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Barkha Dutt

Barkha Dutt

Barkha Dutt is consulting editor, NDTV, and founding member, Ideas Collective. She tweets as @BDUTT.

Articles by Barkha Dutt
What other, newer democracies find relatively easy — conducting an election, the counting of votes, the peaceful transition of power — seems to have befuddled the US. There can be and must not be any normalisation of gross prejudice or violence(AP)
What other, newer democracies find relatively easy — conducting an election, the counting of votes, the peaceful transition of power — seems to have befuddled the US. There can be and must not be any normalisation of gross prejudice or violence(AP)
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After anarchy in the US, reimagining the middle ground

By Barkha Dutt
UPDATED ON JAN 08, 2021 07:53 PM IST
Governments have to learn how to engage with those who did not vote for them. Citizens have to learn how to converse amidst ideological divisions
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West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee addresses a public meeting, Jalpaiguri district, December 16, 2020(ANI)
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee addresses a public meeting, Jalpaiguri district, December 16, 2020(ANI)
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How the TMC is fighting the BJP juggernaut in Bengal

By Barkha Dutt
UPDATED ON DEC 25, 2020 05:36 PM IST
The Trinamool Congress has made dramatic changes to its organisational power structure and launched two key mass outreach programmes
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Movements that are seen to be run by people instead of politicians do trigger more popular support. The farmers movement carries the moral advantage of not having party politicians on its stage(Biplov Bhuyan/HT PHOTO)
Movements that are seen to be run by people instead of politicians do trigger more popular support. The farmers movement carries the moral advantage of not having party politicians on its stage(Biplov Bhuyan/HT PHOTO)
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Powerful citizens, missing Opposition

By Barkha Dutt
UPDATED ON DEC 11, 2020 07:47 PM IST
The two agitations which have made a mark in the past year have been led by citizens. The Opposition remains absent and redundant
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Though he was low-key and non-charismatic, his great political gift was in building connections. He was skilled enough for you to believe that the conversation with you was individual and personal, not just generic and political(PTI)
Though he was low-key and non-charismatic, his great political gift was in building connections. He was skilled enough for you to believe that the conversation with you was individual and personal, not just generic and political(PTI)
columns

Why Ahmed Patel mattered in Indian politics

By Barkha Dutt
UPDATED ON NOV 27, 2020 08:51 PM IST
With his pragmatism, openness, rigorous work ethic, and absolute commitment to the Congress and Sonia Gandhi, he emerged as a pillar of the party
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BJP workers attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address at party HQ, a day after National Democratic Alliance garnered majority in the Bihar assembly polls, New Delhi, November.12, 2020(PTI)
BJP workers attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address at party HQ, a day after National Democratic Alliance garnered majority in the Bihar assembly polls, New Delhi, November.12, 2020(PTI)
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From Bihar, a message for Indian politics, writes Barkha Dutt

By Barkha Dutt
UPDATED ON NOV 13, 2020 08:51 PM IST
The national Opposition does not exist, the Congress’s claim to this role is cosmetic, and only regional parties can be a bulwark against the BJP
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Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar at an election rally, West Champaran, Bihar, October 29(SANTOSH KUMAR/HTPHOTO)
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar at an election rally, West Champaran, Bihar, October 29(SANTOSH KUMAR/HTPHOTO)
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In Bihar, the eclipse of Brand Nitish Kumar, writes Barkha Dutt

By Barkha Dutt
UPDATED ON OCT 30, 2020 07:33 PM IST
Irrespective of the outcome in the assembly elections, the rage against the Bihar chief minister is palpable — and he only has himself to blame
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Television news died the day it stopped telling the stories of people. And once debates became the staple, they had to be jazzed up with drama and the dialectics of confrontation to make them more entertaining.(AFP)
Television news died the day it stopped telling the stories of people. And once debates became the staple, they had to be jazzed up with drama and the dialectics of confrontation to make them more entertaining.(AFP)
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What’s common to TV news and the Opposition, writes Barkha Dutt

By Barkha Dutt
UPDATED ON OCT 17, 2020 06:35 AM IST
Both have failed to create a new template to take on the new normal. Both critique, but often don’t offer their own narrative. Imitation won’t work
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Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi with party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi during their march to Hathras, Yamuna Expressway near Jewar, October 1, 2020(PTI)
Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi with party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi during their march to Hathras, Yamuna Expressway near Jewar, October 1, 2020(PTI)
columns

