The Congress in Tamil Nadu
I read your piece where you have mentioned about me losing the recent parliamentary election. I am sure a small detail has skipped your attention. The Congress lost all parliamentary seats in TN. Including the current TNCC President EVKS Elangovan who finished fourth too. BTW he polled far less votes than what I polled. Please check the votes obtained by Congress candidates and it will be apparent that I polled the second highest amongst the 39 candidates.-Karti P Chidambaram
Modi, Rajnath and Science
The research done in this article on Dayanand Saraswati is rather shallow, even though some parts are correct. The author sounds as ridiculous as the proponents of Hindutva.-Jyoti Raychaudhuri
* * *
A fine article by the author titled, "A short history of how Modi and Rajnath came to believe that mythology is science." This is exactly the stuff that Saratchandra referred to as the theory of "the Brahmin's shikha as a superconductor for getting electricity from the air". The list of such loony theories is pretty long. These theories comes from a certain misplaced sense of self, an inferiority complex and a desire to manipulate history to instill a false sense of pride.-Subodh Desphpande
* * *
It is somewhat ridiculous to see how how some people look for things that they want to see that is not based on any verifiable evidence. A greater misfortune, however, is that these people happen to run our government.-Siddhanth Rakshit
* * *
In the article, there is a passage that says, "Despite their best efforts, though, Muslim revisionists are shackled to some version of actual fact, because their faith is only 1,400 years old." It is absolutely incorrect and inaccurate to say or believe that the religion of Islam was revealed for the first time to Prophet Mohamed (saws), or that he (saws) was the first "Muslim"! Allah Subhanah revealed the religion of Islam through the very first human being, who was sent to earth, namely, Prophet Adam. Therefore, Islam is not 1,400 years old.-Abdur Raqeeb Sheikhji
RSS and its attempt at reshaping India's education policy
Batrafication: (new coinage: n.) tampering with universally established and tried quality of modern education with jingoistic hyperbole and far fetched claims of science and history attributed to mythological or sentient beings for primacy sprung from an inferiority complex in applied politics of cultural renaissance of any nation; obsessed with correcting the past to the letter. (v. batrafy; past & adj. batrafied)-Ronnie Patel
The view into other worlds though the lens of foreign languages
What a forceful & convincing argument against insularity by Vibha Kamat. To this day, when I look at my wife's curriculum vitae, it amazes me that in spite of her post graduate degrees in Political Science and Communications, she is proudest of her Bachelor's degree from the University of Bombay in English Literature and French. I am convinced that it has set her on her journey to learn more about different world views and cultures.-John M Flynn
'Kiss of Love' campaign and its place in 'Indian' culture
India is the motherland of contradictions. Without getting into the merits or demerits of the "Kiss of Love" campaign itself, there is an element to this story that cannot be ignored. When the Bharatiya Janata Party won the Lok Sabha elections by a stunning majority, the driving force behind that victory was the new generation of young voters. By latching onto his development agenda, these young voters were eager to stamp their ambitions onto India's electoral map. Modi's development mantra, however, is tied up to the larger agenda of Hindu nationalism, which is ideologically rooted in the conservative scriptures of the Manusmruti. In the larger scheme of things, the "Kiss of Love" campaign is just one attempt by the opposing camp to break free from the clutches of this burgeoning movement. The educated youth want to enjoy their individual life and freedom. However, back in May, some of them had voted for the BJP and inadvertently strengthened its strain of Hindu nationalism. -Binu Thomas
The controversy surrounding compulsory voting in Gujarat
The facts stated in this article are not true. Voters, however, must be given another choice, namely to vote "None of the Above Candidates". In other words, the right to reject those on the ballot paper is an an exercise of their duty to vote compulsorily.-Madhukar SJB Rana
Modi's 'Swacch Bharat' campaign and our attitudes
This comment is response to an article titled, "Modi's Swacch Bharat is facing the wrong way – it's our attitudes that need a scrubbing." The most important issue, in my view, is the drastic improvement in public/private sanitary environment. The contamination of water due to industrial waste and sewage must be stopped. To achieve this aim, it would require massive efforts from local municipal corporations, followed by public education. Unless this is done, germs including viruses and worms will continue to affect our immunity and nutrition levels.-Khorshed Pavri
Bohra Muslims and Modi
