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…
There are two kinds of New Year’s resolutions – those announced with a trumpet on January 1, and those quietly set aside like a private note, to be retrieved when conscience permits. Mine, for 2026, belonged firmly to the second category. No declarations, no social media signalling – just a private pact to resume my…
A traditional Hindu wedding is not merely a social contract. It is a sacred ceremony conducted by priests in the presence of friends and relatives – and occasionally a few uninvited guests. Rituals vary across states and communities, but one feature remains constant – the solemnity of the occasion. The priest chants mantras. The sacred…
Every extended family has that one relative at weddings – the man who offers confident advice on everything from the catering to the Constitution. Nobody asked. Nobody benefits. But the confidence is breathtaking. In Indian politics, the role is increasingly played by Rahul Gandhi. The latest performance came during the debate on the LPG crisis,…
Parliamentary debates are meant to be about relevance – the topic on the table, the question before the House, the policy under scrutiny. In theory, at least. But when Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition, rises to speak, the suspense is not about what he will say. The suspense is about what he will drag…
Potholes do not usually feature in stories of resurrection in our country. They are better known for dispatching motorists to orthopaedic wards – and occasionally to the next world. Yet a news report from Uttar Pradesh suggests that our cratered highways may possess powers hitherto unrecognised by modern medicine. The Bareilly-Haridwar highway, part of NH-74,…