Hathras: Making a mockery of the idea of justice

By Barkha Dutt
UPDATED ON OCT 03, 2020 05:57 AM IST
The institutional response to sexual violence is critical. On this, the UP police have covered themselves in shame. At every turn, they robbed the family of its agency to make key decisions
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For many parents, coming out and speaking about the struggle to pay their children’s fees is difficult. Just like governments stepped in to cap the fees private hospitals could charge, a similar move might be needed for schools(Sanchit Khanna/HT PHOTO)
For many parents, coming out and speaking about the struggle to pay their children’s fees is difficult. Just like governments stepped in to cap the fees private hospitals could charge, a similar move might be needed for schools(Sanchit Khanna/HT PHOTO)
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A wake-up call: There is a crisis in India’s schools

By Barkha Dutt
UPDATED ON SEP 19, 2020 05:57 AM IST
Covid has hit incomes. Parents are unable to pay fees. Schools, in turn, are blocking children from classes and exams. The government must step in
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The invasiveness, the misogyny, the gossip, and the rumours, masquerading as reportage, herald a new low for TV news. Not one person has paused to wonder about the ethics of broadcasting deeply personal elements of individual lives in the public domain(HTPhoto)
The invasiveness, the misogyny, the gossip, and the rumours, masquerading as reportage, herald a new low for TV news. Not one person has paused to wonder about the ethics of broadcasting deeply personal elements of individual lives in the public domain(HTPhoto)
columns

Chronicling the tragic death of television news

By Barkha Dutt
PUBLISHED ON SEP 04, 2020 08:02 PM IST
Nothing has, as dramatically, underscored the death of journalism as the coverage of Sushant’s death. Those who are watching it are enablers
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A year after the effective nullification of Article 370, nobody believes that the special status of J&K will be restored and almost everybody believes that its statehood will be returned(HT PHOTO)
A year after the effective nullification of Article 370, nobody believes that the special status of J&K will be restored and almost everybody believes that its statehood will be returned(HT PHOTO)
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Don’t fear democratic and lawful politics in Jammu and Kashmir | Opinion

By Barkha Dutt
UPDATED ON AUG 22, 2020 09:53 PM IST
The BJP has successfully buried the 370 debate. Why, then, marginalise pro-India democrats?
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The Opposition is either setting itself up as a minor variant of the BJP, or giving up already, or countering new politics with old and rusty instruments. All three methods will fail(Arijit Sen/HT Photo)
The Opposition is either setting itself up as a minor variant of the BJP, or giving up already, or countering new politics with old and rusty instruments. All three methods will fail(Arijit Sen/HT Photo)
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From Kashmir to Ayodhya, the BJP’s total domination of politics

By Barkha Dutt
PUBLISHED ON AUG 07, 2020 05:51 PM IST
The failure of the Opposition is on display yet again. It needs a new leader, a new language, a new story
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This is not about Rajasthan. It is not about Ashok Gehlot or Sachin Pilot’s strengths and weaknesses. It is about the Congress and its leadership(PTI)
This is not about Rajasthan. It is not about Ashok Gehlot or Sachin Pilot’s strengths and weaknesses. It is about the Congress and its leadership(PTI)
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Rahul Gandhi should either take charge or get out of the way, writes Barkha Dutt

By Barkha Dutt
UPDATED ON JUL 24, 2020 10:00 PM IST
The Congress faces a leadership crisis, an inter-generational tussle and lacks a political narrative
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Vikas Dubey who was implicated in 62 criminal cases, including five cases of murder and eight cases of attempted murder, could not have thrived for 30 years, without the patronage of the rich and powerful(PTI)
Vikas Dubey who was implicated in 62 criminal cases, including five cases of murder and eight cases of attempted murder, could not have thrived for 30 years, without the patronage of the rich and powerful(PTI)
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This is not justice. India has faltered on the fundamentals of law, writes Barkha Dutt

By Barkha Dutt
UPDATED ON JUL 10, 2020 07:37 PM IST
There can’t be double standards on extrajudicial killings, depending on the case. It isn’t right
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During Kargil, the news media became a force multiplier for India’s interests. In this case, the government has released only dribs and drabs of information, leading to rumours(PTI)
During Kargil, the news media became a force multiplier for India’s interests. In this case, the government has released only dribs and drabs of information, leading to rumours(PTI)
analysis

