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Comment: Why Gen Singh may not find many supporters for his ‘cause’

By Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay Tue, Mar 27, 2012 3:21AM UTC View Comments

In the years when India’s neighbours on the west and east lurched from one political crisis to another – with interludes of men in uniform calling the shots, Indians heaved a sigh of relief at the depoliticised nature of Indian defence forces. The political culture of democracy never got entrenched in Pakistan after the end...

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Political dynasties: Why this love for them in South Asia?

By Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay Thu, Mar 08, 2012 3:21AM UTC View Comments

ndian Congress party President Sonia Gandhi, left, and her son Rahul Gandhi. Pic: AP.

For decades academics and analysts have laboured trying to understand Indians’ love for two seemingly antagonistic political structures: democracy and political dynasty. As of yet no one has any convincing theory on why Indians who zealously guard their freedom and democracy – they came out to vote to larger numbers than ever before as evidenced...

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Indian cricket and politics complete the full circle, once again!

By Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay Mon, Feb 27, 2012 2:59AM UTC View Comments

The year 1971 was tumultuous for India. The year began with Indira Gandhi calling for India’s first-ever mid-term election by dissolving the fourth Lok Sabha. The first two months of 1971 saw a heady electoral campaign by Gandhi blended with the kind of jingoism not seen in India since the morale-shattering 1962 war. Large doses...

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Burma’s blacklisting of Muslim babies reveals entrenched racism

By Francis Wade Thu, Jan 26, 2012 5:26PM UTC View Comments

Burmese Rohingya refugees are pictured at an unregistered refugee camp in Bangladesh. Pic: AP>

Last week a small NGO took a report detailing state discrimination against Muslim babies in Burma to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC). The Muslim minority in question, the Rohingya, has suffered for decades as a result of an outwardly racist governmental policy toward non-Buddhists in Burma, which has also seen Christian...

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Indo-Pak 1971 war – if it had not happened

By Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay Fri, Dec 02, 2011 2:14AM UTC View Comments

On Saturday, December 3 it will be 40 years since the India-Pakistan war of 1971 began with air raids by Pakistan on several Indian air fields. The 14-day war concluded on December 16 – a day still celebrated in India for being one of the rare real ‘victories’ in Independent India’s 64 years of history....

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