Another Country

Mukul Kesavan Freedom should have come in fifty-seven,a century after eighteen-fifty-seventwo centuries after Plassey’s fifty-seven,(which made our history rhyme with five and seven).But freedom came before its time,four and seven didn’t rhyme,the witching hour’s midnight chime,rang in twins before their time,conjoined twins before their time,in nineteen-forty-seven. Radcliffe carved the join and there was blood,that was… Read More Another Country

Jaishankar heading to Moscow, Wang to Delhi amid strain in India ties with US. Remember Nehru’s non-alignment?

On Doval–Wang table: LAC situation, next steps to repair ties; visits taking place in run-up to SCO summit in China, possible visit by Putin to India NB: During the 1960’s the RSS hailed the American war of agression against Vietnam as a dharm-yuddha, or ‘holy war’: manifesting their visceral hatred of socialism and of communist… Read More Jaishankar heading to Moscow, Wang to Delhi amid strain in India ties with US. Remember Nehru’s non-alignment?

Few Options on the Negotiating Table as India and Modi Are Cornered by Trump

Given India’s own macroeconomic position, as vulnerable as it is now, it is imperative for the government to try and achieve a trade-compromise with the US in the short term at least. Deepanshu Mohan The additional 25% tariff penalty imposed on India by Trump administration, taking the overall tariff level to 50%, signals a low… Read More Few Options on the Negotiating Table as India and Modi Are Cornered by Trump

The Caravan archive: Malegaon Acquittals, NIA’s Decline, and Sangh Parivar Terror Links

Welcome to The Backdrop, a selection of fine narrative journalism from The Caravan to put the news in context. The Independence Day Sale is now live. Last week, a special National Investigation Agency court in Mumbai acquitted Pragya Singh Thakur, a former member of parliament from the Bhartiya Janata Party, and six others in the… Read More The Caravan archive: Malegaon Acquittals, NIA’s Decline, and Sangh Parivar Terror Links

Mumbai: St Xavier’s College cancels Stan Swamy lecture after ABVP protests

St Xavier’s College in Mumbai has cancelled its annual Stan Swamy Memorial Lecture, which was to be held on Saturday, after protests by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, reported The Free Press Journal. The ABVP is the student wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the parent organisation of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. The lecture, titled “Migration for… Read More Mumbai: St Xavier’s College cancels Stan Swamy lecture after ABVP protests

A tribute to Rajmohan Gandhi, the writer with deep insights into India’s past

Rajmohan Gandhi, who just turned 90, edited a brave magazine during the Emergency and fought an election against Rajiv Gandhi Ramachandra Guha Mahatma Gandhi had four sons. He bullied the two oldest children, Harilal and Manilal, and condescended to the third, who was named Ramdas. But by the time his youngest son, Devadas, was born,… Read More A tribute to Rajmohan Gandhi, the writer with deep insights into India’s past

Nehru built institutions. Modi built a brand, and it is cracking

Personality politics will not make up for the Global South’s mistrust of India’s purely self-serving strategic autonomy. Bharat Bhushan United States President Donald Trump’s near-daily targeting of India in his second term has left Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government stunned. His description of the Indian economy as ‘dead’ and accusations that it funds the Russian ‘war machine’ in… Read More Nehru built institutions. Modi built a brand, and it is cracking

Duplicate voters, fake addresses: Rahul Gandhi claims fraud in Karnataka rolls

Rahul Gandhi alleged that fake people were being added to voter lists by the ECI in collusion with the BJP and attempted to validate his point by showing the Karnataka electoral rolls. By: Abhishek De In a no-holds-barred attack on the Election Commission (EC), Congress MP Rahul Gandhi alleged that the poll watchdog was colluding with the… Read More Duplicate voters, fake addresses: Rahul Gandhi claims fraud in Karnataka rolls