On China, the Indian government needs to communicate better

By Barkha Dutt
UPDATED ON JUN 26, 2020 07:39 PM IST
To lose the information war is to let down brave soldiers. Emulate the positive lessons from Kargil
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Bombay Municipal Corporation workers prepare an isolation centre at the NSCI dome, April 9, 2020(Bhushan Koyande/ HT)
Bombay Municipal Corporation workers prepare an isolation centre at the NSCI dome, April 9, 2020(Bhushan Koyande/ HT)
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The worst is yet to come in Delhi and Mumbai, writes Barkha Dutt

By Barkha Dutt
UPDATED ON JUN 13, 2020 05:51 AM IST
Requisition health care workers; create temporary facilities; have a clear chain of command; help patients
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The lockdown has shielded the upper-middle class. The poorest citizen has been pushed to the periphery(Santosh Kumar/HTPhoto)
The lockdown has shielded the upper-middle class. The poorest citizen has been pushed to the periphery(Santosh Kumar/HTPhoto)
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The solicitor general is wrong on migrant workers, writes Barkha Dutt

By Barkha Dutt
UPDATED ON MAY 29, 2020 07:38 PM IST
The crisis has exposed deep inequities. Glossing over the tragedy is an abdication of professional and moral duty
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India’s poorest are suffering the most. But entire swathes of the salaried middle-class are also in danger of being wiped out(Amal KS/HT PHOTO)
India’s poorest are suffering the most. But entire swathes of the salaried middle-class are also in danger of being wiped out(Amal KS/HT PHOTO)
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There is a humanitarian crisis in India. Lift the lockdown, now

By Barkha Dutt
UPDATED ON MAY 15, 2020 05:34 PM IST
There is panic and devastation; social, economic and emotional structures are breaking down
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Health officials collect samples from medical staff of a hospital, Karol Bagh, New Delhi, April 30, 2020(Burhaan Kinu/HT PHOTO)
Health officials collect samples from medical staff of a hospital, Karol Bagh, New Delhi, April 30, 2020(Burhaan Kinu/HT PHOTO)
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India is staring at a crisis greater than Covid-19. It is time to open up

By Barkha Dutt
UPDATED ON MAY 01, 2020 08:15 PM IST
Continue to test, trace, and quarantine patients. But the rest of the nation has to get back to work
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Migrant workers hitch a ride after a nationwide lockdown was announced on March 24, Noida, March 29, 2020(Sunil Ghosh / Hindustan Times)
Migrant workers hitch a ride after a nationwide lockdown was announced on March 24, Noida, March 29, 2020(Sunil Ghosh / Hindustan Times)
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Migrant workers are being treated poorly. Address their concerns, now

By Barkha Dutt
PUBLISHED ON APR 17, 2020 07:35 PM IST
They are hungry, scared and worried. If the State cannot look after them, let them go home
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Drones being used by municipal employees to spray disinfectant during a sanitisation drive on day nine of the 21-day nationwide lockdown at Nizamuddin West, New Delhi, April 2, 2020(Biplov Bhuyan/HT PHOTO)
Drones being used by municipal employees to spray disinfectant during a sanitisation drive on day nine of the 21-day nationwide lockdown at Nizamuddin West, New Delhi, April 2, 2020(Biplov Bhuyan/HT PHOTO)
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From Nizamuddin, on the ground, the story of the Tablighi Jamaat

By Barkha Dutt
PUBLISHED ON APR 03, 2020 05:50 PM IST
The Jamaat was wrong. So were State agencies which allowed the gathering to take place
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In his next speech, the PM should focus on testing, provide data, and speak about the vulnerable segments who need help(PTI)
In his next speech, the PM should focus on testing, provide data, and speak about the vulnerable segments who need help(PTI)
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Modi is right to prepare India for a deeper crisis, writes Barkha Dutt

By Barkha Dutt
UPDATED ON MAR 20, 2020 06:57 PM IST
The PM used the grammar and rallying spirit of wartime. Be prepared for a longer, more formal, set of restrictions
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The police failed people of both religions. But the ineptitude or callousness was compounded by reports of communal bias when it came to police action in Muslim neighbourhoods(REUTERS)
The police failed people of both religions. But the ineptitude or callousness was compounded by reports of communal bias when it came to police action in Muslim neighbourhoods(REUTERS)
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Delhi riots: How India has failed its riot victims. Twice over, writes Barkha Dutt

