Mumbai (2012-05-14): Now is the time for all good men (and women) to come to the aid of the party.” Only there is no party, just the atmosphere being created for it. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalitha hinted at a non-Congress, non-BJP front when she talked about inter-state regional cooperation. The meeting of minds between Jayalalitha, and Naveen Patnaik was evident during the long hours spent in ripping apart the proposed National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC).
 

Mumbai (2012-05-07): Days before he was assassinated on May 21st 1991, Rajiv Gandhi at an election rally in UP said “mehangai ke bojh taley dabein hain sab, aur koi sukha bhi nahii pada” (we are burdened with rising prices and there isn’t even a drought). Ironically the Congress has been in power for 13 out of the 21 years since his death but mehangai is still an issue.

Mumbai (2012-04-30):  At a recent public meeting, Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney said, “It’s still about the economy, and we’re not stupid.” Romney was invoking an old phrase - “It’s the economy, stupid,” famously used by Bill Clinton in his successful 1992 campaign, that unseated President George Bush (the father). Bush had won the Gulf War but lost focus on the economy. From a 90 per cent approval rating he fell to an unimaginable defeat.

New Delhi, April 26 (ANI): "If there is one tragedy in my life today, it is that I can't read and write (due to a problem with her vision). I used to do crossword puzzles night and day. I used read books, one after the other, especially detective novels with a lot of sex in them (winks), my daughter-in-law Seema (grand daughter of Munshi Premchand) used to bring them for me...but now I can't read. I accept it. Its ok...after all I have lived a hundred years.

New Delhi, April 25 (ANI): I trudge up the stairs to her second floor apartment in a middle class suburb in Delhi. The first word that comes to my mind is: unpretentious.

The doyen of Indian theatre and films, Zohra Sehgal, lives in a tiny IInd floor apartment. I am here to talk to her about her life, even as her family and fans plan on celebrating her hundred years on planet Earth on April 27th. Zohraji lives with her daughter, the renownedOdissi dancer, Kiran Sehgal.

Mumbai (2012-04-23): On Saturday, when many of us were relaxing over the weekend break with our families, a young District Collector was interacting with poor and deprived villagers, trying to bring about small changes for the better in their lives. Alex Paul Menon, the District Collector of Sukma in Chattisgarh was interrupted in his task by Maoist guerrillas, who, disguised as rural folk, suddenly opened fire, killing the two security guards protecting him. Within minutes Alex had been whisked away into the thick jungles without leaving a trace or threat note.

Mumbai (2012-04-16): It is really a Delhi fixation. More so, a Delhi power corridor fixation. Gah is a small village in Chakwal district about a 100 kilometres from Islamabad. Before partition it was the hometown of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. Ever since Dr Singh became Prime Minister, peaceniks from both sides of the border have been repeatedly saying that Dr Singh should visit his birthplace, a journey that would improve relations between India and Pakistan. This demand has become stronger after the so-called personal visit by President Asif Ali Zardari to India and the invitation delivered at the Prime Minister’s residence to visit Pakistan.

New Delhi, Apr 11 (ANI): In Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan's only Shia dominated province ethnic cleansing is being carried out systematically, away from media glare and international attention. Hundreds of Shia Muslims staged a protest in front of the Lahore Press Club on April 10th urging the media to pressurize the Pakistani government to stop the atrocities on its community in Gilgit Baltistan. On April 9th a rally was held in Kargil against targeted killings in GB and local leaders appealed to the Indian government to take up the issue with the international community.

Mumbai (2012-04-09): Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has a habit of springing surprises.Not really known for his overt religious leanings, his sudden announcement to visit India took everyone by surprise. Though Zardari and Benazir had visited the Chisti dargah in 2005, he has since never expressed any significant religious zeal.

Mumbai (2012-04-02): We, the people, have become we the insulated middle class people. We, the newspaper reading, television watching, cell phone using, educated, well-travelled, cynical,pragmatic, angry, annoying Indians.
 

Mumbai (2012-03-26): Do you pick up your newspaper every morning with dread? Do you switch TV news channels hoping to avoid visuals of weeping widows, parents and young children sitting beside dead bodies of victims of mob violence, police brutality or sexual crimes?

Mumbai (2012-03-19): Folklore has it that the term 'atoot ang' or unbreakable limb was first used by Atal Behari Vajpayee to describe Kashmir's status in the Indian union. In a political coalition the atoot angs are the political parties, which keep it in office. While an atoot ang is treated with respect for the value it brings to the main body, the problem arises when these 'angs' turn rebellious.