When we Stood our Ground in London

A rather intense experience happened at today’s event at the Indian High Commission, where Indians in the UK had assembled peacefully to celebrate the 73rd Indian Independence Day. I was invited to speak but the turn of events and aggression displayed by some during the event was such that it became impossible to even remain […]

Satyameva Jayate, Laissez-aller and India

When distant memories have crystallised in time, frozen, a story can begin. When the whiffs of half-forgotten glories rustle through the leaves of the Tree of Life, say the Kalpavriksha or Shajarat al-Kholoud or Etz Chaim, the poetry of existence commences. Tales and bardic narrations that trip and traipse and wander around, as if in a […]

Break the Cycle

(This poem is about instances in life when positivity is met with negativity in today’s age, be it in personal life, professional circles or politics, and the power of getting back from there, not bitter or sour, but with compassion and hope, in a manner that breaks what would otherwise have been a relentless and […]

On Decolonisation, Territorial Integrity and Self-Determination

Recently I was speaking to a friend who prides herself on being ‘from the far-Left’ and the discussion was around the topic of nation states and nationalism. I have always been fairly interested in testing and hypothizing disparate scenarios, often even on the extremes, and yet naturally taking a nuanced and hopefully informed stance. In […]

Reflections on, and Realities of, the Scrapping of Article 370

Delhi may be in a vulnerable seismic zone but the political earthquake that shook the capital (and the country) in early August of 2019 may have never been seen before! Article 370 (except clause 1) and 35-A were repealed by the two Houses of Parliament (Rajya Sabha with 125 against 61 and Lok Sabha with […]

Let us not politicise Sri Ram anymore!

India is a unique nation in that its ancient history lies not but in tomes of reportage and dry facts but is encapsulated in the rich itihas of its epics and tales of the times of yore. A living, relatable history of a people whose historical legacy is rich in culture and tradition. Instead of […]

Musings with a Vedantin from New York

Swami Sarvapriyanandaji Maharaj, one of the leading lights and more visible representatives of Vedanta on the world stage today, visited the United Kingdom and I had the privilege of interviewing him. For someone whose name has its root in what stands for ‘beloved of all’, Swami Sarvapriyananda (Minister-in-charge of the Vedanta Centre, New York) does a […]