This comment is in reference to the article titled, "Why Bohra Muslims are so enamoured of Narendra Modi." I have seen that the 2002 Gujarat riots are being mentioned everywhere including your website. I understand that he has become the prime minister and that may be the reason why your website prominently highlights these connections. There were, however, many riots in many different places under other ruling political parties.-Shiv Khare
Chhattisgarh government is killing a scheme that’s saving babies
A very informative and enlightening piece on the fulwari programme for young children in Chhattisgarh. It is amazing to see how a mother's involvement in her own child's health can bring about such a dramatic improvement in the critical health indicators of other young children too. Let us hope that they will not stop this scheme.-Anita Patil-Deshmukh
Five Pakistani bands you need to listen to
Your article missed out on some major bands from the real underground scene. For example, the Karachi Butcher Clan.-Kamran Farooq
Funny moments from India's litfest circuit
The leitmotif of every litfest is, of course, "The Question". Long-winded, vague, sometimes more essay than query, they come fast and incoherent, slow and ponderous, after every session. I have heard Chimamanda Adichie being asked "That Question"; I have heard Jon Halliday and his wife Jung Chang, authors of Mao's bio, being asked about China "keeping the melon whole." And I have heard Namita Ghokale being asked about what has stopped her from writing full-time porn.-Sheila Kumar
South Asian camel drivers and their journey through Australia's deserts
Great to see this little piece of history covered in your article. However, unfortunately it is riddled with factual errors, conflations, and conjecture. "Cameleers" was not the colloquial name, as they were called "Afghans", though the majority were Baluch. The great Adelaide-Darwin railway in Australia is called "the Ghan" to honour them as pioneers of the outback. They were in fact very well integrated from the start and are some of the most ocker Australians one can meet these days, though they retain family heirlooms and a proud heritage. Finally, the White Australia Policy for all its misguided notions, was designed against the "blackbirding" of Pacific islanders and had little to do with the Afghan "Cameleers", who had arrived generations earlier for the most part. The tone of this article could have been significantly different with better research.-William Jenkins
I read your piece where you have mentioned about me losing the recent parliamentary election. I am sure a small detail has skipped your attention. The Congress lost all parliamentary seats in TN. Including the current TNCC President EVKS Elangovan who finished fourth too. BTW he polled far less votes than what I polled. Please check the votes obtained by Congress candidates and it will be apparent that I polled the second highest amongst the 39 candidates.-Karti P Chidambaram
Modi, Rajnath and Science
The research done in this article on Dayanand Saraswati is rather shallow, even though some parts are correct. The author sounds as ridiculous as the proponents of Hindutva.-Jyoti Raychaudhuri
* * *
A fine article by the author titled, "A short history of how Modi and Rajnath came to believe that mythology is science." This is exactly the stuff that Saratchandra referred to as the theory of "the Brahmin's shikha as a superconductor for getting electricity from the air". The list of such loony theories is pretty long. These theories comes from a certain misplaced sense of self, an inferiority complex and a desire to manipulate history to instill a false sense of pride.-Subodh Desphpande
* * *
It is somewhat ridiculous to see how how some people look for things that they want to see that is not based on any verifiable evidence. A greater misfortune, however, is that these people happen to run our government.-Siddhanth Rakshit
* * *
In the article, there is a passage that says, "Despite their best efforts, though, Muslim revisionists are shackled to some version of actual fact, because their faith is only 1,400 years old." It is absolutely incorrect and inaccurate to say or believe that the religion of Islam was revealed for the first time to Prophet Mohamed (saws), or that he (saws) was the first "Muslim"! Allah Subhanah revealed the religion of Islam through the very first human being, who was sent to earth, namely, Prophet Adam. Therefore, Islam is not 1,400 years old.-Abdur Raqeeb Sheikhji
RSS and its attempt at reshaping India's education policy
Batrafication: (new coinage: n.) tampering with universally established and tried quality of modern education with jingoistic hyperbole and far fetched claims of science and history attributed to mythological or sentient beings for primacy sprung from an inferiority complex in applied politics of cultural renaissance of any nation; obsessed with correcting the past to the letter. (v. batrafy; past & adj. batrafied)-Ronnie Patel
The view into other worlds though the lens of foreign languages
