Investigating the history of Palestines plight on August 10, 2017Noted Indian historian Fatima Hussain has several scholarly books to her credit. The hallmark of her academic work is thorough research. This time in collaboration with Fareed Ali Shamsi she had undertaken a multi-faceted investigation into the history of one of the most intractable problems of modern times: the Palestine question. In the aftermath of […]
The pathological India Pakistan confrontation on April 24, 2016This is my last article for now as I take a break until April. For a few days, war clouds had gathered over the subcontinent after Pakistan claimed on January 7, 2013 that one of its soldiers had been killed by firing by the Indian troops on the Line of Control (LoC). India denied the […]
The waxing and waning US III on April 22, 2016Imam Khomeini’s socially regressive and reactionary worldview was second only to the Saudi Wahhabis. President Carter was hoping that he and Khomeini, as men of God, could form a partnership to defeat communism! Khomeini, however, hated the US more violently than he loathed the Soviet Union. A third fact thus arrived in international politics while […]
The waxing and waning US II on April 22, 2016Some interesting feedback on my article last week necessitates clarification of my position on Stalin, as some friends thought I sounded defensive towards him. Following the Munich Agreement, Hitler annexed the Sudetenland in October 1938 and then invaded Czechoslovakia in March 1939. There was no doubt in which direction the Nazis were planning to move. […]
Pran personifies the Lahore-Bombay film link on April 22, 2016On April 12, 2013, veteran actor Pran was awarded (though hugely belatedly) the most coveted Indian cinema prize: the Dadasaheb Phalke Award. For us Lahorites this is an occasion for special joy and pride because more than 70 years ago it was in our city that he cut his teeth as an actor. This is, […]
Initiatives of Change a matter of conscience on April 22, 2016Professor Rajmohan Gandhi is a grandson of Mahatma Gandhi. Some time ago, he read my book, The Punjab Bloodied, Partitioned and Cleansed. He sent an email to me saying that although I had very graphically portrayed the stark reality of the Punjab tragedy, the book itself served as a healer and thus as a therapeutic […]
Democracy in a confessional state on April 22, 2016The May 11, 2013 general election is most likely to be held as planned. After nearly 66 years a milestone would be reached: an elected government will succeed another elected government with a brief interlude of a caretaker administration. The vetting process carried out by overzealous inquisitional examining officers has, mercifully, on instructions from their […]
Amazing days at Asia Plateau, Panchgani on April 21, 2016The Initiatives of Change (IofC) five-day (Feb 1-5) conference on “Making Democracy Work” took place at the Asia Plateau, the name of the IofC buildings and gardens complex at Panchgani. At 4,500 feet above sea level, Panchgani has a cool climate, which reminded me of Abbottabad (minus Osama bin Laden). I was very pleasantly surprised […]
The waxing and waning US I on April 21, 2016 The 20th century commenced with the British Empire at the zenith of its power. However, the United States acquired unprecedented economic and military power and political clout after the First World War. President Woodrow Wilson’s 14-point liberal internationalism provided the impetus to the founding of the League of Nations (1920), but when the US […]
Can Obama resolve Israel-Palestine? on April 20, 2016Modern Jews, convinced that the establishment of a Jewish state was the only solution to escape discrimination and persecution at the hands of Christians, founded the Zionist movement. Ultra-orthodox Jews rejected it. They believed that their daily prayer of one day returning to Jerusalem was only a spiritual aspiration. However, other Jewish clerics were in […]