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Our secularism will withstand any opposition

I don’t know about you but I feel a deep weariness and a mounting frustration when I see the position of Kashmiri separatists described again and again in the media and in the foreign press in particular. Vir Sanghvi writes.

Before you chuckle over Pak cricket

Yes. I know. The betting scandal involving three (or possibly more) Pakistan cricketers allows Indians a chance to feel very smug. For many of us, the cricket scandal is not just a sporting affair but a symbol of a neighbour in decay, of a nation in collapse, etc. etc. Vir Sanghvi writes.

Hike MPs' salaries, take away housing

Here's my suggestion. Let a handful of ministers keep their homes (in Britain, it is the PM, Finance Minister and a few others) for official purposes but take away all the other accommodation. Rent it out to the general public. It will generate hundreds of crores every month. Vir Sanghvi writes.

How to get rid of those tele-pests

If you get a nuisance SMS, you should contact Trai. After the regulator has satisfied itself that the complaint is genuine, it should fine the offending telecom company R50,000 for every nuisance SMS received by every phone user. Vir Sanghvi writes.

When the means don’t justify the end

In recent times, Indians have done a fair amount of reflecting over the violence. The Maoists/Naxalites, in particular, have been the cause of extensive debate, writes Vir Sanghvi.

Just when we thought the UPA was down...

In the high pressure, all-action world of 24-hour TV news, the anchors often lack the time to pull back and reflect. But if they did, I have no doubt that they would come to the same conclusion that I reached last week after appearing on a CNN-IBN discussion on the results of an opinion poll that HT and the channel had jointly commissioned, writes Vir Sanghvi.

Why politicians won’t get off the line

Just before the 26/11 attacks on Bombay, a technician at the Research & Analysis Wing was monitoring satellite transmissions emanating from the Arabian Sea. Almost by chance, he picked up conversations that seemed to be coming from a dhow heading for Bombay, writes Vir Sanghvi.

We have reached the turning point

Sadly, I do not see an alternative. There may be ways of reaching out to the tribals, bypassing the Naxalites. But all that will have to wait. First, the State must reassert the rule of law. Then, it will finish off the Maoists. And only then, will we tackle the serious issue of social justice, writes Vir Sanghvi.

Targeting Sania is a wrong call

The agenda is to subliminally link every Indian Muslim to Pakistan and to question the patriotism of an entire community. It is time to ask: do these nutcases really deserve the kind of television time they are being given? Vir Sanghvi examines.
Sania Mirza unites the bigots!

Taking us for granted, not again

No matter how much affection Indians have for American culture, India is too large and too important to be taken for granted. And Indians have long memories. No snub is ever forgotten, writes Vir Sanghvi.

What does America have to hide?

It is not difficult to see why the case of David Headley evokes such strong emotions among Indians. For us, 26/11 is as important as 9/11 is to Americans. The difference is that while the US knows pretty much everything it needs to about 9/11, India is still trying to piece together the details of the conspiracy, writes Vir Sanghvi.

The Hindu Fuehrer, a prisoner of his image

So, here’s my question: why did Modi’s career never take off in the eight years that followed the riots? Why is he still no more than what he was in 2002 — to quote India Today — a ‘hero of hatred’? Part of it, of course, has to do with the riots. Vir Sanghvi examines...

It’s okay to be a jholawala these days

I don’t know if you have realised this but the terms of debate in Indian politics have changed quite dramatically over the last decade, writes Vir Sanghvi.

Portraits of the artist as a Qatari citizen

MF Husain should not surrender his Indian nationality and opt for a passport offered by an undemocratic regime — all in the name of artistic freedom. The battle for Indian secularism and free speech must be fought here, in India. And not at the feet of some Middle Eastern monarch, writes Vir Sanghvi.

Take the battle into the enemy’s camp

India’s record on covert operations has been lacklustre. We have preferred to fight terrorism either by relying on intelligence or by heightening security. When it comes to retribution, we prefer to go through legal channels rather than take direct action, writes Vir Sanghvi.

Vir Sanghvi