My parents are from Kerala. But I consider myself more of a Tamilian since I lived most of my formative years in Tamil Nadu. Some of the most memorable times were when we lived in Madurai. Madurai is the heartland of Tamil Nadu. It is one of the most ancient cities in the world and [...]
“I’ve been so spoiled with my friends and family in this life. Next time I want to be just something quiet and supporting”. Hollywood actress Julia Roberts made these comments to a magazine while promoting her latest movie Eat Pray Love. According to reports she is now a Hindu and like many Hindus she now [...]
“You can build a Mosque at ground zero when we can build a Synagogue in Mecca” read the sign carried by one of the protesters. They protesters were trying to pressurize the city of New York and prevent the city from granting permission to build a 13 story Islamic community center a few blocks from [...]
Many progressives and liberals in America were stunned when on July 21st the President of Argentina Christina Fernandez de Kirchner signed into law a bill legalizing gay marriage. Argentina became the first South American country and the tenth country overall to legalize gay marriage. Many Americans could not believe that a developing nation like Argentina [...]
We in India know that we have a great history. I am not sure how we know this for a fact but we know. The Chinese hold a very similar opinion. Maybe the concept of the great past is something that our forefathers passed on to us as we pass on to our future generations. [...]
I am from Kerala but I lived in Tamil Nadu (mostly in Madurai and Coimbatore) for a couple of decades. Due to state government policies then I was forced to learn Tamil during my school days. I did not like being pressured to learn a new language but I am now glad that I did [...]
Foreign Policy magazine and the Fund for Peace has published the failed states index for 2010. The group aims to rank nations based on what they call “12 Degrees of Failure”. This includes among other things demographics, number of refugees, illegitimate government, brain drain and human rights. For the record Somalia came in first with [...]
I am an Indian who has lived half of my life in the United States. Adjusting to live in America is very difficult for a person from a developing nation like India but I would not have it any other way. It has been a fun, humbling and a learning experience. Indians in the United [...]
In both the United States and India some professions more so than others are very good at portraying themselves as overworked and under appreciated. The teaching profession is one such group. The reality is very different. Most nations assign significant portions of their annual budget towards education. Teachers in both the United States and India [...]
The United States is required by its constitution to conduct a Census every 10 years. The 2010 Census is now in full swing. In 2004 the American Government Accountability Office (GAO) estimated that the 2010 Census would cost approximately $11 billion. In a step back the United States decided not to allow residents to respond [...]
India is one of the few major countries in the world that currently does not have any health care policy to speak of at the national level other than “indifference”. In India the type of health care that you get clearly depends on your finances. Medical insurance similar to the ones offered in the West [...]
The Indian cabinet today approved the proposal to allow foreign universities to set up campuses in India. The Minister of Human Resources and Development Kapil Sibal said that “This is a milestone which will enhance choices, increase competition and benchmark quality in education”. Foreign investment in education is something that India has allowed for a [...]
India and the United States have a strong strategic relationship today. A lot has been written about the many things that India and the United States have in common. Pluralism and a belief in a democratic system of government is one of them. But I also think that the attitude of both these nations when [...]
Tamil Nadu is one of my favorite states in India. I lived in the state for over 18 years and have traveled extensively in the state. But it is also a state of contradictions and missed opportunities. Unlike many other states in India Tamil Nadu has had a strong industrial base from the very beginning.
India has invited the Foreign Secretary of Pakistan Salman Bashir to meet with his Indian counterpart Nirupama Rao for talks later this month (Nirupama Rao has already met the Pakistani High Commissioner to India Shahid Malik to discuss the possibility of these talks). New Delhi has indicated that it is willing to discuss any issue [...]
All political parties and organizations in the world indulge in what is nowadays called wedge politics. But nobody does it better than the Republican and Democratic parties in the United States. At least that is what I thought until I started following the Indian political parties and their messages and innuendos closely.
Indians from all walks of life are upset and are taking out their frustrations on the government and the politicians. This is very obvious to anyone who follows the Indian media on a regular basis or to those who are familiar with the Indian blogosphere. There is a feeling that the government is not responsive [...]
