An open letter to Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad on live-in relationships
Beautifully expressed emotions by Aparna Mahiyaria and brings back the focus on freedom of women. What role should the state forces or any political party have in the private space of an individual, be it a woman or a man? It is the individual's choice to wear what they want, be in the kind of relationship they want as long as its not detrimental to their well being. Political parties or activists build their case on second clause primarily, that "it affects the moral fabric of society at large". But what escapes my understanding is that, do we have a uniform moral code that we as a nation we must abide by? Do we even want one as that would kill any scope for choices and hence freedom at large. Therefore, best and simple solution is to live and let live. -Tuhina Chatterjee
* * *
May Aparna and Sahil treasure every second they have together. What is precious and priceless is the quality of the relationship and not the seal of social acceptability! Parents, politicians, communities, stay away! The choice is and should always be that of the couple. -Jamsheed Rizwani
* * *
Women asserting their choices is the most threatening phenomenon for folks who want to drag the country back to the middle ages. More women need to speak out for themselves. Well done. -Jyotsna G Singh
* * *
I respect what this young woman has to say about her relationship. It is personal and no political group has the right to dictate terms to anybody. Instead of wasting our energy on such non-issues, if only we could learn to be better human beings. If marriage were indeed a great institution one would not be fighting so much for it's survival -Jaysree Shankar
* * *
Cheer to all the Aparnas of India. Bravo! -Gopesh Singh
* * *
This is highly commendable for both the partners. It does not matter that they belong to different communities. Love is holding them together and that's what matters . All good wishes for such people who live their life on their terms.
-Satish Katyal
* * *
Well said, in a bold manner. -Raga Thyagaraj
* * *
Most of the indian youth want to say the same not only to religious activists, but also to their own parents. Well done.
-Asif Kakkassery
Iconophilia in India
This is in response to article titled, 'Why it’s so easy for Modi to appropriate icons he’s opposed to (and why Indians buy 'Mein Kampf''.The problem is not that the right-wing lunatics appropriate icons that are so far removed from their ideology, but the easy acceptance by people when it happens. As you have rightly mentioned, this happens because the people in our country are not really bothered about reading or learning about things, but have a superficial interest in knowing. Apocryphal stories, myths and urban legends travels farther in this country than one single line from an authoritative tome.
I still believe in a Gandhi, a Nehru, a Maulana, a Bhagat Singh and the rest. However, I cannot place any of them on a pedestal higher than needed. Just as well, I am ashamed to hear my countrymen talk of Gandhi at all. "He slept with his granddaughters," they snigger, "If he had not been killed, he would have been a nuisance to India", "He was really a "indutva icon, no matter what they say about his tolerance.". People who have not read one authentic account of Gandhi and decide to malign him on the basis of hearsay do not deserve any better. Is it wrong to criticize the Mahatma? Not at all. But have something to say, based on facts and observations, not malicious nonsense. The same with Nehru or Bhagat Singh or any other hero.-Kishore Tejaswi
* * *
Firstly, I would like to compliment the author for such a nice and relevant article. Appropriation has always been a major factor in every political movement and it is also evident in history. The appropriation of Sardar Vallabhai Patel, Gandhi, and even the usage of Teachers Day by Modi are clear examples. Yet, it is very unfortunate that people remains unaware of this and they adopt it, unknowingly. For instance, how may of us would have known Bhagat Singh was a communist?
It is also unfortunate that when one tries show these appropriations, one is been marked as anti- nationalist. People are under influence of the false nationalism that it becomes hard for them to decipher what is actually going on.-Barnett Varghese
Nepal respects their pet dogs during Tihar festival
God bless the Nepalese! The Indians need to learn from them– we are are cruel to our animals. -Jagdeep
Cartoons of Bangalore in the '70s
I went through the post and it's exactly how it was! I remember my parents recollecting their romantic outings at Cubbon Park, coffee dates at Koshy's Cafe, Parade Coffee and so on. It is just a dream that passed by right in front of us. Sad and horrible times now. All this city blitz, lights and bonanzas in bargain for our peace and happiness. Thanks for bringing those memories back. Loved the piece. -Nirupama Nagaraj
Rajnath Singh's stand on education and Indian culture
This is in response to your satire piece on Rajnath Singh. Satire is a powerful weapon and I am sure it would require an disclaimer to make sure people understand that it is satire, considering the kind of readership that exists today. However, satire must be made of sterner stuff. By stating something as if you are mocking at it, deprecating it while pretending to support it, does not make it satire.
