Columns from Hindustan Times

The laughter challenge

Wed, 16 May 2012 11:28:05 GMT

Several years ago, when Sharad Pawar was returned to Maharashtra as chief minister by then Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao – there was a brilliant cartoon by renowned cartoonist RK Laxman that said it all. Sujata Anandan writes.

When God intervened

Tue, 15 May 2012 17:29:31 GMT

Four friends wanted to get out of the misery-go-round of life driven by the karmic wheel of cause and effect. They understood that solution could be found only with God. One of them attempted God-realisation through the path of karma, while the others through ‘jhnana’, yoga and ‘bhakti’. MN Kundu writes.

Water is not a luxury item

Tue, 15 May 2012 16:55:30 GMT

Corporatisation of water supply will further reduce its availability to people. Atul Sehgal writes.

A new window of opportunity

Tue, 15 May 2012 16:43:24 GMT

The BRICS nations should collaborate to develop vaccines against the’ Big 3’ diseases: TB, malaria and Aids. Virander S Chauhan and Rajat Goyal write.

Past its sell-by date

Tue, 15 May 2012 16:40:31 GMT

Philanthropy cannot end the plethora of problems that our country faces. What we need is a new genre of service delivery institutions, argues K Anji Reddy.

Coming: Immortality

Mon, 14 May 2012 20:23:36 GMT

Who wants death even if it delivers one from the sorrows and worries of life on this planet? Given a chance, very few of the six billion plus people on this earth would like to die.

Keeping tab on the political grapevine

Mon, 14 May 2012 15:39:16 GMT

Several ministers and top leaders including defence minister AK Antony and Lal Krishna Advani walked up to former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee to greet him in Central Hall during Parliament’s 60-year celebrations.

Dial M for mayhem

Mon, 14 May 2012 15:28:19 GMT

The semantics of SMS (mobile text-messaging) have always defeated me. I still don’t know what certain yellow circled faces in messages mean, or what :-) and similar signs of the ethereal Kabbala signify. Farrukh Dhondy writes.

A rebel with a cause

Sun, 13 May 2012 21:23:58 GMT

Mrinal Sen's justified his passion for protesting through his brilliant movies. Ranjan Das Gupta writes.

Quiet, but not peaceful

Sun, 13 May 2012 21:19:43 GMT

An absence of violence doesn't mean that peace has come to the Valley. Hilal Mir writes.

Please listen to them

Sun, 13 May 2012 21:16:50 GMT

If children report sexual abuse, don't hide the incident. Your children and their well-being must be your main concern, everything else is secondary. Aamir Khan writes.

Dynamic nature of time

Sun, 13 May 2012 17:38:40 GMT

If a man is able to remain hopeful even in the worst situation, he has to thank the dynamic character of time. There is a time in everyone's life when things move favorably for him.

Too many experts, not enough credibility

Sat, 12 May 2012 20:21:48 GMT

The death penalty may sound a bit over-the-top, but Swaraj was supported by Mashelkar Committee's report on spurious drugs, which recommended stringent non-bailable action.

Kids, leave them teachers alone

Sat, 12 May 2012 20:07:06 GMT

In a world where children's rights are fiercely protected, some in the education system are asking — what about teachers' rights? And how will kids learn in an environment of so much leniency? Neyaz Farooquee writes.

It's the plat du jour

Sat, 12 May 2012 18:12:24 GMT

I feel very proud Hillary Clinton likes Indian food so much. But to truly appreciate our gastronomy, it's important to know its intellectual origins. Manas Chakravarty writes.

Get off the runway

Sat, 12 May 2012 17:56:27 GMT

Why on earth do we need a national airline? Or at least why do we need one which is run so badly? Chanakya writes.

We say 'bring it on'

Fri, 11 May 2012 17:35:21 GMT

Satyamev Jayate endorses the opening up of traditional sources of information. Namita Bhandare writes.

Trade to the aid here

Fri, 11 May 2012 17:31:16 GMT

Some recent economic initiatives hold out the promise of improving Indo-Pak ties, Rohit Viswanath writes.

Shackled to the vote-bank

Thu, 10 May 2012 17:00:07 GMT

The dismal state of Bengal’s economy proves once again that populism as a public policy only promotes greed. Prasenjit Chowdhury writes.

Someone may try it

Thu, 10 May 2012 16:05:39 GMT

If they get a chance, the parties that are challenging the European centre today would love to end the EU, the Nato alliance and drop out of the global economic order. Anne Applebaum writes.

Look beyond the obvious

Wed, 09 May 2012 16:24:28 GMT

A multi-dimensional index, not just income, can be a better measure of poverty, writes Ajay Chhibber.

The past's catching up

Wed, 09 May 2012 08:00:13 GMT

Sometimes Bal Thackeray can get too big for his boots - and trip over them. There can be no better example of this than when he claimed to have demolished the Babri Masjid - or, at least, claimed pride in its demolition by his Shiv Sainiks. Sujata Anandan writes.

Inspiration, not copying

Tue, 08 May 2012 18:19:44 GMT

'Copying is our birthright' can well be our motto, given how people from all walks of life are 'getting inspired' by others. KV Lakshmana writes.

Put India's interest first

Tue, 08 May 2012 18:07:20 GMT

The US's involvement in Afghanistan, Iraq and the West Asia peace process, its backing of the monarchies have coalesced Islamist public opinion against it. Rohit Singh writes.

Take a step back

Tue, 08 May 2012 17:58:42 GMT

For the sake of justice, let's see all players in the Aarushi-Hemraj double murder case through the eyes of the law, not through the eyes of the camera lens. Sagarika Ghosh writes.