'...The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity' WB Yeats captures the irony of an entire generation, an entire people, in this single line. Although separated in time and context these words from 'The Second Coming' also capture in a poetic way the irony of our times, of this moment in our nation's history. The best in the present circumstance and given my own centrist liberal leanings must refer to the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh. As for the worst there are many takers. One could pick the duplicitous BJP for it, or the cunning BSP or the opportunist SP. But for the sake having a worthy comparison the ideal candidate would be the CPI (M) chief Prakash Karat. And before we get into the assessment of their dissimilarities, we must highlight one common feature that the two men share; Karat and Singh, both are a study in matters of personal integrity. For the Prime Minister, his...

Rajasthan rarely makes news when compared to states. Delhi is in news since it is the seat of Indian democracy. Maharashtra makes great headlines for its Stock Exchange and farmer's suicides. Karnataka hogs media attention because its home to India's Silicon Valley. West Bengal is in news for its reds and Bihar for its blues. But Rajasthan, till a few months back it's contribution to national bulletins was often limited to weather reports like 'Temperature dips below freezing point in Churu' or 'Mercury shoots past 50 degrees in Chittor' , or 'Unseasonal rains ruin Rabi crops in Barmer'. Well it's a different story this year. For if one were to pick one flavour for this season it was Rajasthani. First the serial bomb blasts that hit the capital city of Jaipur then the Gujjar agitation and finally the victory of Rajasthan Royals in the IPL. The idea is not to be insensitive and unfairly club these stories together but to highlight...

Russia has a new President, who smiles! The 42-year-old lawyer and loyal Kremlin aide, Dmitry Medvedev has spent almost half of his life in the company of his predecessor, Vladimir Putin. Western media has repeatedly dubbed him as a proxy or a puppet President. After all Putin still holds the Prime Minister's office in one of world's youngest democracies. But ever since I noticed Medvedev smile, I am rethinking about the future prospects of the new Russian President, who incidentally shares his name with a famous tennis player. During his eight years of rule in Russia, Putin carefully crafted a brand of politics that was symbolized by phrases like, 'Icy-' and ' Steely-'. The former communist state was increasingly described as an oligarchy ruled by a handful of ex-KGB agents who crushed all dissent with an iron-hand. Western media, enamored by the new wealth of Russia and its rising influence in geo-politics often put Putin on the covers of many international magazines. But...

Winter, a lingering season, is a time to gather golden moments,embark upon a sentimental journey, and enjoy every idle hour - John Boswell Winter is a season to philosophise about life. All those conversations that fill the time while we sip our numerous cutting-chai makes one think and ponder more than one does in the simmering summers. After all what sort of philosophy could one do while eating ice cream and drinking lemonade? In winters though, for the few hours when the sunlight sparkles, often a bunch of people gather around the tea stove and begin conversing, forming a cozy little intellectual hub that disperses once the rounds of chai are finished. But as thoughts often do, they linger in your mind much after they have been spelt out. One such thought has persisted in my mind for the last couple of days. It goes like- why do some of us 'feel' for the poor and others don't. This is true...