Tag India
I Watched The Kerala Story
Last night, we finally went to watch the film. I wanted to know what the film was going to bring to the table. What I heard and what I read about the film were the exact opposites, and that kindled my curiosity. And then, the last weekend, when I met my cousin, she seemed in favour of the film. And that increased my curiosity. Finally, yesterday, I gave in. Mentioning the plot in short is customary in pieces like these, and so, here goes:
Are We an Independent State
Political fads come and go. More so when the elections are around. National level fads peak at the time of the Lok Sabha elections. Having said that, they are not confined to those times. Before we begin, let me state that this is not a political post, even though it starts with the word “political”. This post is about a political phenomenon. Also, this post does not state the obvious for most people, because history from a couple of centuries ago has taken a back seat in our heads (as is evident by some of the responses that I saw on social media).
On Petrol Prices
As soon as someone complains about the fuel prices, we see some coming out in support of the hike, calling it an economy booster. I am no exception; I saw those forwards as well, for as long as I was on WhatsApp over the last year. In this post, we look at the good and the bad of such fuel price hikes, look at whether the government does indeed control the prices, what its implications are, and what we can do about it.
Is COVID-19 Winning
Today is Sunday, and time for me to share what I have learnt about the disease. Disclaimer: I am an engineer, not a medical professional. What I am sharing here is for informational purposes, not health or medical advice. If you have specific queries, please talk to your (or a) doctor. And do not trust WhatsApp University. A moment for my uncle On “alternative” treatments On shortages Need of the hour Treat the ill Stop the spread Vaccinate On testing and lockdowns On medicines that work On mutations On relaxation of intellectual property restrictions Investment on health What more do we need The second wave (and the waves) In summary A moment for my uncle The virus hit too close to home.
Transparency on ventilator
I am wary of all politicians, no matter what party they belong to, what ideology they promote, or any other quality of a political party you can think of. Even if my dear grandmother were a politician, I would be wary of her; more so if she held power. Let us keep politics aside, because politics is politics—a game of whataboutery and other fallacies. Let us talk human life for once.
Democracies fail
I am not in a Utopian world. If you are reading this post, you live in my world as well. Let us talk, citizen to citizen, you and I. And by that I do not mean Indian citizen to Indian citizen. You and I are in a world where democracies are failing. And we have no one other than ourselves to blame for it. I am an Indian, and I boast about belonging to the largest democracy in the world.
What Justice
The number of Bollywood stars to die in three months was abnormally high in the second quarter of this year. Death of any human is sad. The circumstances of the death of Sushant Singh Rajput were salt to the wound. I subscribe to The Hindu, and the story did not get much prominence. I wondered why, because the news of the death of Irrfan Khan and Rishi Kapoor had smacked us right in our face.
How to take on China
My previous post gives a gist of what it would take to boycott goods of Chinese origin. Meanwhile, as tensions mount at the border, the national sentiment in our country is touching new levels every day. I even saw videos showing people throw away products of Chinese origin that they own. My brother was quick to point out—as usual—the folly in the act: ‘What’s the point? They’d already paid for the product; China has their money anyway.
The CAA is not about throwing out people
Over the last week, I saw protests everywhere. Most groups (not WhatsApp groups) that I am part of had a discussion about the Citizenship (Amendment) Act going. I even surprised some that I was taking the stand I was, given my track record of having ideas contrary to the ruling party’s. I find it difficult to explain to people that having rational thoughts is all I do. Let me get to the point: The CAA is not about throwing people out.
Kashmir and Article 370: Part Three
In the last two posts, we understood the technical aspects of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019. To repeat for the benefit of those who landed here directly, this is the third part of the three-part series on the Act. Part One of the series is about the background of the formation of the Union of India and accession of Jammu and Kashmir to it. Part Two of the series is about the current situation, along with the legal and geo-political view of the change.