News for 'Religious Freedom Project'

Why India needs to 'fortify' Kashmir

Why India needs to 'fortify' Kashmir

Rediff.com23 Aug 2019

'If Islamic extremists regain power in Afghanistan, Pakistan will lead them to Kashmir as a fighting arena again. India needs to fortify Kashmir and prepare against these Islamic extremists before they come again.'

'Aung San Suu Kyi is like Indira Gandhi'

'Aung San Suu Kyi is like Indira Gandhi'

Rediff.com8 Feb 2021

'She's not going to keel over.' 'This is the kind of difficult situation that she thrives in.'

From Section 377 to Aadhaar: 5 key judgments by CJI Dipak Misra

From Section 377 to Aadhaar: 5 key judgments by CJI Dipak Misra

Rediff.com1 Oct 2018

Ahead of CJI Dipak Misra's final day as the head of the judiciary of India, here's a look at the key judgments that he was a part of.

We must not forget the Battle of Saragarhi

We must not forget the Battle of Saragarhi

Rediff.com18 Sep 2019

September 12 marked the 122th anniversary of one of the most incredible battles in Indian history.

'No fear of India turning authoritarian'

'No fear of India turning authoritarian'

Rediff.com7 Jun 2019

'The objective is not to make India into a one religion place, but to ensure that there is harmonious and peaceful co-existence of all faiths with each of them having their cultural personality.'

'Naik evokes a closed reading of the Quran to establish Islamic supremacy'

'Naik evokes a closed reading of the Quran to establish Islamic supremacy'

Rediff.com11 Jul 2016

'Naik is an outcome of an image-centric Islam, which is linked to the technological changes introduced by new media.' 'English educated upper middle class Muslims embraced Naik's image-centric Islam in the 1990s.' 'Television converted him into a religious object.'

After the Obama visit: India, the Swing State

After the Obama visit: India, the Swing State

Rediff.com28 Jan 2015

'As in the Panchatantra tale of the cat and the monkeys, it is possible for the clever swing State to play off the two competing powers.'

'Acche Din' will soon be 'India Shining': Sonia on 2019 Lok Sabha polls

'Acche Din' will soon be 'India Shining': Sonia on 2019 Lok Sabha polls

Rediff.com10 Mar 2018

The Congress leader said democracy allows dissent and debate and not monologues in an apparent barb at Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The crime no one wants to talk about

The crime no one wants to talk about

Rediff.com21 Jun 2016

'Poverty-stricken and drought-affected families in Bundelkhand and Marathawada are selling their children for as little as a few hundred rupees.'

The double standards over conversions

The double standards over conversions

Rediff.com18 Dec 2014

The million dollar question that begs for an answer is: Why is it that an amateurish attempt to convert a handful of Muslims by fringe Hindu elements garners so much attention while large scale systematic attempts to subvert Hinduism go unnoticed or are deliberately overlooked? If this is not double standards then what is, asks Vivek Gumaste.

'In its imperial mood, China is surrounding India'

'In its imperial mood, China is surrounding India'

Rediff.com1 Apr 2018

'It is very much a danger.' 'With Tibet following the India tradition of ahimsa and the global visibility of the Dalai Lama who embodies these values, he should be supported by India as a diplomat.' 'It would be in India's self-interest and instead of being embarrassed about his presence, India should recognise this (role).' 'By appeasing China, India does not get anything in return; they (the Chinese have not stopped) claiming Arunachal, part of Kashmir, etc.'

Why the BJP 'worships' Congressman Patel

Why the BJP 'worships' Congressman Patel

Rediff.com5 Nov 2018

'This is basically aimed at vilifying Nehruvian ideals.' 'Why?' 'Because, Nehruvian leadership is seen by Hindutva forces as the one which did not let them have their Hindu Raj.' 'The Hindutva proponents have always assumed that had Sardar become the first prime minister, India could never have become a secular State,' says Mohammad Sajjad.

TOP 20 Indian Movies of the Decade

TOP 20 Indian Movies of the Decade

Rediff.com2 Jan 2020

Sreehari Nair presents his Top 20 movies of the decade.

Shastri: India's forgotten reformer

Shastri: India's forgotten reformer

Rediff.com19 Oct 2016

Shastri took the first big step to transform India's agriculture, the benefits of which his successors reaped in plenty, says A K Bhattacharya.

'Culture and connection are more than a memory'

'Culture and connection are more than a memory'

Rediff.com12 Sep 2014

Thenmozhi Soundararajan works to break the shackles of caste for Dalits.

