How a hundred-year-old poem speaks to the central conflict of the 2010s

The Irish poet WB Yeats’s ‘The Second Coming’ dramatises the move from anarchy to dictatorship.

Girish Shahane

· Dec 25, 2019 · 08:30 am

Sunday Bloody Sunday: Watching U2 perform in Navi Mumbai in troubled times

At their best, U2 find a lyrical space that easily blends specific, urgently political references with images of landscapes and human relationships.

Girish Shahane

· Dec 18, 2019 · 12:30 pm

Why a banana stuck to a wall is worth $1,20,000

The episode is crazy but that is the whole point.

Girish Shahane

· Dec 11, 2019 · 07:30 am

Who won the debate between Martin Scorsese and Marvel?

The superhero franchise factory is dreadful, but so is Scorsese’s wasteful self-indulgence in ‘The Irishman’.

Girish Shahane

· Dec 05, 2019 · 08:30 am

In Maharashtra, a coup and a counter-coup – but democracy is still worth celebrating

It is unclear how long this coalition of unlikely allies will last, and what long-term damage allying with the Shiv Sena will do to the Congress.

Girish Shahane

· Nov 28, 2019 · 06:30 am

From Israel to Ayodhya, how Might becomes Right in politics and law

Hindu activists have asserted a kind of divine right to the acres occupied by Mir Baqi’s mosque, paralleling the Zionist claim to Israel and Judah.

Girish Shahane

· Nov 21, 2019 · 06:30 am

Why ditching the RCEP is a massive setback for the Indian economy

Our bureaucrats have been unable to swing deals India’s way.

Girish Shahane

· Nov 13, 2019 · 06:30 am

Babur in India: An emperor who loved the monsoon breeze but wasn’t impressed by the melons or grapes

It could be argued that India’s dislike of Babur is merely a reflection of Babur’s dislike of India.

Girish Shahane

· Nov 09, 2019 · 07:45 am

Babur before India: The journey of a cultured emperor who is among modern India’s most hated figures

If only Indians knew the Mughal ruler better, those not blinded by bigotry might find a person worthy of admiration.

Girish Shahane

· Nov 06, 2019 · 08:30 am

Dave Chappelle’s comedy is discomfiting but acts as a counterweight to extremism of all kinds

Stand-up is not about being fair. It is about being funny, perceptive and thought-provoking.

Girish Shahane

· Oct 31, 2019 · 06:30 am

Plane truths: Field notes on desis in the air

Vital questions: Why do so many Indian passengers need wheelchairs? Why can’t men lift toilet seats? Are mushrooms vegetarian?

Girish Shahane

· Oct 17, 2019 · 02:30 pm

How the United States can be trusted to betray its allies

Donald Trump’s abandonment of the Kurds of Syria is only the latest example of American treachery that goes back to 1778.

Girish Shahane

· Oct 09, 2019 · 08:30 am