Articles and Views

Part 1: Meaning and scope of freedom [ In this 4 part series I’m addressing Meaning and scope of freedom, Role of freedom, spirituality and dharma, What is nationalism and patriotism and The practical implications of patriotism and free speech. ] “For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” -Nelson Mandela Debate on some fundamental ideas of life which is always refreshing – these include the preferability of various forms of government, roles of citizens and the government, constitution, race, caste, gender etc. A ...

  One wonders why gun battles in the 21st century seem as frequent as the tribal conflicts of the stone age. Is our civilization more barbaric? Today the world should worry more about the elimination of poverty and focus on the pursuit of higher goals in life. Ideologies of violence and monsters of war seem to be staying with us for a long time to come! Just like you, I’ve been following the Pathankot, Mazar-e-Sharif and Jalalabad terror campaigns, but with an open mind. Frustratingly, PM Modi is silent after his initial statement! Speculations and commentaries are far and wide. ...

One of the biggest terror attacks on France could not deter a truly historical event – the Paris Climate Summit. France has set an example. Nations and governments cannot be intimidated by terror – determination and resolve to deal with the toughest of situations is the real power of the free and civilized world! Has the resolve of the French government influenced the minds of people in the Climate summit? Maybe, maybe not. However, the representatives from nearly 200 countries, 15 years after the unsuccessful Kyoto summit, did not go back empty handed this time. Most of them took active ...

“They alone live who live for others, the rest are more dead than alive” By Kanchan Banerjee Yoga, Freedom & Universalism Despite the popular image and understating of yoga as some sort of exercise and stress-relief mechanism, Yoga is the original Indian idea of self realization through numerous paths and means. Swami Vivekananda was the one who formally introduced yoga to the Americans and the Western societies which has become household practice today. As he had great success in America in introducing Indian wisdom, it impacted Indians also to re-discover their heritage, the knowledge of the Vedas and the Upanishads. ...

The Internet, social media and all of the related technology are here to stay. This new technological landscape does add a sparkle to our lives. But, this impact has a dark side, observes Rohit Kumar The power of social media that springs to life with a click of the mouse. And, lo and behold, you are connected with the world at large. This obviously, is the amazing part. In the last decade, it can be observed that the popularity of social networking sites has spread like wild fire. It spelt sheer magic. The youth brigade – students, teenagers indeed, got ...

Biswajit Mohanty scout forests, wildlife sanctuaries, lakes and high seas of Odisha and get his breakneck life back in action Odisha is a paradise for wildlife! The Olive Ridley sea turtles who arrive every year to breed on the Odisha coast have put the state on the international wildlife map. Many of my wildlife friends envy me for belonging to Odisha which is the only state in the country and the second place in the world where this unique event occurs. Turtle lovers throughout the world eagerly await this wonderful natural event when thousands of turtles congregate in the Odisha ...

  The BJP has crossed the half-way mark in the Lok Sabha on its own. Its stunning performance has been propelled by the landslide victory. Narendra Modi tsunami began to blow, says Rohit Kumar It was a clean saffron sweep and mud in the eye for the congress. As the election commission (EC) went about the giant role of tallying the votes of 563 million Indians, the exit polls and projections gave an early indication that the Narendra Modi wave had soaked up the highest majority ever. Sailing high on the anti-incumbency mood vis a vis the Congress, (similar to what had ...

“They alone live who live for others, the rest are more dead than alive.” By Kanchan Banerjee Vivekananda and Science The progress of material science especially in the field of communication, energy and health are at a pace now that never happened before. While it is human nature to explore and discover nature’s secrets, nature has no say on how the knowledge is used. We are capable of developing technology most of which are for the good of mankind, but not all. Some especially in the field of weaponry, genetics and usage of various forms of energy and chemicals potentially ...

Naatak’s Harish Agastya in conversation withleading Indian playwright Anupama Chandrasekhar What is the first thought that comes to you when someone says call centers? Someone named ‘Mike’ you talked to at some point on the phone with a not-so-faint Indian accent? An opinion piece you read in your local newspapers about how outsourcing to countries like India was contributing to the unemployment rate here in the U.S.? That is, of course, the point of view most of us are used to. Until we come across Disconnect, Anupama Chandrasekhar’s brilliant play about the call center generation of India that turns the ...

“They alone live who live for others, the rest are more dead than alive.” By Kanchan Banerjee Religion and spirituality redefined Many of his religious and spiritual admirers call him a true prophet. However he himself broke many dogmas in the name of religion within the scope of Indian heritage. He created a clear distinction between belief and faith. Belief in super-natural without reasoning and understanding to him was mere animistic or fear based dogma. He emphasized on seeking, experience and faith. He called spirituality a science, just like material science this would be the ‘inner science’ which is essentially ...