COVID-19: 'We are lucky it came later to India'

COVID-19: 'We are lucky it came later to India'

Rediff.com29 Jun 2020

'People are getting admitted to hospital two to three days before their death in a very serious respiratory compromise state and they are passing away within 48 hours.' 'Those who are coming early in the disease, the minute they are suspicious that they have COVID-19, the recovery rate has been much, much, higher.' 'The moral of the story is: We must destigmatise COVID-19.' 'People should be told: 'Look, if you have anything like this, please come immediately'.'

A photo series that will make you relook at Indian women

A photo series that will make you relook at Indian women

Rediff.com17 Oct 2016

'The Goddesses were a good example to depict how women were looked upon with so much respect which has gradually vanished somewhere.' 'People don't think or believe that whom they are worshipping are like the real women in their lives.'

Right to Privacy and the Bhagavad Gita

Right to Privacy and the Bhagavad Gita

Rediff.com28 Sep 2017

The verdict in the right to privacy case is historic and of global significance because it establishes dharma, righteousness and destroys adharma.

Right to Privacy and the Bhagavad Gita

Right to Privacy and the Bhagavad Gita

Rediff.com28 Sep 2017

The verdict in the right to privacy case is historic and of global significance because it establishes dharma, righteousness and destroys adharma.

How Gandhi and RSS co-exist in Modi's conciousness

How Gandhi and RSS co-exist in Modi's conciousness

Rediff.com9 Oct 2014

The prime minister has followed a dual strategy. He is invoking Gandhi to project himself as a statesman and yet, because he is essentially a politician, he has to take the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh along as well

'Allegations of India helping the Balochs never proved'

'Allegations of India helping the Balochs never proved'

Rediff.com22 Jul 2015

'Pakistan has employed force to curb Baloch aspirations and rights. There have been charades of giving rights and concessions and packages, but all of them are hollow and meaningless and not even worth the paper these are written on.' 'Pakistan is appeasing China for the investments which will benefit them. The economic corridor with China will not only deprive the Baloch of their land and resources, but will turn them into a minority because of the influx of outsiders.' 'The Balochs want to be masters, not slaves and hired labour in their own land.'

Want to be your own boss? Think BIG. Do BIG.

Want to be your own boss? Think BIG. Do BIG.

Rediff.com30 Apr 2018

Give more than 100 per cent to your job, advises author Bikram Dasgupta.

Shashi Tharoor: The Sangh does not speak for Hindus like me

Shashi Tharoor: The Sangh does not speak for Hindus like me

Rediff.com13 Jul 2018

'Must every believing Hindu automatically be assumed to subscribe to the Hindutva project?' asks Shashi Tharoor.

PHOTOS: States celebrate Independence Day with fervour

PHOTOS: States celebrate Independence Day with fervour

Rediff.com15 Aug 2016

Glimpses of I-Day celebrations across India.

How the government is smothering dissident NGOs

How the government is smothering dissident NGOs

Rediff.com20 Jun 2014

Muzzling NGOs is unbecoming of a democracy. Self-confident democracies encourage, indeed applaud, the involvement of citizens' associations, including NGOs, in social and political decision-making and development planning. Instead, our paranoid government bullies and terrorises them, says Praful Bidwai.

Did Modi bow to China?

Did Modi bow to China?

Rediff.com25 Apr 2016

Significantly, reveals Rajeev Sharma, the MEA was not even consulted on the Dolkun Isa issue.

How should India deal with Pakistan?

How should India deal with Pakistan?

Rediff.com13 Feb 2018

'We need to be in a perpetual state of aggression, and able to swiftly change the goal posts to keep Pakistan in a state of imbalance,' argues Sanjeev Nayyar.

Indian diaspora a 'great capital', opportunities await you: PM

Indian diaspora a 'great capital', opportunities await you: PM

Rediff.com8 Jan 2015

Indian diaspora is a "great capital" for the country which needs to be nurtured, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday as he sought its cooperation in transforming India that awaits them with opportunities.

Why the BJP must be cautious in talking to Pakistan

Why the BJP must be cautious in talking to Pakistan

Rediff.com24 Dec 2015

'The softening of India's attitude towards Pakistan -- whatever the compelling reasons -- opens up the BJP to harsh scrutiny.' 'This is a high stakes gamble with the potential for devastating losses,' warns Vivek Gumaste.

