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List of Articles Social Analysis & commentary | Water issues | India-Pakistan relations & Kashmir | Looking beyond India's borders | Book reviews Bloody Lessons From Mumbai / The heroism must be applauded. But anti-terror operations as in Mumbai need a clear chain of command, controlled perimeters, better communication, and a coherent public face. Beware Perverse Patriotism / Perverse patriotism fed on false notions of “nationalism” must be squarely fought. Terrorism is terrorism, irrespective of community. Pump-Priming the Global Economy / Lessons from the global economic debacle and why the government should plough some of its foreign exchange reserves into agriculture, health, housing and infrastructure. Communalism and Terror Combine in New Threat / Combating terrorism requires cool heads and sober leadership, not lynch-mob rhetoric and finger-pointing. Treading Dangerously in Tamil Waters /The DMK’s action in holding a gun to the government’s head, demanding the Centre intervene on behalf of the LTTE, is fraught with peril. Here’s why. No Condoning Soft Terror /Seeds of social hatred must be countered. Remember, Hindutva is not Hinduism. The latter is profoundly tolerant, catholic and accommodating. More Than Glaciers Are Melting /The India-US nuclear deal paves the way for clean, renewable energy as the global reordering continues from Wall Street to Gujarat (minus Bengal). Much Reprocessing, No Enrichment / Singur is symptomatic of a malaise that requires urgent attention. It is time to tackle poverty and its root causes. Luddites move over. India Unshackled / India has a chance to move ahead with new alignments, reform, and a crack at finally becoming a top global player. Towards a New Federalism / For federalism to work, governors need to be independent functionaries and not the Centre’s lackeys. Towards an Achieving and Just Society / Education reform is perhaps India’s greatest challenge. Now the Supreme Court weighs in. Debasing the Coinage / Unfortunately, rank, status, money and muscle are placing all too many above the law. Hooray For Nano! / What Nano proves is that India too can dream and innovate. Now wait for the multiplier effect. Our Land of the Rising Sun / The development of Arunachal is the best antidote to Chinese claims. Keeping Faith With the Constitution / The Supreme Court’s dismissal of frivolous cases against artist M F Husain is to be lauded. The question is, what kind of India do we want? Naked And Unashamed in Gujarat / The Congress is fast losing its moral authority as the BJP side-steps key issues and Gujarat critics turn a blind eye. Comrades With Arms / Nandigram raises issues that must be addressed. Is this the Left’s last hurrah? Making a New Start / The President represents the nation’s conscience. The work is “political” though not partisan. Poll over, this is a new beginning. The Muslim Condition in India: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow / Accelerated economic growth, education, and a rapprochment with Pakistan are key elements in liberation. The Indian idea: towards fraternity / Gujarat has questioned the very idea of India. It is time now to revitalise India's incredible diversity. Lessons from Gujarat / The answer does not lie in retreating into an imagined past that is exclusive and divisive, but in focusing on the future. Northeast: unfinished business / Pointers towards restructure, reform and reconciliation in India's troubled frontier and why it is time now to get on with the job. Outcast, convert, citizen, reform / The quagmire of caste and discrimination fuels impetus for new Faiths. The Tamil Nadu Conversion Act misses the point and blurs Church-and-State distinctions. Who's afraid of a Unified Civil Code? / The bogey that a uniform civil code (UCC) necessarily entails the repeal of personal laws needs to be laid to rest. This is simply not so. Bringing Down Walls of Hate and Fear / Don't let mafia goons masquerading under the garb of religion create a permanent divide in Ahmedabad. Nowhere People No Address, No Rights / Understanding and dealing with migration stress and distress. Middle India Under Siege / In Chattisgarh, confrontation and state-sponsored vigilantes are queering the pitch. South's Demographic Transition Complete / Stable demographics in India's southern states is a great leap forward. Rediscovering Delhi, Underground and Over Ground / The redevelopment of Delhi – with the advent of the Metro – could set a model for the revival of other inner cities in the country. Best Bakery to Jessica: Between Hope