No Mandal magic for Congress in Uttar Pradesh

The timing of the verdict on reservations for the Mandal classes in institutions of higher education could not have been better for the ruling alliance. In particular, the Congress gets great store by the decision, which puts an end to an impasse that has lasted nearly two years. Close on the heels of the verdict came the statement of Human Resources Development Minister Arjun Singh, probably the most vocal proponent of reservations in the Congress. Rahul Gandhi, he felt, had what it takes to be prime minister.
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Tribal art, Mughal architecture in Jharkhand church

Dumka (Jharkhand): Bright fibreglass windows, arches shaped like onion domes and a statue of Jesus Christ bearing resemblance to tribal art are some of the unique features of a church in Jharkhand.
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‘Khuda Kay Liye’ is a rare testament to our troubled times

Nothing you say or do can exonerate you from the sin of missing “Khuda Kay Liye”, written and directed by Pakistan’s Shoaib Mansoor. No review on either side of the border, or the ones by our learned critics elsewhere have done justice to the film’s thematic power and enrapturing, almost mesmeric, execution of a plot that takes the director through three geopolitical zones without stumbling during the historic journey.
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Sehmat, the secular spy who fought a silent war for India

Book: “Calling Sehmat”; Author: Harinder S. Sikka; Publisher: Konark Publishers; Price: Rs.400 Spy tales are always riveting. The thrill of the chase, the action, intrigue and the speed of the narrative make them unputdownable, barring stray occasions when they are sloppy and poorly crafted.
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It’s time NRI business leaders discovered Africa

Why haven’t NRIs in the West invested in Africa? Perhaps due to the lack of information about high returns on investment. Perhaps due to the outdated perceptions and prejudices about Africa. Perhaps due to apathy about Africa as a growing market. Or perhaps due to violence that constantly bursts into headlines.
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Noida incidents - collusion, connivance, or callous incompetence?

It was a bit queasy to read in a national newspaper about the Noida police “pressurising into surrendering in court” a notorious criminal suspected to be behind last Tuesday’s horrendous crimes of killing an ex-airhostess and shooting a former army lieutenant general! In the policing I knew, we did not pressurise or persuade criminals to surrender in court - we just went and arrested them, or at least endeavoured sincerely to arrest.
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An absorbing partition saga through eyes of an American

Book: “An American Witness to India’s Partition”; Author: Phillips Talbot; Publisher: Sage Publications
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While on Tibet, India and China beg some comparisons

The old colonial scene of a restive people opposing a repressive regime is again being enacted in Tibet. There are other similarities as well. For instance, there is a charismatic figure symbolising the “struggle”.
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The method behind Aamir Khan’s many moves

The Indian national football team captain, Bhaichung Bhutia, barely squeezed in 11 minutes of the mandatory 15 minutes of fame for his principled decision not to carry the Beijing bound Olympic torch in Delhi on April 17. Reason: somewhere between the 10th and the 11th minute his thunder was stolen by actor/director Aamir Khan who stated that he had a different way of wearing his conscience on his sleeve. He would carry the torch but with a prayer in his heart for the people of Tibet; the Games did not belong to China but to the human race.
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Hectic lobbying on for NRI university

In another three months, some NRIs may be thinking of sending their children for higher education in India. NRIs in different countries have different reasons for preferring Indian higher education.
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