'Modi is taking a big risk'

'Modi is taking a big risk'

Rediff.com20 Jul 2015

'When he first came to office, my belief is that the PM's reading of the landscape was that, with a vanquished Congress and fragmented Opposition, he was looking at least at two terms in office. This reading perhaps allows for a more cautious, gradual approach.' 'It was only a matter of time before the government was forced to come face-to-face with a serious corruption scandal. This is not a commentary on the BJP, but a statement about India's political economy.' 'There is growing concern about the government's commitment to freedom of expression, religious tolerance, and an independent civil society. Thus far, the positive movement on strategic and economic matters has crowded out these concerns, but they are lingering beneath the surface.'

When A P J Abdul Kalam met Pramukh Swami Maharaj

When A P J Abdul Kalam met Pramukh Swami Maharaj

Rediff.com14 Aug 2016

'This can lift us out of confusion, misery, melancholy and failure, and indeed guide us when it is contacted.' 'For us to ignite our spirituality, we need to look inward and transcend our egos. We need to recognize, connect with and integrate the eternal spirit within,' says A P J Abdul Kalam in his latest book, Transcendence.

Nido Tania's death, India's shame

Nido Tania's death, India's shame

Rediff.com14 Feb 2014

Much of the negative perceptions of the north-east diaspora owe their origin and existence to the perverse policies of the central government toward the region and its people. This realisation must be the beginning of an earnest endeavour to address the issue, says R N Ravi.

Pravasi Special: A look back in anxiety

Pravasi Special: A look back in anxiety

Rediff.com7 Jan 2015

'Non Resident Indians know that India's problems are the combination of many factors over the centuries, including foreign rule, lack of resources and the ever-growing population, among other things. Yet, India has achieved many things and even looks at Mars as a neighbour.'

'Modi and the Indians just discovered the B-bomb'

'Modi and the Indians just discovered the B-bomb'

Rediff.com2 Sep 2016

'I believe Modi mentioned Balochistan only to embarrass Pakistan and also divert attention toward the situation in Kashmir.' 'I think from now on, India intends to raise Balochistan whenever Pakistan brings up Kashmir or upsets them on the issue of terrorism.' 'Balochistan is the least developed of Pakistan's four provinces. It is the least educated and least economically developed. People are agitated that a region so rich in mineral resources and a sea-port is still so poor.' Baloch political analyst Malik Siraj Akbar on why the province wants freedom from Pakistan.

'If I was intelligent enough, I would not have dreamt of becoming an actor'

'If I was intelligent enough, I would not have dreamt of becoming an actor'

Rediff.com21 Jul 2016

Irrfan Khan's fascinating interview with Savera R Someshwar/Rediff.com.

Good/Bad/Ugly: What will Obama's visit be like for India?

Good/Bad/Ugly: What will Obama's visit be like for India?

Rediff.com22 Jan 2015

'The real test will be in defence-related deals, for instance the Javelin anti-tank missile: Is the US willing to co-develop something with India, on terms that will support the 'Make in India' initiative? Is there defence technology transfer? Or will it dump old junk on India?' asks Rajeev Srinivasan.

'The Indian soldiers adapted quickly and performed remarkably well'

'The Indian soldiers adapted quickly and performed remarkably well'

Rediff.com5 Jun 2015

'Many sepoys fought with distinction, winning some of the first Victoria Crosses to be awarded to Indians; and indeed, as in any army fighting under such inhumane conditions -- standing in the freezing sludge, with shrapnel tearing through bodies and being subjected to gas attacks -- some buckled under pressure.'

'Adityanath's selection is an RSS decision'

'Adityanath's selection is an RSS decision'

Rediff.com21 Mar 2017

'He is a man whose utterances have been so virulent and communalistic.' 'That's why many people did not look at him as the party's choice for chief minister.' 'UP is the state that reports the largest number of communal incidents every year.' 'Modi may not be using the Hindutva card, but he never condemns the incidents too.'

Why we need to go beyond 'letter of the law' in inter-state disputes

Why we need to go beyond 'letter of the law' in inter-state disputes

Rediff.com14 May 2014

The history of the Cauvery and Mullaperiyar cases has shown how helpless the constitutional processes and judicial verdicts have been in enforcing the law of the land in inter-state and state-Centre disputes, says N Sathiya Moorthy.

MUST READ: The Narendra Modi Interview

MUST READ: The Narendra Modi Interview

Rediff.com2 Jan 2019

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on range of issues -- from Rafale deal to Ram temple and triple talaq.