Ishwar Sharan's Blog, page 5

Is Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission a Trojan horse against Hindu pluralism? – Aravindan Neelakandan

Many Hindu activist groups in the United States once hoped that the American right-wing, despite its evangelical roots, would embrace Hindus with mutual respect. However, if the reality as unveiled by this Religious Liberty Commission is any hint, it proves different. – Aravindan Neelakandan The phrase ‘religious liberty’ evokes ideals of profound freedom, theological diversity, […]

How will we know if World War Three has started? – The Week UK

The world is perhaps in as tense a position as it has been in nearly a century and countries are more readily equipped with stockpiles of highly destructive weapons than they were before the previous wars. – The Week UK Talk of a global conflict between the great power blocs may be reaching fever pitch, […]

The Nationalism Debate: Who is ‘othering’ whom? – Vivek Gumaste

The ghettoisation of the Muslim community seen today cannot be blamed on the so-called ‘othering’ by the Hindu majority; it is the direct outcome of the ‘theory of distance,’ a script for insular exclusivity taught by the Islamic revivalist Shah Waliullah. – Vivek Gumaste Free speech and the free exchange of ideas are the hallmarks of […]

Muhammad Yunus: From Nobel laureate to national liability – Nilantha Ilangamuwa

Muhammad Yunus, once hailed as a visionary economist and social reformer, now accused of steering Bangladesh into division and decay through a caretaker regime defined more by personal retribution than national stewardship. – Nilantha Ilangamuwa This weekends attack on Rabindranath Tagore’s ancestral home in Sirajganj is no mere incident but a stark symptom of Bangladesh’s […]

India’s poverty decline stuns the world – Sanbeer Singh Ranhotra

In 2011-12, over 27 per cent of India’s population languished in extreme poverty. Today, that figure has shrunk to just 5.3 per cent, which is a remarkable turnaround for hundreds of millions of ordinary Indians. – Sanbeer Singh Ranhotra For long, India was considered a country of snake charmers. A country which the colonisers thought […]

Trump’s Quest for a Nobel Prize: A deal too far? – Bhopinder Singh

Now, in a move that has sparked both disbelief and debate, US President Donald Trump is aggressively lobbying for the Nobel Peace Prize. But can a figure as polarising as Trump ever align with the Nobel’s spirit? – Bhopinder Singh Alfred Nobel’s will (1895) established the foundational principle of the prize “for the greatest benefit […]

Dalai Lama’s Succession Statement: A strategic defeat for China, a diplomatic win for India – Manoj Gupta

“I hereby reiterate that the Gaden Phodrang Trust has sole authority to recognise the future reincarnation; no one else has any such authority to interfere in this matter.” – The Dalai Lama The Dalai Lama’s announcement has profound spiritual significance, offering an opportunity to shape the future of Buddhist diplomacy and Tibetan identity from Dharamshala […]

Dalai Lama’s Succession: Why Beijing’s claim of Panchen Lama’s veto is invalid – R.K. Raina

Despite China’s strategic maneuvers, the true spiritual authority and the decision regarding the Dalai Lama’s reincarnation will be determined by the Tibetan people and the international Buddhist community, not by the will of an authoritarian state. – R.K. Raina The recent high-profile meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Gyaltsen Norbu, Beijing’s appointed Panchen Lama, […]

Court affirms Tamil Nadu’s queer traditions – Gopi Shankar Madurai

Despite a section of society refusing to accept gender-diverse communities, every May to July, vast numbers of indigenous gender-variant and diverse communities in south India honour their patron deities at temples such as those for Koothandavar Aravan in Tamil Nadu, and for Ellamma, Bhagavati and Mariamman across the region. – Gopi Shankar Madurai In a […]

Nalgonda bishop Karnam Dhaman Kumar accused of sexual abuse – Jahnavi

When the alleged incident of sexual abuse happened, Karnam Dhaman Kumar was serving as a chaplain in various churches in Germany according to a statement issued on April 24, 2025 by the Diocese of Münster. – Jahnavi Karnam Dhaman Kumar, the bishop of the Diocese of Nalgonda in Telangana, has been barred from carrying out […]