and Anger / The judgement on the Best Bakery case redeems justice in Gujarat. But what of Jessica Lall? Reflections on Gandhi and Gandhi / Gandhi has been ritualised and frozen. Yet he was a dynamic force. Change is good. Parties need to nurture younger cadres and hear new voices. Right to Information Remains Alive and Well / Officials maintain proposed amendments do not demolish the RTI Act. Response to Kosi: Rebuilding Relationships / After the Bihar floods, a magnificent opportunity to rebuild and reorder society and renewed development. Dams, Development, Displacement, Tribals / Chinmanbhai Patel lecture: Water is often taken for granted, but only so long as it is available. In India, water availability is hugely skewed, spatially and seasonally. Water Conservation and Climate / The Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal may help lay to rest a long-standing controversy. Yet there are some worrying omissions. India-Pakistan relations & Kashmir Stay Focused, Act Responsibly / We need to strengthen democratic forces in Pakistan, and they in turn must stop living in a world of make-believe. India is not out to destroy Pakistan. A Great Window of Opportunity /The government has called the separatists’ bluff with the decision to hold the Jammu & Kashmir elections. Elections Equal Self-Determination, QED / The shadow of Kashmir elections has jehadis and self-styled “self- determination” proponents on the run. It is time to let the people speak. Grand Reconciliation not Utopian / The “grand (Indo-Pakistan) reconciliation” that Pakistan’s Foreign Minister ventured to project is no utopian ideal. There are positive signals. Supping With The Devil / The US joins Musharraf’s charade but the game is up. Musharraf has destroyed every vestige of trust in Pakistan. Pakistan’s Enemy Within / Army & Business / Pakistan's military-business combine poses the biggest threat to democracy, stability and genuine economic progress. Getting it right in Jammu and Kashmir / The Indian Government needs a coherrent policy on Kashmir. Cut-and-paste improvisation simply will not do. Elections in J&K are a sound first step. Here's why. Forward From Baglihar / Why Pakistan's fuss over this hydro-electric project is a storm in a teacup. On your marks, get set, but go forward / It is time for India and Pakistan to stop circling each other. They must find the middle ground and move briskly forward taking into account current realities. Looking beyond India's borders Thaw in Myanmar? / Delhi should continue quietly to press the Junta to open up so that the path to a democratic restoration for all of Myanmar’s varied people is eased. Kosovo UDI Problematic / NATO, midwife to Kosovo’s UDI, seems determined to start a new cold war by insisting on spreading eastwards and setting up new missile defence rings. The Cry of Freedom / The authorities hope to pacify Tibet behind a cloak of censorship. Modern technology, however, makes this a difficult task. Africa: Neighbour Across the Ocean / The First Indo-African Forum Summit is a welcome initiative that lays the foundation for an important new strategic and economic partnership. Unique Opportunity in Nepal / The Maoists were surprised by their own success in a fair and open election. Their task will now be to keep exuberant youth cadres in check. Chinese Jitters Over Tibet / Talk of an Olympic boycott is misplaced but India should urge Beijing to show restraint and open a meaningful dialogue with the Dalai Lama. Fashioning a Policy for Myanmar / Sanctions don’t work. India needs to work with others to bring about a speeded process of national consultation and economic regeneration. Land bridges in inner Asia / The opening up of an India-China corridor through Sikkim and Tibet offers huge opportunity and gain for both in the long run. It is time to settle boundary issues in a pragmatic manner. Advani’s Cloistered World / L K Advani's political biography, My Country, My Life is conspicuously devoid of vision and sense of underlying history. No big picture emerges from this disappointing tome. Proliferating Terror / Deception at our doorstep / Deception: Pakistan, the United States and the Global Nuclear Weapons Conspiracy by Adrian Levy and Catherine Scott-Clark. Penguin, 2007. Gandhi / the Man Behind the Metaphor /
Mohandas: A True Story of a Man, A People and an Empire by Rajmohan Gandhi. Penguin/Viking, 2006. Misconceived and mischievous / Eulogised by the Home Minister, the book, "Religious Demography in India" is packed with bogus sociology and dangerous prejudice.
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