author

Shobha Warrier

Shobha Warrier has been associated with Rediff from its inception and currently works as Senior Editorial Director. She is also the author of five books in English, Battlefield India: 25 years of Politricks and Economix, Dreamchasers: Entrepreneurs from the South of the Vindhyas, Dreamchaers: Women Entrepreneurs from the South of the Vindhyas, His Days with Bapu, and The Little Flower girl and Others- A diary of a journalist. Her three Malayalam short story collections include Jalavidya, Meghana and Ramakundam. She won the Lalitambika Antharjanam special award in 1996 for her book, Jalavidya. She likes talking to people and listening to their stories! You can e-mail the author at shobhaw@rediff.co.in

Stories by SHOBHA WARRIER

'Education is the best gift the government can give youngsters'

'Education is the best gift the government can give youngsters'

Rediff.com   25 Jun 2018

'I want to make the government realise that they are not empowering Dalits by giving them free goats or hens; what they need is good education.'

'Delhi LG's role is very disturbing'

'Delhi LG's role is very disturbing'

Rediff.com   22 Jun 2018

'He is a former civil servant and has complete control over the administrators.' 'He should have sorted it out before it reached such a stage.' 'How did he allow the stalemate to go on for so many days?'

'Govt banks rarely take note of RBI directives'

'Govt banks rarely take note of RBI directives'

Rediff.com   20 Jun 2018

'For years, the RBI has been warning banks on probable frauds in bank guarantees and advised them to exercise due care.' 'PSB staffers feel their jobs are secured, hence there is no need to be vigilant and exercise financial prudence.'

Why Kashmiri Pandits are going back after 30 years

Why Kashmiri Pandits are going back after 30 years

Rediff.com   18 Jun 2018

'We know the situation has worsened in the valley, but we are taking the first step.' 'We have lost 30 years of our life. We do not want to wait any longer.' 'The political class always said, you come down to Kashmir.' 'So, we are going to be there and we are going to demand a place to stay.' 'After all, it is our own land.'

The doctor who brings hope to the seriously ill

The doctor who brings hope to the seriously ill

Rediff.com   12 Jun 2018

'Healthcare is so expensive that while it saves lives, it destroys more lives socially and financially.' 'While the poor gets wiped out, a middle-class man goes to a corporate hospital and after the treatment, he ends up below the poverty line.' 'Generally, hospitals would like to have patients who need procedures and operations.' 'They are not so fond of palliative care.' 'How much can be made from one hour of counselling? And how much can be made from one hour of an operation?'

'Walmart will dump all the kachra in India'

'Walmart will dump all the kachra in India'

Rediff.com   7 Jun 2018

'Walmart will source globally and more from China and will dump these cheap goods in India, making our country a dumping yard.'

The Malayali Christian who built a mosque in the UAE

The Malayali Christian who built a mosque in the UAE

Rediff.com   30 May 2018

'It made me sad that these people had to spend a minimum of 20 dirhams from the meagre 800 dirhams they get, to pray.' 'God had helped me many times in my life, it was my duty to help these people.' The incredible story of Saji Cherian.

'Politicians look at bankers as villains'

'Politicians look at bankers as villains'

Rediff.com   29 May 2018

'Today, bankers don't want to take risks as the good decisions taken by them were not protected.' 'There is risk involved in all decisions, like businessmen taking risks in their businesses.' 'A banker must have taken a decision when the economic condition was different, and you cannot question him on the basis of the present situation in hindsight.' 'Naturally, this has affected the morale of bankers.'

'Congress-JD-S will manage at least for two years'

'Congress-JD-S will manage at least for two years'

Rediff.com   24 May 2018

'The question of survival depends on several factors because this country is divided vertically and horizontally.' 'There will always be demands and ups and downs.'

'Siddaramaiah gave BJP 104 seats'

'Siddaramaiah gave BJP 104 seats'

Rediff.com   18 May 2018

'The BJP had no traction in Karnataka and Siddaramaiah would have scraped through if he had not done all that he did.' 'When you pander to one community, the other community gets irritated.' 'Then, when you make fun of the cow and the treating of the cow as sacred, in your effort to belittle the Sangh Parivar and its obscurantism, you are hurting your normal voters too.' 'It is okay to make fun of the Sangh Parivar, but it is not okay to make fun of all Hindus.'

'This will lead to a very ugly assault on the Constitution'

'This will lead to a very ugly assault on the Constitution'

Rediff.com   18 May 2018

'... in the form of possible payments to MLAs and horse-trading for the BJP to win.'

Did Bangalore voters let down BJP?

Did Bangalore voters let down BJP?

Rediff.com   16 May 2018

'Voters did not turn up in large numbers in Bangalore.' 'If more voters of Bangalore had come to vote, we would definitely have reached the magic figure.'

'Less chances of a Doklam happening now'

'Less chances of a Doklam happening now'

Rediff.com   14 May 2018

'Even if such a thing happens, it will not prolong for many days like Doklam did.' 'That is because both the leaders do not want it.'

Why RSS affiliate is against Walmart-Flipkart deal

Why RSS affiliate is against Walmart-Flipkart deal

Rediff.com   11 May 2018

'If you allow Walmart to operate in India, our manufacturing will finish completely.' 'What will happen to Narendra D Modi's dream then? There will be no Make in India.'

World Bank's Chief Economist: Can India create a Silicon Valley?

World Bank's Chief Economist: Can India create a Silicon Valley?

Rediff.com   10 May 2018

'There is no tried and true recipe for creating Silicon Valleys.' 'Attracting and creating a mass of truly dynamic entrepreneurs is at the core and among the hardest and most necessary ingredients.' 'In the US, close to 60% of the top valued tech companies were started by immigrants who found the start-up climate to be superior to where they came from.' 'India would clearly benefit from attracting back its talented Diaspora, but it also needs to hold onto those entrepreneurs.'

Why Twitter's Biz Stone invested in this Indian startup

Why Twitter's Biz Stone invested in this Indian startup

Rediff.com   7 May 2018

Tech grads from BITS Pilani identify a problem and then use technology to solve it. The Visit story.

Why this could be the marriage of the century

Why this could be the marriage of the century

Rediff.com   3 May 2018

There is a reason why Surya and Ishan's wedding on May 10 will make history.

'Merely providing the death penalty is not enough'

'Merely providing the death penalty is not enough'

Rediff.com   22 Apr 2018

'A speedy trial is absolutely essential.' 'Not only justice is given, it is given expeditiously.'

'Indians live in fear'

'Indians live in fear'

Rediff.com   19 Apr 2018

'They have no other agenda, but to perpetuate hate.' 'They have destroyed the economy and polity and they survive only on hate.' 'They think through hatred, they can mobilise the large chunk of Hindu votes.'

'Supreme Court should have heard 300 mn SC/STs'

'Supreme Court should have heard 300 mn SC/STs'

Rediff.com   10 Apr 2018

'The court came to a conclusion using one person's case... Based on that one case, the term "rampant misuse" was used as if it is a generalisation.' 'If one in 10 cases turns out to be false, is it possible to call the Act a charter for blackmail or charter for personal vengeance?' 'Is there any Act either in India or anywhere in the world where there are no false cases?'