The low vote for the Congress, still led by the heroes of the freedom struggle, – around 45 per cent of those polled – in the first general election in 1952, spoke of a political vacuum in the country. This awesome reality – awesome because no other party proved capable … Read More
It is impossible to appreciate the historic significance of Indira Gandhi’s leadership for close to two decades unless we grasp certain fundamental issues which the party and the country have faced since independence. Indeed, it is the widespread failure to place developments in their proper historical perspective, that accounts for … Read More
Mr. Kamlapati Tripathi’s retirement/dismissal as working president of the Congress organisation had been a foregone conclusion for over six months. Indeed, Mr. Rajiv Gandhi has had no use for him ever since he took over as Prime Minister and Congress president on the assassination of Mrs. Indira Gandhi on October … Read More
The Hindu civilization is different from other great civilizations – Christian-Western and Arab Islamic – in one significant respect. Unlike them, it is virtually confined to one geographical area – the present-day India. And since the Hindus happen to be in an overwhelming majority in that area, it can, indeed … Read More
The allies and friends of the US cannot but be aghast over the disclosure that President Reagan has secretly provided arms and spares to Iran as the price for the release of three Americans held hostage by Shiites in Lebanon. This shameful deal exposes the enormous gap that exists between … Read More
All those who know anything about Mr. Ribeiro, the Punjab police chief, will take him at his word. It is inconceivable that he will be party to fake encounters in which the police shoot individuals arrested elsewhere. He is not that kind of officer. At his press conference in Chandigarh … Read More
The revelations in The Washington Post that Pakistan has twice detonated a high explosive device this year – the second as late as the third week of September – will surprise only those in this country and abroad who have sought to minimize the extent of Islamabad’s nuclear ambitions and … Read More
The so-called panthic committee has held another so-called sarbat khalsa at the Akal Takht in the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar. This statement does not add up to much. But that is about all that can be said on the subject. The rest is all vague and uncertain. The committee … Read More
Unity moves among the Akalis appear to be gathering momentum. Among those in office, Mr. Balwant Singh, finance minister, has taken the initiative. While it is difficult to say with certainty whether he has done so with or without the chief minister, Mr. Surjit Singh Barnala’s agreement, it looks as … Read More
While there is no dearth of Indians who question the validity of the concept of secularism for their country, no Indian has ever disputed that it is an antidote to communalism. This is truly extraordinary and speaks of the grip a slogan can acquire on our collective mind. Currently a … Read More