What a forceful & convincing argument against insularity by Vibha Kamat. To this day, when I look at my wife's curriculum vitae, it amazes me that in spite of her post graduate degrees in Political Science and Communications, she is proudest of her Bachelor's degree from the University of Bombay in English Literature and French. I am convinced that it has set her on her journey to learn more about different world views and cultures.-John M Flynn
'Kiss of Love' campaign and its place in 'Indian' culture
India is the motherland of contradictions. Without getting into the merits or demerits of the "Kiss of Love" campaign itself, there is an element to this story that cannot be ignored. When the Bharatiya Janata Party won the Lok Sabha elections by a stunning majority, the driving force behind that victory was the new generation of young voters. By latching onto his development agenda, these young voters were eager to stamp their ambitions onto India's electoral map. Modi's development mantra, however, is tied up to the larger agenda of Hindu nationalism, which is ideologically rooted in the conservative scriptures of the Manusmruti. In the larger scheme of things, the "Kiss of Love" campaign is just one attempt by the opposing camp to break free from the clutches of this burgeoning movement. The educated youth want to enjoy their individual life and freedom. However, back in May, some of them had voted for the BJP and inadvertently strengthened its strain of Hindu nationalism. -Binu Thomas
The controversy surrounding compulsory voting in Gujarat
The facts stated in this article are not true. Voters, however, must be given another choice, namely to vote "None of the Above Candidates". In other words, the right to reject those on the ballot paper is an an exercise of their duty to vote compulsorily.-Madhukar SJB Rana
Modi's 'Swacch Bharat' campaign and our attitudes
This comment is response to an article titled, "Modi's Swacch Bharat is facing the wrong way – it's our attitudes that need a scrubbing." The most important issue, in my view, is the drastic improvement in public/private sanitary environment. The contamination of water due to industrial waste and sewage must be stopped. To achieve this aim, it would require massive efforts from local municipal corporations, followed by public education. Unless this is done, germs including viruses and worms will continue to affect our immunity and nutrition levels.-Khorshed Pavri
Bohra Muslims and Modi
This comment is in reference to the article titled, "Why Bohra Muslims are so enamoured of Narendra Modi." I have seen that the 2002 Gujarat riots are being mentioned everywhere including your website. I understand that he has become the prime minister and that may be the reason why your website prominently highlights these connections. There were, however, many riots in many different places under other ruling political parties.-Shiv Khare
Chhattisgarh government is killing a scheme that’s saving babies
A very informative and enlightening piece on the fulwari programme for young children in Chhattisgarh. It is amazing to see how a mother's involvement in her own child's health can bring about such a dramatic improvement in the critical health indicators of other young children too. Let us hope that they will not stop this scheme.-Anita Patil-Deshmukh
Five Pakistani bands you need to listen to
Your article missed out on some major bands from the real underground scene. For example, the Karachi Butcher Clan.-Kamran Farooq
Funny moments from India's litfest circuit
The leitmotif of every litfest is, of course, "The Question". Long-winded, vague, sometimes more essay than query, they come fast and incoherent, slow and ponderous, after every session. I have heard Chimamanda Adichie being asked "That Question"; I have heard Jon Halliday and his wife Jung Chang, authors of Mao's bio, being asked about China "keeping the melon whole." And I have heard Namita Ghokale being asked about what has stopped her from writing full-time porn.-Sheila Kumar
South Asian camel drivers and their journey through Australia's deserts
Great to see this little piece of history covered in your article. However, unfortunately it is riddled with factual errors, conflations, and conjecture. "Cameleers" was not the colloquial name, as they were called "Afghans", though the majority were Baluch. The great Adelaide-Darwin railway in Australia is called "the Ghan" to honour them as pioneers of the outback. They were in fact very well integrated from the start and are some of the most ocker Australians one can meet these days, though they retain family heirlooms and a proud heritage. Finally, the White Australia Policy for all its misguided notions, was designed against the "blackbirding" of Pacific islanders and had little to do with the Afghan "Cameleers", who had arrived generations earlier for the most part. The tone of this article could have been significantly different with better research.-William Jenkins
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