Congress Party member Mani Shankar Aiyar said recently in a meeting that “India is prospering, Indians are not”. He added “GDP growth rate is no index of what is happening in our country”. He criticized the Indian government (which is lead by his own party) and questioned the governments economic policy. There is no debate [...]
In an article published in the online magazine Slate, former Governor of New York State and a CNN talk show host Eliot Spitzer indicated that countries like Brazil, India and China will be thrilled if the Republicans win the upcoming midterm elections. He wrote “We have three weeks to make this choice. Because if we [...]
Some of my friends have told me that Indians are like “coconuts”. They are “brown” on the outside but “white” on the inside. I do not believe that all Indians behave this way but at the same time I think that there is some truth to these statements. Indians in the United States for example [...]
The Commonwealth (full name is Commonwealth of Nations) is an organization of fifty four member states. Fifty two of these nations were part of the British Empire. The Commonwealth Games is one of the showcase events for this organization. Except a few countries like Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Canada almost all other countries are [...]
The Brahmin was his mouth, Of both his arms was the (Kshatriya) made. His thighs became the Vaishya, From his feet the Sudhra was produced. (Rig Veda X.90.1-3) Today Indians have some explaining to do when it comes to the caste system. Millions of Indians are considered as untouchables and denied basic rights simply because [...]
Like a lot of middle class Indians I attended many different schools before I passed the 12th grade. The longest duration I was in the same school was three years. Moving from school to school also exposed me to different systems of education that India follows including State Board, CBSE and ICSE. There were a [...]
I am a little worried about the growing anger aimed at the Commonwealth Games to be held in New Delhi (India). Former Union Sports Minister and a senior member of the ruling Congress Party Manishankar Iyer said “Personally, I will be unhappy if the Commonwealth Games are successful … If the Games do succeed, that [...]
Mount Kailash according to Hindu mythology is the abode of Lord Shiva. In the Vishnu Purana Kailash is described as the center of the world and also the one of the pillars of the world. Some Buddhists also believe that Kailash is the home of Buddha. The mountain itself is in Tibet (occupied by China [...]
In a rather strange ruling the Delhi High Court said that people who are in a live-in relationship cannot complain about infidelity or immorality. The judges said “People who chose to have live-in relationship cannot complain of infidelity or immorality as live-in relationships are also known to have been between a married man and unmarried [...]
My interest in science and space in particular grew exponentially as I started watching the television show Cosmos presented by renowned astronomer and astrophysicist Carl Sagan in the mid eighties. I am not sure whether programs such as these are shown on Indian television anymore. But people of my generation will be forever grateful for [...]
India’s Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal unveiled a $35 computer prototype to the media last week. This news spread like wild fire and within minutes most of the media outlets in the world started reporting it. All these reports had a smiling photograph of the minister with the computer prototype in his hand. Mission [...]
I am a traveler. I have had the privilege to travel within India and also many other parts of the world. Traveling is very important to us human beings. We inhabit this beautiful planet called Earth that is traveling on its orbit around the Sun at the rate of 108,000 Kilometers/Hour!! Irrespective of whether we [...]
Recently a co-worker of mine who is a Muslim from the Middle East asked me whether Indians like the people of Pakistan. I explained to her that an average Indian citizen probably has never heard of Pakistan and would not be able to point out Pakistan or Kashmir on a map (an average Indian most [...]
I always wondered about what life would be like for our ancestors thousands of years ago. Imagine the first Indians walking along the shores of Goa and Kerala on their long journey from Africa about 65,000 years ago (scientists estimate that it took human beings about 5000 years to travel from east coast of Africa [...]
India today is the 12th largest economy in the world. Among large economies India is also the second fastest growing economy in the world after China. If this growth rate continues India will become the third largest economy in the world in less than 25 years. Indians particularly those who are young are optimistic and [...]
A special Mumbai Court judge on Thursday sentenced Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab to death for his role in the 2008 Mumbai bombings. Kasab who is from Pakistan was the only gunman captured alive. The method of execution in India is by hanging. Many organizations including prominent Muslim organization in India have welcomed the verdict. Prominent [...]
How many Indians are gay, lesbian or homosexual? This is a very difficult question to answer because such issues are still very sensitive in modern day India. Most Indians who are familiar with world history understand that India and most of the world had a much more permissive attitude towards individuals who are lesbian, gay, [...]
