ALLAHABAD: Even as the country anxiously awaits the verdict on the Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute, Abdul Wahid stands out as a symbol of communal harmony in the Sangam city. This humble `dresswala' sends across a strong message that religion is meant for bonding people, not dividing them. While the security agencies were busy making preparations to thwart any communal tension in wake of the Ayodhya verdict, to be pronounced on Thursday, Abdul Wahid alias Anwar alias Ram Singh, remained … [Read more...]
AYODHYA : HOW ADVANI DIVIDED INDIA !
September 27, 2010 By 6 Comments
“ Patriotism is often an arbitrary veneration of real estate above principles”. George Jean Nathan By Sanjay Jha Noted columnist MJ Akbar’s sardonic observation on India’s bustling cosmopolitan city of Bombay is legendary : Bombay should try and establish diplomatic relations with the rest of India. It was an immaculate, flawless assessment as the city buzzed with its trademark enthusiasm for continuous profits, stockbrokers like Harshad Mehta captured public imagination … [Read more...]
Wages of Democracy
September 20, 2010 By 5 Comments
By Rajeev Gowda Politics is expensive. MPs need a hike to stay afloat -- and honest Recently, when Members of Parliament gave themselves a pay hike, there was a predictable howl of outrage across the country. This fury was not directed at the antics of some MPs led by the gimmick-prone Lalu Yadav, who denigrated the institution by conducting a mock parliament after hours in the Lok Sabha chamber. Instead commentators vented their ire on the magnitude of increase in salary and perquisites, … [Read more...]
OUR OUT-OF-THE-BOX “UTOPIAN” SOLUTION TO THE AYODHYA PROBLEM
September 18, 2010 By 2 Comments
By Sanjay Jha Why don't we Hindus help build a mosque at the disputed territory and our Muslim brothers construct a Ram temple at the same time, together? Frankly, aren't the warring parties and all individuals concerned all Indian first? Faith is so nebulous and yet such a powerful sentiment ; so why not respect each other's feelings, empathize with our situation, and just move on with life leaving everyone fulfilled and no bitterness lingering on. After all, despite the court verdict, … [Read more...]
“NO AZAADI, WE ARE ALL INDIAN”: CAN THE PM SAY IT???
September 16, 2010 By 2 Comments
By Sanjay Jha Prudent writing demands that you build a strong credible case before making your conclusive judgment; but as far as Kashmir is concerned, strangely enough, the reverse applies after several decades of flimsy, half-baked, wishy-washy failed endeavors. Let me be brutally honest, the only way we will actually move forward on the Kashmir problem after a gargantuan 63 years of wasted opportunities , mindless deaths, massive defense expenditure, three wars and a Kargil, and … [Read more...]
QURESHI AND ROHAN BOPANNA: AN INSPIRATIONAL TRIUMPH
September 9, 2010 By 3 Comments
By Sanjay Jha An extract from my concluding paragraph in article “ KASHMIR: Not for talks” published in The Sunday Pioneer dated August 8 , 2010 ); also on www.HamaraCongress.com I quote: “ The two countries can take a cue from two fairly unheralded tennis players — Aisam Qureshi of Pakistan and Rohan Bopanna of India. They are a wonderful doubles combination, partners in one of the most competitive sports in the world. They play together as a team and travel from one … [Read more...]
WHY SINGH IS NOT KING?
September 7, 2010 By 5 Comments
(Can Prime Minister Manmohan Singh pull India out of the woods?) By Sanjay Jha US President Barack Obama , facing plummeting domestic approval ratings, dived southwards in the sea-waters off the Florida coast in complete synchronicity with his falling popularity graph It did not deter him from making a symbolic statement on safety of sea waters off Miami’s white sands following the Gulf of Mexico oil spill . When General Stanley McChrystal criticised the US administration on … [Read more...]
NIP IT IN THE BUTT
September 2, 2010 By Leave a Comment
By Sanjay Jha (In the Indian sub-continent, match-fixing has ruled like an imperious king.) We fight with impeccable ferocity over Kashmir. Our Foreign Ministers squabble amidst international spotlight. We often impertinently reject Pak-born visas, while Islamabad repeatedly snuggles into the cosy arms of our perpetual adversary China. Our Independence Day is celebrated within 24 hours of each other. Once we lived in a large undivided mass of land , in fact, the river from where our … [Read more...]
