Kolkata's Shame

Despite 'poribarton', little change from the Left

Kolkata's Shame

-The Times of India, February 3, 2012

The recent cancelling of the launch of Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen's latest book, Nirbashan (Exile), at the Kolkata Book Fair is "yet another example of tacit political endorsement of fundamentalists militating against freedom of expression."

The West Bengal government adopted the same spineless posture that was characteristic of the Rajasthan government.

Can our "cherished democratic values" be repeatedly held hostage by some fundamentalists?  

'This is the first audience where so many mom said - i get it!'

Q&A


with Amy Chua, John M Duff professor of law at Yale University - and top ranking academic and legal theorist. She is also the author of Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother; a treatise on parenting that emphasizes tight control on children's lives, diverse kinds of discipline and restrictions (including no boyfriends or sleepovers for Chua's teenage daughters - who had to practice the piano even on holiday) and pushing one's children hard to excel.

She speaks about shocked responses, what parenting means to her 0 and how Indian mothers 'get it' right away.

Interview - Q&A

-The Times of India, February 1, 2012

A Ray Of Hope

There are important lessons to be learnt from the Jaipur Literature Festival's success 


A Ray Of Hope

-The Times of India, January 28, 2012

Chetan Bhagat looks at the positive side of things in India, which is to do with the world-famous Jaipur Literature Festival, and its success. He posits six reasons behind the JLF phenomenon.

"Let us rejoice that India, once known as the land of scholars and knowledge, still has the best literary festival in the world."

A Trimmed Idea Of India

Liberals must stop accommodating fringe elements and take a stand on fundamentals

A Trimmed Idea Of India

-The Times of India, January 27, 2012

When JLF opens itself to public, it invites the Indian liberals - not the "manicured handful of intellectuals discussing the Russian or Tamil Stalin at clubs and TV studios" - but "thousands of people from diverse classes and languages, spread over distant cities and towns - often obtaining books from fading libraries and railway carts, debating poets in the low-voltage light of old homes, opposing the unjust hierarchies of Indian life," says Srijana Mitra Das.

"As more Indians show intolerance to anyone who threatens violence, we will have more festivals where liberal and illiberal will use only their words to make points or refute them."

It is these Indians, and the growing numbers, that will challenge book bans, "and show the finger to anyone who threatens violence" in the future.  

'The biggest damage religion does is brainwashing children'

Q&A


Richard Dawkins is amongst the most provocative thinkers of our times. The Oxford University geneticist has waged a blazing intellectual war on religion, calling for the rule of science and rationality. At the recent Jaipur Literature Festival, Dawkins spoke about why he prefers science over faith, whether he is an 'atheist fundamentalist', - and issues such as immortality:


Interview - Q&A

-The Times of India, January 25, 2012

Playing With Fire

The Congress is repeating old mistakes by exploiting the Rushdie issue for electoral purposes

Playing With Fire

-The Times of India, January 23, 2012

The Rushdie affair might have set grave precedents for further public restrictions, fears the writer.

"Like in 1986-88, the Congress is sedulously promoting the idea of Muslim distinctiveness - institutionalising into permanency a legal separateness (in 1986) and a political separateness (now)"

Stand up for Salman Rushdie

"Instead of dismissing the unlawful fatwa with the contempt it deserves, the central and Rajasthan governments have adopted an attitude that is opaque and obfuscatory."

The Hindu : Opinion / Editorial : Stand up for Salman Rushdie: The Supreme Court has underlined in a series of verdicts, that it is absolutely vital that public authorities protect the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of expression in the face of intolerance and not resort to bans in the name of upholding law and order.

The Congress-led governments should have sent a clear and strong signal that they would not allow Mr. Rushdie's visit to be sabotaged by those who feigned anger and hurt with an eye to a supposedly communal vote bank. It is an insult to the intelligence and good sense of India's 160 million-strong Muslim community.