By N Nagarajan Atal Bihari Vajpayee—thrice Prime Minister, poet, statesman, and a rare politician with an abiding sense of humour—stood apart even in moments of political adversity. It is said that after an electoral defeat, when party colleagues cited various reasons—from sabotage by allies to lack of organisational effort—Vajpayee listened quietly, eyes closed. When everyone…
By N. Nagarajan Watching the conduct of our Members of Parliament, MLAs, and other public representatives—both inside and outside legislative houses—often leaves one hanging one’s head in shame. The ongoing Winter Session of Parliament has been no exception. Parliamentary debate, once known for dignity and reasoned disagreement, is increasingly reduced to disruptions, slogan-shouting, and personal…
I was overwhelmed to read today’s beautiful tribute to Bollywood star Dharmendra—the pain of Hindi cinema—who passed away on 24 November, this time for real, unlike the recent false alarm that upset his family. His family handled the funeral with quiet dignity, completing the rites swiftly in the presence of close relatives, friends, and colleagues…
As the nation remembers Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam on his birth anniversary today, our e-paper pays tribute to the visionary scientist, teacher, and people’s president who continues to inspire generations. – Editor Pre-Independence India was blessed with Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation, and a true people’s leader. Post-Independence, the country was fortunate to…
I’m beginning with a funny Ajit dialogue: “Isko liquid oxygen mein daal do; isay oxygen marne nahi dega aur liquid jeene nahi dega.”Yes, Indian educational and non-educational publishers are now in the same situation — neither able to survive in this sector nor close down. When the GST regime came into force, books were rightly…
Some time ago, on a weekend, two young women—now employed at a well-known entertainment company—came to visit my spouse, who had once taught them in their primary school years. These girls came from a backward-class background and had started their education in a non-English-medium school. However, thanks to sheer perseverance and timely support, they eventually…
Of late, India has witnessed a disturbing surge in violent behaviour by elected representatives, cutting across both ruling and opposition parties. What’s more troubling is the indifference shown by political leadership across the board. Despite the glaring misconduct, no serious disciplinary action is taken against these leaders. Are we to believe that such individuals—and by…
There was a time when we had to wait for years just to get a landline connection, merely to speak with someone outside our city, or the country. The communication revolution truly began with the advent of fiber-optic networks in the late 1980s. It transformed the way we stayed in touch with the world and…
N Nagarajan It’s tragic how global politics today has been reduced to loud theatrics. Donald Trump, once the President of the world’s oldest democracy, turned the White House into a circus, mocking the disabled, downplaying white supremacy, and ultimately fuelling the Capitol Hill riots with baseless lies about the 2020 election. And yet, he’s clawed…
N Nagarajan I write this as someone who completed secondary education in a century-old school in Delhi, where both Tamil and non-Tamil students studied together. From Classes 1 to 3, Tamil was the medium of instruction, while English was taught as a language. English wasn’t our home language, but we gradually picked it up, thanks…
