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.
Are refugees outsiders?
Communist leader Jyoti Basu ruled West Bengal for two and a half decades. He fought relentlessly against the communal forces. It is surprising how the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has penetrated and practically taken over the state.
Steps to empower women
For some reasons, mainly male chauvinism, the Women's Reservation Bill has not yet been passed by parliament. It was introduced in the Lok Sabha for the first time in 1996 when the then Prime Minister, Deve Gowda, was in office.
Dynastic politics in India
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi is wrong when he says that all of India runs on dynasties.
The harrowing prospects of soft Hindutva
By "Hinduising" a secular society, the integrity of the country is in danger. Religion can never integrate a nation as the example of Bangladesh cutting itself asunder from Pakistan shows. The attempt to impose Urdu forced the same Muslim East Pakistan to become independent, sovereign republic of Bangladesh.
The ugly side of 'god-men'
The problem arises when they indulge in fraudulent and illegal activities, going to the extent of committing rapes and murders. What gives the whole thing an ugly shape is the support of the political parties for their own gains.
Triple talaq has no place in a secular India
The Supreme Court's judgment is harsh and unequivocal. There could be no compromise on the basics of the Indian Constitution, freedom to women and men to lead their lives as they wanted. I wish the Muslim community had accepted the bar on triple talaq, which goes against the spirit of the constitution. But it looks as if the fundamentalists have been having their way.
How unsafe are Muslims in India?
In a farewell message the outgoing vice-president Hamid Ansari said that Muslims do not feel safe in the country. Instead of introspecting on what he said, the RSS and the BJP have denounced him. Some have gone to the extent of saying that he could migrate to a country where he would feel safe.
Seven decades of joy and pain
My father, who practised medicine, was stopped from migrating whenever he thought of moving out of Sialkot. One day, my mother and he decided to travel without letting people know. They boarded the train unnoticed.
Together, we can
I vainly search for my favourite television anchors like Karan Thapar and, more recently, Barkha Dutt. I am told that they have been taken off.
Hindi spread requires patience
Whenev-er a state language wants to spread itself to the national sphere, it naturally meets with some resistance.