Freedom of speech is under attack! Even more so, as somebody said just recently … Freedom of speech is only meaningful if there is freedom after speech. Over the past three years, we have observed carefully how difficult it is becoming to have freedom after speech. Criticize Prime Minister Modi and his moves, question flawed […]
Today is the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty The observance of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty can be traced back to 17 October 1987. On that day, over a hundred thousand people gathered at the Trocadéro in Paris , where the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was signed in 1948, […]
The politically motivated post-mortem of the ‘surgical strikes’ of September 29 are enough to make all sensible Indians queasy. Looking at the way politicians and their supporters on both sides of the political and ideological divide have tried to milk this incident on TV and the social media has made me want to puke. As […]
The most striking thing about Saint Teresa of Calcutta is her simple slogan and sign language used when asked why on earth she was doing what she did… scrounging for souls in the blackest alleyways the world over. Her answer, five fingers of her tiny palm spread out, practically in your face would be : […]
Ever since the ‘new dispensation’ of the Right Wing BJP has come to power, the nature of public discourse has shifted from ‘development’ to ‘demagogy’. Never before have such regressive narratives been heard than in the past two years. Just pause to think about what topics are hitting the airwaves over the past month or so. […]
Patna: On Saturday evening (27 August) Some 300 people, mainly students and staff of the St Xavier’s Colleges (the organisers) and (among others,) a small group representing the cabinet of Patna Women’s College and St Xavier’s College of Education, speechified, sang songs and lit candles in a token ‘protest’ to draw attention to the alleged […]
What does the term ‘Jesuit Education’ mean to me? I was thrown into a Jesuit school by my parents at the very beginning of my school life, and now that my crucial first seven years of scholastic life were already thrust into the hands of Jesuits, like it or not, I am one of those […]
The political climate of India is fast becoming critically polarised. The nature of discourse is being vitiated by divisive, shallow diatribe. Parliament, supposedly the platform for enlightened, purposeful discussion and farsighted legislation has been all but reduced to a ridiculous circus of shallow, shouting, sloganeering, and slanderous attention seekers. Where the political leadership in the […]
The first of May is Workers’ Day, and a fit time to start off the next round of NEWSNET ONE sessions. This website becomes active as a training ground for those who want to pick up communication skills every summer. It’s hot, there’s an election in the air, and several other things happening around us. […]
While the flavour of the month is climate change and the environment, let’s consider a new World Bank study on ‘Leveraging Urbanization in South Asia: Managing Spatial Transformation for Prosperity and Livability’. Quite a mouthful, that title! Making cities “inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable” is one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by […]
The Great Bihar election is undoubtedly the event of the year, even the coming Puja festival pales in significance. To ensure that polling in Bihar goes smoothly has always been a challenge for the administration and election Commission alike. In Bhagalpur district, a vast area with a volatile mix of castes and communities, and known […]
Practically every second person in Bihar is a child. It’s amazing that no political party in Bihar seriously addresses the concerns of 48 percent of the population. Why is it that children’s issues are never central to the civic and political discourse in Bihar? That was a question that popped into my mind during a […]
