On the eve of Bengal’s decisive phase, certainty is the only thing in abundant supply. Victory, it appears, has already been claimed – twice over. On one side, Amit Shah steps into Kolkata’s Behala with a promise that stretches beyond polling day. Vote without fear, he says – the Central Reserve Police Force is already…

There was a time when ‘uncle’ was a social lubricant. It opened doors, softened requests, and occasionally secured you an extra ladle of curry. You could be a stranger in town asking for directions, or a neighbour borrowing a ladder – ‘uncle’ did the job with a warmth that neither first names nor surnames could…

If you have ever stopped a quarrel at a public tap, you are overqualified for the Nobel Peace Prize. Two women, three buckets, zero patience – and you step in with a firm ‘enough’. Peace restored. All that remains is a recommendation letter. Preferably from the same people who were just pulling each other’s hair….

Southern actor Prakash Raj has landed in legal trouble after his remarks on the Ramayana resurfaced online, sparking outrage and a formal complaint alleging that his statements hurt religious sentiments. He described Lord Rama as a North Indian migrant ‘stealing fruits’ and Ravana as a South Indian tribal – a flourish that may have pleased…

There was a time when the occupant of the White House spoke and the world listened. Now, the world listens, checks the time, and waits for the next version. US President Donald Trump has turned war into a daily bulletin – like weather, except less predictable and far more dangerous. At breakfast, the war with…

For a brief moment, the US–Iran talks in Islamabad were sold as the new Geneva. Quiet backchannel talk became loud primetime certainty. Some familiar opposition voices were quick to applaud Pakistan’s ‘initiative’ and ask why New Delhi was not in the room. Well, the room has now emptied. Quietly. After long hours of talks and…

There is something deeply revealing about a society that can install a lift, polish its brass buttons, paste a sanctimonious notice beside it – and then deny its use to the very people who keep that society functioning. ‘Delivery boys are not allowed to use the lift.’ A sentence that manages to be both efficient…

Actor-turned-politician Joseph Vijay says he wants to bring clean politics and not misuse public funds. A noble promise. One hopes he will begin by ensuring that his own political strategy does not impose avoidable costs on the public exchequer. Contesting from two constituencies has become the political equivalent of an insurance policy. It is rarely…

William Shakespeare wrote, ‘All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players’. If he were alive today, he might have added a political amendment – some do not audition for the role; the role is simply handed to them. Open casting Modern democracy increasingly resembles open casting. The stage is Parliament,…

There is an old saying – he who fights and runs away lives to fight another day. In Indian politics, the updated version appears to be – he who fights, runs away, and goes on holiday lives to tweet another day. Rahul Gandhi, our perpetually reluctant politician, seems to treat Parliament the way the rest…