Readers in India, specially in Southern India would realise what it was for an young man of 25 from a rural family to venture on his own efforts to go to Oxford. Before me, may be some Brahmains must have gone to Oxford for I.C.S or on some research projects but not in the country…
My years in Santiniketan
There are some provocations for this month’s cover story. Some are personal and some are of great public interest. Some pleasant and some sad. Santiniketan is invariably linked in my mind to the recent developments and hence the writeup. Let me put them down in order of priority. 1. There is a letter lying in…
Indian Renaissance : Rammohun Roy
When Indians think of nationalism, cultural identity, one Indian name seems the starting print. What is his relevance today? We go back to Raja Rammohun Roy, who died this month 164 years ago, as he is the originator of modern India. Along with him came modern education. An assessment of the great man and his…
Political parties must have some democratic structures
Political parties are not private properties Election Commission must supervise the party elections The recent “re-election” of Sonia Gandhi as the President of the Congress party was much elaborately reported in the press. Print media played up the issue ,it seemed to demonstrate how the power structure, the sociology of power, is shaping the perceptions…
British class system and the choice of schools
The school one attends still determines ones social status in British society. There is a clear division between State schools and independent (privately funded) public schools. Having a child in a public school is a powerful symbol of wealth and status among the Britons. Class is a tricky topic, these days. More thank money and…
What decent men can do in politics?
Politics is often discussed in negative terms by those outside politics, being outside power. The reasons are obvious to all decent persons. But what is not often stated by everyone of us, the decent persons, is that there is no life possible without politics, decent or dirty! Every society has to operate and operates only…
50 years of freedom
A time for celebration. And a time for introspection On an occasion like this, it is often easy to be nice and say the usual flattering things about ourselves. But in a more serious, purposeful sense it is rather imperative, a moral duty as well, to be more retrospective, more committed to see far and…
Agri scientists no use for creating agro entrepreneurs!
There is a real shortage of skilled manpower in agri sector! Or, for undertaking consultancy business management of various new agro ventures We are experiencing a severe shortage of people with requisite skills to work in the agri sector. To draw up strategic development projects in new crops, new agribusiness models, what is now called…