Ramachandra Guha's Blog, page 10

Indian Marxists And Their Selective Outrage, The Telegraph

In a recent essay in the Times Literary Supplement, the Egyptian writer Ahdaf Soueif marvelled at the unending flood of books and essays on the Palestinians, these the work of Palestinians themselves, but also of Israelis, Americans, South Africans, Britons, Danes, and, as it happens, Indians. Here Souief remarked:

‘It took five decades, but now it’s here, and it will only grow. Books are tumbling off the spaces, so Palestine’s story expands into the world. This is the Palestinians’ great ach...

Looting The Himalaya – And The Himalayans, The Telegraph

In recent months, Uttarakhand and Arunachal Pradesh have been in the news. In both states, elected Governments run by the Congress have been destabilized by the ruling party at the Centre, and then dismissed by complicit Governors. In both states, the Congress was able to get succour from the Courts, although how enduring their now restored Governments shall be one cannot say.

The crises in Uttarakhand and Arunachal are the product of over-reach by the BJP and its Party President. Yet the Con...

When Progressives Turn Reactionary, Hindustan Times

In the conventional wisdom, the Right stands for Order, the Left for Change. The Right defends Hierarchy and Authority, the Left demands Justice and Equality. The Right is for and of the Establishment, the Left is for and of the Aam Admi (and Aam Aurat).

These stereotypes are not entirely without foundation. The abolition of aristrocratic distinctions; the challenging of patriarchy; the defence of individual liberties against the arbitrary exercise of state or clerical power; voting rights fo...

The Seductions Of Self Praise, The Telegraph

Last week, to mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the liberalization process, the Indian Express carried a long interview with Dr Manmohan Singh, Finance Minister at the time the reforms took shape. Those were Dr Singh’s finest years in public office; now, in semi-retirement, after an indifferent (if not disastrous) second term as Prime Minister, one might have expected him to adopt a tone of self-congratulation. On the other hand, what struck this reader was how generously Dr Singh praised...

Five Lessons For Indian Democrats, Hindustan Times

Late last year, I wrote in these columns that we were in danger of becoming an ‘elections-only democracy’. Once a party or coalition wins an Assembly or General Election, it considers itself immune from criticism for the next five years. The other instruments of democratic accountability: legislative debate, judicial oversight, a free press (and free speech more generally), and peaceful protest, are neglected or even disparaged.

Indian democracy is based on the ‘Westminster model’. So it was...

The Press In India: Somewhere Between Free and Unfree

In the first half of 1988, I was doing research in Uttarakhand, when news came of the murder of a brave young journalist from the region. His name was Umesh Dobhal, and he had published a series of articles exposing the link between the liqour mafia, the police and excise departments, and local politicians. He was almost certainly killed by an assassin hired by liqour contractors.

In the second half of 1988, I was living and working in Delhi, when a raging controversy broke out over a new law...

The Mahatma On Medicine, The Telegraph

I belong to a family of doctors trained in modern or Western medicine. Back in the 1980s, the doctors I was related to, or friends with, were all sceptical of alternative forms of health care. They had no time for homeopathy, ayurveda or acupuncture, no time even for yoga. Over the decades their attitudes have changed. They now see the benefits of herbal treatments, and occasionally of acupuncture too. They are often very enthusiastic about yoga, especially when treating respiratory disorders...

Words From An Open Mind To A Closed Or Sealed One, Hindustan Times

A once great but now mostly forgotten Bangalorean was Mirza Ismail. A distinguished Dewan of both Mysore and Jaipur, in those princely states he reformed and modernized the administration, beautified their capital cities, and emphasized modern education. In both Jaipur and Mysore, there are roads named after him, as well as charming markets that he had built.

Mirza Ismail was a close friend and admirer of Mahatma Gandhi’s. After Gandhi’s remarkable fast for peace in Calcutta in September 1947...

My Favourite Bangalorean, The Telegraph

The achievements of the Parsis are well known. A community numbering some 70,000 people has produced some of India’s greatest patriots (Dadabhai Naoroji, Bhikaji Cama); its most prominent and philanthropically oriented business houses (the Tatas, the Godrejs); its finest scientists (Homi Bhabha); its most respected lawyers (Nani Palkhivala, Fali Nariman); its most admired writers (Rohinton Mistry); and its best loved cricketers (Polly Umrigar, Farokh Engineer).

The Parsis came to India fleein...

In Praise Of West Indies Cricket and Cricketers, Hindustan Times

On the last day of March, a friend of mine, temporarily in London, wandered into a pub. It was night in India, but afternoon in England, so there were just the odd drinker around. My friend persuaded the pub’s owner to switch the channel to Sky Sports, so that he could watch the World T20 semi-final.

The request was acceded to. My friend ordered a beer, sat down on a school, and began watching the match. The customer next to him was an English lady in her thirties. ‘Who is India playing?’, sh...