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.
Water, water everywhere, but…
New Delhi has set up the Central Water and Power Commission to have a systematic plan to harness not only water but also generate power. This has worked to a large extent, but in certain parts of India, the fallout has led to a series of disputes, which remain unsolved even after decades.
Money makes the mare go
Understandably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set up a panel of officials from the income-tax department, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Enforcement Directorate to probe the matter and apportion responsibility. Yet, nothing concrete would come out of it because the persons connected with the dealings have political clout.
An incomplete version
One of them is the imposition of the Emergency. Whatever has been published so far does not justify such a step. Was Indira Gandhi's unseating by the Allahabad High Court the real reason or the countrywide demonstrations by opposition parties?
The unreal Rajya Sabha
Some 80 members of state assemblies have entered the portals of the Rajya Sabha - the upper house - this month.
Spare the students
Today, religious parties have hijacked the society to reap political gains. The most unfortunate part is that religion has made deep inroads into the universities.
Symptoms of the disease
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's announcement that he would probe and punish the perpetrators of the Pathankot airbase attack comes as a light in the dark, endless tunnel dividing India and Pakistan.
Ill-conceived, wrong
With the passage of time, Sheikh sahib became the only liberal voice which could be heard clearly in the midst of Hindu and Muslim challenges and counter-challenges.
Unimportance of awards
This charge will remain because the selection is done by people who are nominated by the government. You can include the opposition leader in the selection panel, but he or she would be in the minority.
The question of tolerance
I am not a film buff. But I do watch movies by actors like Aamir Khan because he appears to be a natural actor. Such actors make me...
Modi takes a leaf out of Vajpayees' book
The best tiding of the year gone by is Prime Minister Narendra Modi's impromptu visit to Lahore, while returning from Kabul. It was,