Articles by Manas Chakravarty
Who are the biggest buyers of gold in India?
World Gold Council says India’s gold demand was what supported the global market in Q1 2017, but where in India does the gold go to?

Updated on May 30, 2017 02:02 PM IST
Livemint | Manas Chakravarty
The other side of the triple talaq debate
‘We’re merely trying to improve the ease of doing business, in this case the divorce business. Just think of all those huge divorce costs, the enormous waste of time. Triple talaq cuts through all that red tape’

Published on Sep 17, 2016 07:04 PM IST
A cock and bull story: Time to hire a beef sniffer to sort out this cow mess
It has been decided to recruit beef sniffers to augment our police force with immediate effect. Selected candidates will be part of an elite commando unit

Updated on Sep 11, 2016 10:48 AM IST
It is anti-national to deny us paternity leave
China has recently allowed dads in Beijing up to 15 days of paternity leave. Surely our nationalist government will not allow itself to be beaten by our eastern rival on paternity leave?

Updated on Aug 28, 2016 01:15 AM IST
A Kashmir policy with Baltistan, owls and chickens
From now on, anybody talking about Kashmir will have to talk about Balochistan and Baltistan

Updated on Aug 20, 2016 11:22 PM IST
Swarg me charcha: How independent India looks like from really high up
When Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel, Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri and Subhas Chandra Bose saw the independent India on the 69th anniversary of Independence Day, here’s how the conversation went:

Updated on Aug 13, 2016 07:37 PM IST
25 years of reforms: The role of hard liquor
Opening up the economy has proved to be a blessing. It is these fine spirits, generously imbibed, that impart the warm optimistic glow and confidence so necessary to get the economy galloping away

Updated on Jul 31, 2016 03:30 PM IST
TS Eliot and the tax treatment of the brain
Sceptics will ask how a brain is to be valued. Well, if market analysts know the fair value of a share, if the government knows the fair value of telecom spectrum, they can easily value a brain

Updated on Jul 23, 2016 11:06 PM IST
Risky things that politicians have said
Mahatma Gandhi had an impish sense of humour. His quip when asked what he thought of Western civilization — “I think it’s a good idea” — is a famous example

Updated on Jul 17, 2016 01:00 AM IST
Please come back Smritiji, we promise to learn Sanskrit
‘I am sad you will no longer be my education minister. I have composed a poem to comfort you’

Updated on Jul 09, 2016 09:50 PM IST
The plight of Britain and the Brown Man’s Burden
Winston Churchill had said, “In handing over the Government of India to these so-called political classes, we are handing over to men of straw, of whom, in a few years, no trace will remain.” He made one mistake — he should have said Britain instead of India.’

Published on Jul 02, 2016 10:06 PM IST
The new RBI governor should be mentally fully Indian
After Raghuram Rajan, it would be good to get another NRI, to repair some of the damage done by his exit. Could we have Sunny Leone?

Updated on Jun 26, 2016 07:42 AM IST
Not ‘Munching with Mulayam’, everyone is hoping for ‘Prattle with Priyanka’
Nomenclature for meetings is already being sharpened for the UP polls

Updated on Jun 19, 2016 12:24 AM IST
Let’s have a vote of thanks for Pahlaj Nihalani
Producer: We need a film the censor board will be angry about, so that when it is finally released, even after a hundred cuts, folks will flock to see it. We need something Pahlaj Nihalani will feel insulted about

Published on Jun 11, 2016 11:14 PM IST
Bihar exam: Cooking up a political storm with small potatoes
‘Much of politics is about cooking up things,’ explained a veteran, ‘and there’s no need to grill the poor girl about it’.

Updated on Jun 05, 2016 09:02 AM IST
Stand Up India is good, but Sit Down India would have been better
Our brilliant ministers who have accomplished wondrous things will celebrate the anniversary by holding boring meetings and making tiresome speeches

Updated on May 29, 2016 02:16 AM IST
Maybe Modi will sing Ekla Chalo Re next time in Bengal
Sources in the BJP say the entire credit for the increase in its vote share in Kerala should go to Narendra Modi. ‘His brilliant remark about Kerala and Somalia consolidated the pro-Somalia vote in the state, enabling us to do so well,’ said a fan

Updated on May 21, 2016 09:36 PM IST
All except Alexander were great in ancient India
Many of our greatest leaders realised we had to craft a masterly strategy to win freedom. So Hedgewar, Golwalkar and Savarkar pretended not to oppose the British or take part in silly acts of civil disobedience

Updated on May 15, 2016 12:46 AM IST
The Cocktail Party of India will fight for the right to booze
We will have booze satyagrahas or boozagrahas and we will march, or rather stagger and stumble and lurch to Delhi in a boozeyatra.

Updated on May 07, 2016 08:26 PM IST
Ministers’ performance: Fair is foul and foul is fair
Rank last: Minister XY suffers from a weird belief in inner-party democracy. Argues all the time. We turn cartwheels when he is absent from a meeting. Would love to see him in the opposition party

Updated on May 01, 2016 01:40 AM IST
Friends, Indians, countrymen, lend me your ears
How every fool can play upon a word! I think the best grace of wit will shortly turn into silence; and discourse grow commendable in none only but parrots

Published on Apr 24, 2016 01:44 AM IST
We at Mahabharata Tours have an itinerary for you
After lunch, we shall take you to see the Saffron Fort; the needle formerly known as the Qutb Minar

Updated on Apr 17, 2016 10:54 PM IST
To be unhappy is to be anti-national
Shivraj Chouhan says Madhya Pradesh will be the first state in India to have a ‘happiness ministry’. It should have at least two specialised departments: The Department of Grinning and Bearing It and the Departments of Fake Laughs

Published on Apr 09, 2016 11:33 PM IST
The curious incident of the ISI agent at Pathankot
LeT stands for Ladies’ Education Trust and Jaish-e-Mohammed always uses recycled paper. JeM here stands for Juvenile Education Mart, a shop for selling school books.

Updated on Apr 03, 2016 11:54 AM IST
Welcome to West Bengal: Only Didi supporters allowed beyond this point
Some of West Bengal’s best and bravest have settled abroad or in other parts of the country. And they have started remitting money home

Updated on Mar 27, 2016 01:55 AM IST
See the distress Mallya caused, Bharat Mata Ki Jai

Updated on Mar 19, 2016 08:46 PM IST
Manas Chakravarty | Manas Chakravarty
In short, world waits for the new RSS look to be unveiled
While everybody is hopeful the shorts will be dropped, what should take their place?

Updated on Mar 13, 2016 12:20 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Manas Chakravarty
Sharing national heroes: Each party according to its quota
With total confusion over political parties laying claim to the legacy of great leaders, unreliable sources say an all-party meeting was called to sort out the issue. Here are the alleged minutes:

Updated on Mar 05, 2016 09:27 PM IST
Beethoven’s Ode to Joy when there’s a tax cut
Here’s my interview of a generally unreliable source (Gus) about what is likely to happen in Monday’s Union Budget.

Updated on Feb 28, 2016 01:48 AM IST
Mint | Manas Chakravarty
Samuel Johnson and Albert Einstein must be booked for sedition
Parents and students are very worried about anti-national activities. Here are some frequently asked questions (FAQs).

Updated on Feb 21, 2016 01:44 AM IST