Jonathan Steele NB: Mikhail Gorbachev was a historic figure, for his courage in steering the USSR toward democracy and the peaceful resolution of conflicts within and without its borders. It is another matter that the political forces at work in a decrepit state structure were too divisive and corrupt for him to forestall disintegration. Foremost… Read More Mikhail Gorbachev obituary
NB: Today we learn the sad news of Janab Akhtar Balouch’s passing. I have not been able to find an obituary and am posting some of his writings as a tribute. This is the first article of his that I posted: Daya Ram Gidumal of Sindh. Here are some more, including a fascinating account of Prime Minister Liaqat Ali Khan’s assassination in… Read More Akhtar Balouch: Why did Qurratulain Hyder leave Pakistan for India?
There is a saying in the Marathi language: “बामणा घरी लिहिणं, कुणब्या घरी दाणं आणि मांगा-महारा घरी गाणं.” A Brahmin’s house has the alphabet, a Kunbi’s house has grains, and Mang-Mahar homes have music. In the traditional village set-up, the Mang community played halgi , the Gondhali played sambal , Dhangars were masters of dhol… Read More Atmaram Salve: sowing the sparks of revolution
Father Stan Swamy, the Jesuit priest and tribal rights activist from Jharkhand who was arrested in the Bhima Koregaon case and died in July 2021, will get a “special, posthumous homage” at the Martin Ennals Award in Geneva on Thursday. The award is widely regarded as the Nobel Prize for human rights defenders. The winners… Read More Father Stan Swamy To Posthumously Receive Human Rights Honorary Award At Geneva Today
Joseph Raz, a commanding figure in modern legal philosophy, died in London on 2 May aged 83. He was one of three or four philosophers who made towering contributions to our theoretical understanding of law. The others were Hans Kelsen (1881-1973), HLA Hart (1907-92) and Ronald Dworkin (1931-2013). They are all gone now. Analytic jurisprudence… Read More Philosophy’s gentle giant Joseph Raz was one of the most important theorists of our age. By Jeremy Waldron
Umang Gupta one-time student of Sainik School Kunjpura (1961-65) and IIT Kanpur, a technology giant, passed away in San Mateo, California, on April 19, 2022 after a spirited battle against cancer. His mother, Mrs Ramnika Gupta, was CPI (M) MP from Hazaribagh, Jharkhand. She was a writer, educationist and tireless worker for tribal rights and the preservation of tribal languages. She… Read More Farewell Umang
My beloved friend Ajay Singh’s book will be released today, April 20, 2022; at 6.30 pm at the Indian International Centre. Hon’ble Kunwar Natwar Singh will launch the book. Three other speakers will be Mr. K C Tyagi, Mr. Bhai Chand Patel and me. All are cordially invited. Ajay Singh (1950-2020). RIP Beloved comrade and… Read More Ajay Singh: Fiji – A Love Story
Early in the morning of 17 December 2004, I woke up to a phone call from a Western diplomat. She asked me what I had heard about Deyda Hydara, a journalist and a mutual friend. “No, I am just back from an overseas trip and I have not yet spoken to him,” I replied. “Anything the… Read More How I remember my friend, the brave journalist Deyda Hydara
Remembering Mahatma Gandhi: उड जायेगा हंस अकेला / जग दर्शन का मेला ।। The Christian hymn has been played by the Massed Bands of the security forces every year since 1950 to mark the end of the Republic Day celebrations. Listen to some versions: https://scroll.in/video/1015930/abide-with-me-tm-krishna-artists-around-india-sing-the-hymn-dropped-from-beating-retreat-parade ‘Abide With Me’: Listen to the hymn that has been dropped from the Beating Retreat ceremony Two AV talks: The… Read More Remembering Mahatma Gandhi: उड जायेगा हंस अकेला / Abide with me: Gandhiji’s favourite hymn
“This body is not me; I am not caught in this body, I am life without boundaries, I have never been born and I have never died… Birth and death are only a door through which we go in and out. Birth and death are only a game of hide-and-seek. So smile to me and take… Read More Thích Nhất Hạnh, Buddhist Monk and Peace Activist Dead at 95
After the truth-shower 