BETWEEN THE LINES
71 years on, frosty relations continue
It was August 12, 1947, three days before India became free. My father, a practicing doctor, summoned us, the three brothers, and asked what our plans were. I told him that I wanted to stay in Pakistan just as the Muslims would in India.
Lynching to nowhere
More gruesome details about the Alwar lynching have come to light. Rakbar Khan, the victim, could have been saved if the police had acted in time. In fact, the force stopped for tea and wasted three and a half hours in reaching the victim to the hospital. He bled to death. If one were to put all the pieces together, one would come to the conclusion that the police delay was deliberate.
Can Imran Khan be the man of the people?
The army in Pakistan seems to have devised a way where a particular person is elected even without a valid cause. Imran Khan is a product of such phenomena. Long before the latest elections, his name was tossed around.
Dangers to secularism
I recall after the Independence, politician and diplomat Syed Shahabuddin articulated the Muslim point of view. He did not ask for separation but suggested a self-rule for Muslims within the country. Nobody took him seriously, not even the Muslims because the partition had brought misery to both the communities.
Rift in India-US relations
An autocrat can really unhinge a democratic system. This is what President Donald Trump is doing. But he is also turning into an imperialist power.
A modicum of truth
I feel honoured that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken notice of my criticism. Indeed, he praised me and said: “I respect veteran journalist Kuldip Nayar ji, he fought for freedom during emergency, he maybe a harsh critic of us but I salute him for this.” The prime minister and I are on the same page when it comes to the criticism of the emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi, the then prime minister.
An apology overdue
Certain dates are so important in a nation's history that they cannot be forgotten.
A false step
Pranab Mukherjee is a man of all-political affiliations. He has occupied the highest position as a Congressman and has also floated a political party with a few of his associates in the Congress. But one can call him a self-made man in the political arena. He has accepted the invitation to visit the RSS headquarters at Nagpur to address the cadre.
The lingering consequences of partition
There is a grain of truth in Kashmir leader Farooq Abdullah's statement that Muhammad Ali Jinnah was not responsible for partition.
Where did we go wrong?
I have always wondered where we went wrong. After adopting a constitution which was secular in letter and spirit, we have strayed into the territory where every pebble is an impediment to the journey towards pluralism.
Asma Jahangir as I knew her
Asma Jahangir, who passed away last week, was a popular human rights lawyer and social activist.
Security for all not feasible
Two more policemen died in the valley. This is not the first time that there is casualty in Kashmir. But the disconcerting aspect is that
The economics of politics
It's understandable that this year's budget should have an eye on rural India which constitutes some 70 percent of voters.
Awards losing their sheen
When the constitution has banned awards why should they be there. They violate the spirit of the constitution and the general understanding.
Crisis in the Indian judicial system
Whether it was a prover-bial storm in a teacup or something else, the fact remains that the judiciary has been exposed. The impartiality with which it is known has been shaken.
Anthem has to be respected
When I was in Sialkot City, now a part of Pakistan, I used to visit cinema halls in the cantonment regularly. What I resented then was that I had to stand up for the British national anthem, “God Save the King…
Trumping up a new warning
There may be a grain of truth in the statement by US President Donald Trump that his country has “foolishly” given USD 33 billion in aid to Pakistan in the last 15 years.
Another lost opportunity
Nothing seems to work between India and Pakistan. The meeting of Kulbhushan Jadhav, an Indian prisoner in a Pakistani jail, with his wife and mother could have been an opportunity to foster better understanding between the two countries.