against systemic… Read More Revolutionary upsurge in Nepal; as govt lifts social media ban. 19 killed in protests against corruption. All political parties under attack
After the truth-shower 