The suffering of the Japanese must not be in vain
'Fukushima should inject a sense of nuclear neutrality into the thinking of our policy makers and it leads to a full appraisal of our options for the future,' says T P Sreenivasan. The wasteful scandal called MPLADS
Since the time it was thought up, and the idea spread like an epidemic, there has been no significant changes in the way MPLADs and its imitations that have devolved to the states and local bodies. There is a vested interest not to change this wasteful scandal, says Mahesh Vijapurkar. From sport to spectacle and tamasha
Cricket has been subsumed by the hyperbole surrounding the political summit. Whatever the result, one prime minister will be disappointed, and add to the emotional quotient of the contest, where victory and defeat will not be just a result but also a matter of national pride, says Nilova Roy Chaudhury. Libya op: Humanitarian? Bah, it's about oil silly!
Whatever the humanitarian stance taken by the leaders in Washington, London and Paris, the real catalyst for action in Libya is not the deaths of countless civilians, but the need to secure the supply of oil to an increasingly thirsty developed world, argues Richard M Bennett Cricket diplomacy or Manmohan's malady?
In the extremely fragile India-Pakistan relationship, flying visits of leaders can prove to be counter-productive. They create completely unrealistic expectations which are invariably dashed on the altar of ground realities and critical national interests, says Sushant Sareen. 'Being non-corrupt not same as being anti-corrupt'
'Kerala may have the worst physical infrastructure -- potholed roads to overflowing drains -- of the four major southern states, but does anybody care? India post-WikiLeaks: A wobbly, emerging power
The WikiLeaks disclosures should make the public aware of this and provoke a strong response in favour of a fiercely autonomous foreign policy, says Praful Bidwai. WikiLeaks: Indian diplomats emerge unscathed
'No single instance has come out so far to show that an Indian diplomat was enticed to say or do anything to please the Americans -- no honey traps, no Swiss accounts. Whatever the Indians did or said to their American counterparts was based on facts, policy and personal conviction.' Cash for vote: Why blindly trash WikiLeaks, Mr PM?
When governments around the world are taking serious note of the WikiLeaks diplomatic cables, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's dismissal of the same as speculative, unverified and unverifiable does very little to restore the tarnished dignity of the Indian Parliament, writes B Raman India's very own blasphemy law
The social media purveyors of India need the government in the trenches with us, not high above, in disconnected office buildings, passing judgment and deciding what we are allowed to say and what not, says blogger Vijayendra Mohanty. Should we laugh or cry, Mr Prime Minister?
Is the survival in office under such conditions worth it for Dr Manmohan Singh, asks B Raman Can corrupt India handle nuclear safety?
From the resurrected cash-for-votes scandal to a rigged process favouring four foreign vendors -- and from new safety concerns to the special legislation that caps the foreign suppliers' accident liability by burdening the Indian taxpayer -- the nuclear deal's future looks more troubled than ever, says Brahma Chellaney. Kill corruption, adopt reforms: PM
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday addressed the India-Today Conclave in New Delhi. Here is the text of his speech Japan: A model of resilience
Japan has always been the quickest to extend relief to any country facing a humanitarian crisis. In the wake of its cataclysmic earthquake and subsequent tsunami, former Indian ambassador to Japan Aftab Seth hopes that India can extend the same measure of compassion to a country that is celebrated for its resurgence. Why talk of euthanasia is pointless in India
Those talking about euthanasia using Aruna Shanbaug as leverage had better cry out for an actively functioning, effective and affordable healthcare regime. That would be a better service rendered to those who need it, says Mahesh Vijapurkar. DMK: More bad news on the way
'There are indications of two streams of money flooding the coffers of Kalaignar TV. The first was from DB Realty. The second, which is not yet publicly disclosed, allegedly involves a sum of Rs 50 crore from another participant in the purchase of 2G spectrum. Investigators are also looking at a seeming clue thrown up by the famous Radia Tapes.' Will Xi Jinping bring reform to China?
Claude Arpi profiles Xi Jinping, the man destined to lead China soon. How India can counter Pakistan's radical Islam
The menacing threat that radical self-styled defenders of Islam today pose to the Pakistani State is, undeniably, a logical culmination of the very ideological basis of that State, says Yogi Sikand Will Kashmir see an Egypt-like uprising?
The indifference, apathy and inaction in Kashmir by the governments both at the Centre and the state has added to a rush by the young people to become the masters of their own destiny, says Seema Mustafa. India finally makes an entry in Iraq
India will have to seriously think about its role anew as a new Iraq emerged in a new Middle East. Appointing an ambassador is a good, albeit modest, start, says Harsh V Pant. DMK is silenced, but the Congress is no winner
The Congress is now at its most vulnerable. For the moment, it has weathered the storm caused by the DMK, but not without some loss of credibility and appeal, says Praful Bidwai. India's dilemma in West Asia
India has handled the West Asia crisis with finesse so far and it should not be abandoned for a false sense of having to stand up to the West. We should strive for gradual and peaceful change with the necessary flexibility in our approach, says T P Sreenivasan. Fear of Taliban reprisal lurks in Pakistan
Faislabad was one of the places where the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan set up a presence with the help of the Lashkar-e-Tayiba. Despite the offensive lunched by the Pakistani Army against it, the TTP continues to maintain its influence in the region, writes B Raman Why China is wary of Middle-East uprisings
Srikanth Kondapalli says that while China had scuttled popular outpouring a number of times before, a prairie fire is raging across the country. Who doctored P J Thomas's bio-data?
'Between 2000 and 2004 there were six recommendations to start proceedings against P J Thomas. After 2004 not only was there no such recommendation, but all mention of the Palmolein Case was wiped off Thomas's bio-data. There seems to have been a deliberate attempt to clear Thomas's record starting in 2004. The Manmohan Singh ministry took office in 2004. Draw your own inferences.' Why democracy in Pak is on the verge of extinction
The murder of Pakistani Minority Affairs Minister Shahbaz Bhatti on Wednesday by religious extremists establishes a pattern of growing religious intolerance. Libyan crisis: India must act as an elder brother
India as the predominant power in the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation ought to act as the saviour for not just the Indians stranded in Libya, but nationals of other smaller countries as well. The United Colours of the tainted UPA
'Will Sonia Gandhi use the argument of retaining power in Delhi to over-ride her party's chances in Tamil Nadu, corruption be damned?' asks T V R Shenoy. February 2011 | January 2011 | December 2010 | November 2010 | October 2010 | September 2010 | August 2010 | July 2010 | June 2010 | May 2010 | April 2010 | March 2010 | February 2010