The Right Perspective

‘Colour terms’ should be familiar to the masses Last time I was in India, there was a lot of buzz and excitement about this new Noida Metro line that was to be inaugurated. It was to provide the much needed connectivity to Noida commuters to Delhi Metro. However, this author was shocked to find out that it was being named “Aqua Line”. Naming the routes of a mass transit system in a language that is foreign did not sit well with many citizens. Many took to social media to express their disappointment and disapproval. The fact that this kind of naming was being done more than half a century after independence makes it even worse. Additionally, the choice of the colour “aqua” is also problematic as it is not a very commonly known/used colour in India. Language and its relationship with thought, culture, and world-view has always intrigued scholars across cultures and time. Language is a conduit between us humans and the world we perceive around us. The Ved...

From a firebrand socialist who organised the biggest Railway Strike in the history of India to becoming the Defence Minister of India - George Fernandes   The eighth of May, 1974 wasn’t an ordinary day in India.  The Indian Railway, the ‘lifeline’ of the Indian economy, the engine that moved India quite literally, wasn’t moving at all.  The workers of India’s single largest employer had struck work.  Never before had there been a strike that included the entire network of railway employees and ...

PM Modi should end Lal Qila’s monopoly as the Independence Day speech site Pradhan Mantri Narendra Modi has a huge fan following on social media. He is the third most-followed politician on Twitter, falling a few followers short compared to former US President Barack Obama and current US President Donald Trump. PM Modi uses his social media reach very effectively, both in policy matters as well as communicating directly with the people. So, when he sought recommendations for his Independence Day speech through his social media feeds, the first thing came to my mind is Lal Qila — with a huge question mark. Ever since Jawaharlal Nehru, the first PM of independent India, chose Lal Qila in Delhi for his Independence Day speech, it has become a custom for all PMs to address the nation from the ramparts of the historic fort. Why always this? Is the venue of our Independence Day speech set in stone? (Photo: Reuters) But my question is — Why ‘Lal Qila’? Why not ...

The Troublesome Past of the Centers of South Asian Studies in US universities Recently (December 7, 2018), this esteemed portal carried an  article  by Vijay Kumar, the co-founder of the  India Pride Project , a volunteer run organization that tracks and brings back India’s stolen heritage ( India has lost more than 50,000 heritage artifacts in recent past ).  The article is based on an  interview  (May 7, 2013) of  Wendy Doniger , the Mircea Eliade Distinguished Service Prof...