Bangalore 16th April, 2013 Sri Sharad Yadav, President, Janata Dal (United), Head Office, 7,Jantar Mantar, New Delhi Sub: 2014 elections-need for forging an alternative front and a political ideology-regarding Dear Sharad Yadavji, Congratulations for your re-election as the President of the Janata Dal for the third time. I am no stranger to you though we…
Rare audience with Pope Benedict XVI!
What a surprise and miracle! Soon after this rare event comes the pope’s voluntary retirement! First time in 600 years of such a unique history such a thing happened! The Pope we saw and got his blessings, within a month went on to announce his resignation! Yes, the year 2013 held out so many unexpected…
A vision for agriculture, Indian and global agriculture!
A vision for India’s villages! Hopes for a sustainable world! Hopes for a stable and equitable world! All these revolve around how we see agriculture and the rural lives! All are big themes and big thinking! This calls for some fresh thinking and fresh ideas. Too many people, all experts and visionaries and all with…
Polity, economy and governance
A serious ideological articulation is needed! Prime Minister must imbue certain gravitas! His words must carry weight and conviction! Truth should be the touchstone! Ultimately, it is public opinion that would decide. The current set of players would be judged by the series of scams and scandals. The government might ignore things for the moment….
Travel, history and part-autobiography
Some days in Rome and Italy Why we should study Roman history? What lessons for the Indian people? There are lessons even now! Roman history, the rise and evolution of the Roman Empire, some 2,000 years of continuous success story, so to say, is because of the Romans’ victory over their rival empire, Carthage in…
The rise in cynicism, scepticism and insensitivity!
India needs a refreshing change! Infant mortality rate highest in India? What about school years? The rise in corruption scandals? Now, the claims of the PM and FM about rise in growth rate in three years! And the tired rhetoric of inclusive growth! UN Human Development report 2013 Yes, India has done well but not…
Prof. Norman Uphoff of Cornell University says in India in Bihar there is a lesson for future of rice cultivation!
Who makes agri policy in India? Why agri universities are not contributing to agriculture policy making? Yes, a humble farmer from Nalanda is reported to have cultivated an average rice yield of 22.4 tonne per hectare and that had driven the entire agri science community into a tizzy! There is the comparative rice yield map…
Is what Sonia Gandhi doing right?
Why appoint policemen, army men and officials as Governors? What about the democratic political culture? I was just reading the latest issue of the famed TLS (March-8-2013), The Times Literary Supplement, posted every week directly from London! This has had been my favourite reading material for long, almost the past more than half a century!…