By Barkha Dutt
UPDATED ON MAR 06, 2020 06:37 PM IST
No politician, from those in power to Opposition leaders, has reached out to the victims of the riot.
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India can offer many explanations for its decisions on Kashmir - a complex history, a desire to integrate the country under one law, terrorism, and misuse of social media. But there is no good reason to detain leaders who have sworn by the Constitution(Wassem Andrabi/HTPHOTO)
India can offer many explanations for its decisions on Kashmir - a complex history, a desire to integrate the country under one law, terrorism, and misuse of social media. But there is no good reason to detain leaders who have sworn by the Constitution(Wassem Andrabi/HTPHOTO)
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Why jailing Kashmir’s leaders is wrong, undemocratic and unwise, writes Barkha Dutt

By Barkha Dutt
UPDATED ON FEB 22, 2020 06:17 AM IST
The Modi government’s actions are only emboldening separatists and jihadis
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Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal with Aam Aadmi Party Dwarka candidate Vinay Mishra, New Delhi, February 3, 2020(Vipin Kumar /HT PHOTO)
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal with Aam Aadmi Party Dwarka candidate Vinay Mishra, New Delhi, February 3, 2020(Vipin Kumar /HT PHOTO)
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How Kejriwal avoided the trap laid by the BJP in this election, writes Barkha Dutt

By Barkha Dutt
UPDATED ON SEP 10, 2020 09:48 PM IST
The system has mellowed him. But the CM has also placed new political cards on the table
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Our democracy is at a precarious point where everyone must be pushed into neat slots that can be catalogued and put away. This has done much damage to what was once healthy and argumentative public discourse(Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Our democracy is at a precarious point where everyone must be pushed into neat slots that can be catalogued and put away. This has done much damage to what was once healthy and argumentative public discourse(Getty Images/iStockphoto)
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Opinion| Indians can no longer talk to each other in the age of the mob

By Barkha Dutt
UPDATED ON JAN 25, 2020 08:13 AM IST
The polarisation of personality and thought only suits those who fan it. It is self-defeating
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Actor Deepika Padukone is seen at a gathering in Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, January 7, 2020(Vipin Kumar /HT PHOTO)
Actor Deepika Padukone is seen at a gathering in Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, January 7, 2020(Vipin Kumar /HT PHOTO)
analysis

The immense integrity and courage of Deepika Padukone, writes Barkha Dutt

By Barkha Dutt
UPDATED ON JAN 11, 2020 05:27 PM IST
In a risk-averse and status-quoist industry such as Bollywood, it’s not easy to go against the tide
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People protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the National Register of Citizens, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, December 25, 2019(Burhaan Kinu/HT PHOTO)
People protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the National Register of Citizens, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, December 25, 2019(Burhaan Kinu/HT PHOTO)
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Anti-CAA protests: The assertion of nationalism and idealism

By Barkha Dutt
PUBLISHED ON DEC 27, 2019 07:03 PM IST
The protests have signalled the arrival of a new young constituency. And the BJP has alienated it
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The Northeast protests show that ethnicity, language and culture are as emotive, sometimes, even more so, than religion. It is a lesson in the complexity of India(REUTERS)
The Northeast protests show that ethnicity, language and culture are as emotive, sometimes, even more so, than religion. It is a lesson in the complexity of India(REUTERS)
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How Citizenship Act, NRC will alter the idea of India, writes Barkha Dutt

By Barkha Dutt
UPDATED ON DEC 14, 2019 06:36 AM IST
All of us will have to prove our Indianness. And the poorest and the Muslims will be the most hit
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Bhopal MP Pragya Singh Thakur in Bhopal, May 23, 2019(Mujeeb Faruqui/HT Photo)
Bhopal MP Pragya Singh Thakur in Bhopal, May 23, 2019(Mujeeb Faruqui/HT Photo)
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Pragya Thakur has to go. She has undermined BJP’s own position, writes Barkha Dutt

By Barkha Dutt
UPDATED ON NOV 30, 2019 06:05 AM IST
If the party believes in nationalism, it must act. Or it will be seen as compromised on the issue
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