The horror in Assam is not just tragic, it is a malignant devastation that has visited a place and a people who were known until comparatively recently for their hospitality, calm and kindness. The places where the bombings have taken place are busy markets and areas known to all of us familiar with Guwahati and the [...]

Asian Age The girl from a television channel in New Delhi was extremely enthusiastic on the phone. She wanted me to go on air the next evening on a live interview with another panelist on the situation in Assam — conveniently called the “Bodo-Muslim clashes”. I debated the issue internally and finally decided that it was [...]

As Assam lurches through a cycle of hatred, violence, suspicion and ethnic division, with the state government an impotent observer despite its talk of action and ministers scurrying from one press conference to another, the question that needs to be asked is not just how did this happen or what can be done, but also [...]

There is the wonderful story of Krishna Kumar, owner of the only mobile phone and STD booth in Bangree village, Vaishali district, Bihar, which has been in the media last week. Wonderful because it shows the power of connectivity and the indivisible link between connectivity and security ~ human security in terms of physical safety [...]

A major contribution by the Left in this country to the future of multinationals, donor agencies as well as international financial institutions has come from none other than Asim Dasgupta, the finance minister of West Bengal. If it puzzles many of their supporters, don?t blame them. And, of course, one wonders where it places the [...]