The inauguration of India's new parliament with Hindu symbolism has triggered murmurs of disapproval citing secular traditions although there is nothing new in the association of occupants of constitutional posts with such ceremonies since the republic was founded
Tag: India
Karbala: Metaphor For Suffering, Sacrifice, Resistance To Tyranny
Karbala symbolises for Muslims the foundational Islamic values—egalitarianism, justice, and equity— the Prophet’s Muhammad favourite grandson, Imam Hussain, laid down his life there in the seventh century resisting Umayyad ruler Yazid violating these ideals
Cyril Radcliffe: Lawyer Who Drew Haphazard India-Pakistan Border
Cyril Radcliffe drew the India-Pakistan border weeks after arriving in India for the first time in 1947 without knowing much about the regions he divided haphazardly leaving tens of thousands dead and uprooted By Sameer Arshad Khatlani Bhanu Chak is a typical central Punjab village. Located in the middle of lush wheat and mustard fields, … Continue reading Cyril Radcliffe: Lawyer Who Drew Haphazard India-Pakistan Border
Anthony Mascarenhas: Pakistani Who Turned Tide For India
Pakistani journalist Anthony Mascarenhas wrote an article in 1971 detailing for the first time the scale of suppression in East Pakistan and helped shape the world's opinion in favour of India's intervention and Bangladesh's creation By Sameer Arshad Khatlani In 1970, Bengali nationalist Mujibur Rahman-led Awami League swept Pakistan’s general election in the country’s eastern … Continue reading Anthony Mascarenhas: Pakistani Who Turned Tide For India
Farooq Abdullah: Man For All Seasons
If Farooq Abdullah, who understands the inner workings of the powers that be in Delhi, is able to provide leadership to help the Kashmiri political class avoid the pitfalls, it will be a swansong he will be positively remembered for; his chequered past notwithstanding
Iraq Diaries: How ISIS Met Its Match In Al-Hashd Al-Shaabi
Volunteers of al-Hashd al-Shaabi were deployed as shock troops and negated ISIS's advantages of surprise, sudden attack, and ambush
Democracy, Reform, Harmony: How Indonesia Bounced Back
Indonesia stands out among the world’s 20 biggest economies on the back of the stability it has maintained through harmony among its myriad ethnicities and linguistic groups decades after its crony-capitalist system collapsed in the face of the 1997 Asian financial crisis
Iraq Diaries: How American Invasion Ended Up Helping Iran
Iran built a corridor of influence extending up to the Mediterranean when the US left Iraq in 2011 and left the field open for its archfoe and helped Tehran keep Bashar al-Assad in power in Syria and support Hezbollah in Lebanon
Iraq Diaries: Bearers Of Prophet Muhammad’s Light
Ahl al-Bayt (people of the Prophet Muhammad's household) are known as nur-e-Muhammadi, or the bearers of his light, as well as his trustees ‘privy to his esoteric and religious knowledge'
Pakistani Hindus: Saga Of Struggles And Resilience
Pakistan's discriminatory constitution bars non-Muslim citizens from holding the top two political posts but they have quotas in jobs and legislature and Pakistani Hindus have excelled in different spheres of life