I'm sure you try to tone it down to make yourself understood better. However, it ends up being a satire of a satire. I sincerely feel you could write a lot more devastatingly than that, without trying to reach out to the lowest common denominator. One must write satire like a liar remains true to his lies. Humour should come across incidentally, not be injected into it.-Tejaswi
Mughal miniatures of the Ramayana commissioned by emperor Akbar
A brief addendum to the piece on Persian Ramayanas. There is no known translation of the Ramayana attributed to Dara Shikoh, though the prince was certainly aware of the epic, probably through Persian translations. The work in Angara's possession, Ramayana Nazam Khushtar, must in all likelihood be the Urdu translation by Munshi Jagannath Lal "Khushtar".-Supriya Gandhi
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Beautifully expressed emotions by Aparna Mahiyaria and brings back the focus on freedom of women. What role should the state forces or any political party have in the private space of an individual, be it a woman or a man? It is the individual's choice to wear what they want, be in the kind of relationship they want as long as its not detrimental to their well being. Political parties or activists build their case on second clause primarily, that "it affects the moral fabric of society at large". But what escapes my understanding is that, do we have a uniform moral code that we as a nation we must abide by? Do we even want one as that would kill any scope for choices and hence freedom at large. Therefore, best and simple solution is to live and let live. -Tuhina Chatterjee
* * *
May Aparna and Sahil treasure every second they have together. What is precious and priceless is the quality of the relationship and not the seal of social acceptability! Parents, politicians, communities, stay away! The choice is and should always be that of the couple. -Jamsheed Rizwani
* * *
Women asserting their choices is the most threatening phenomenon for folks who want to drag the country back to the middle ages. More women need to speak out for themselves. Well done. -Jyotsna G Singh
* * *
I respect what this young woman has to say about her relationship. It is personal and no political group has the right to dictate terms to anybody. Instead of wasting our energy on such non-issues, if only we could learn to be better human beings. If marriage were indeed a great institution one would not be fighting so much for it's survival -Jaysree Shankar
* * *
Cheer to all the Aparnas of India. Bravo! -Gopesh Singh
* * *
This is highly commendable for both the partners. It does not matter that they belong to different communities. Love is holding them together and that's what matters . All good wishes for such people who live their life on their terms.
-Satish Katyal
* * *
Well said, in a bold manner. -Raga Thyagaraj
* * *
Most of the indian youth want to say the same not only to religious activists, but also to their own parents. Well done.
-Asif Kakkassery
Iconophilia in India
This is in response to article titled, 'Why it’s so easy for Modi to appropriate icons he’s opposed to (and why Indians buy 'Mein Kampf''.The problem is not that the right-wing lunatics appropriate icons that are so far removed from their ideology, but the easy acceptance by people when it happens. As you have rightly mentioned, this happens because the people in our country are not really bothered about reading or learning about things, but have a superficial interest in knowing. Apocryphal stories, myths and urban legends travels farther in this country than one single line from an authoritative tome.
I still believe in a Gandhi, a Nehru, a Maulana, a Bhagat Singh and the rest. However, I cannot place any of them on a pedestal higher than needed. Just as well, I am ashamed to hear my countrymen talk of Gandhi at all. "He slept with his granddaughters," they snigger, "If he had not been killed, he would have been a nuisance to India", "He was really a "indutva icon, no matter what they say about his tolerance.". People who have not read one authentic account of Gandhi and decide to malign him on the basis of hearsay do not deserve any better. Is it wrong to criticize the Mahatma? Not at all. But have something to say, based on facts and observations, not malicious nonsense. The same with Nehru or Bhagat Singh or any other hero.-Kishore Tejaswi
* * *
What a disgusting, hateful attack on Hinduism. So, Gandhiji is not a Hindu now? Just because he read the Quran and the Bible, he ceases to be a Hindu? The reason Gandhiji read the Bible and the Koran was precisely because he was a Hindu ‒ Hinduism doesn't teach hatred against other religions. You will never find a Hindu threatening others with hell because they are not Hindu, something, as a resident of the US, I am quite familiar with. Barack Obama has to defend himself against attacks that he is not Christian! Sonia Gandhi was never attacked about her religion in India! The only reason a Christian or a Muslim would read the Gita is so that they can get some dirt and then mock Hindus with it. Only a Hindu would read the Koran or Bible to find the good in them.-Vanamali
* * *
Firstly, I would like to compliment the author for such a nice and relevant article. Appropriation has always been a major factor in every political movement and it is also evident in history. The appropriation of Sardar Vallabhai Patel, Gandhi, and even the usage of Teachers Day by Modi are clear examples. Yet, it is very unfortunate that people remains unaware of this and they adopt it, unknowingly. For instance, how may of us would have known Bhagat Singh was a communist?
It is also unfortunate that when one tries show these appropriations, one is been marked as anti- nationalist. People are under influence of the false nationalism that it becomes hard for them to decipher what is actually going on.-Barnett Varghese
Nepal respects their pet dogs during Tihar festival
God bless the Nepalese! The Indians need to learn from them– we are are cruel to our animals. -Jagdeep
Cartoons of Bangalore in the '70s
I went through the post and it's exactly how it was! I remember my parents recollecting their romantic outings at Cubbon Park, coffee dates at Koshy's Cafe, Parade Coffee and so on. It is just a dream that passed by right in front of us. Sad and horrible times now. All this city blitz, lights and bonanzas in bargain for our peace and happiness. Thanks for bringing those memories back. Loved the piece. -Nirupama Nagaraj
Rajnath Singh's stand on education and Indian culture
This is in response to your satire piece on Rajnath Singh. Satire is a powerful weapon and I am sure it would require an disclaimer to make sure people understand that it is satire, considering the kind of readership that exists today. However, satire must be made of sterner stuff. By stating something as if you are mocking at it, deprecating it while pretending to support it, does not make it satire.
I'm sure you try to tone it down to make yourself understood better. However, it ends up being a satire of a satire. I sincerely feel you could write a lot more devastatingly than that, without trying to reach out to the lowest common denominator. One must write satire like a liar remains true to his lies. Humour should come across incidentally, not be injected into it.-Tejaswi
Mughal miniatures of the Ramayana commissioned by emperor Akbar
A brief addendum to the piece on Persian Ramayanas. There is no known translation of the Ramayana attributed to Dara Shikoh, though the prince was certainly aware of the epic, probably through Persian translations. The work in Angara's possession, Ramayana Nazam Khushtar, must in all likelihood be the Urdu translation by Munshi Jagannath Lal "Khushtar".-Supriya Gandhi
