Indian Opinion

Mukesh Devrari Politeness functions as a controlling category in the Western World, it discourages antagonistic positions and wishes compliance without seeking any retaliatory or opposing perspective. This is a fundamental cultural difference between western and eastern societies. Excessive use of politeness as a preferred category limits the opportunities for the culture of expressing free opinion and dissent to flourish. It stunts the creation of an argumentative society that could contribute immensely in creating a truly democratic society. Politeness is also essentially a method of manifesting the class differences. Imagine a work environment where people who belong to different classes constantly work together in a group, not only in virtual proximity but also in physical proximity. Let’s take the example of hospitals. How a doctor, pharmacist, nurse, cleaner and security guard can be different from each other if all of them can speak only one language, eat similar

Mukesh Devrari One can find in Jinnah what one is looking for. If you are looking for the liberal westernized secular politician, you can definitely find one before Jinnah devoted himself to the communal cause of Muslim league or after the creation of Pakistan in his last speech where he sounded more like Congress leader. Cigar, whiskey, pork and aloofness to religion were standard markers of his life.    Mr Jinnah was born in Karachi on December 25, 1876. He was the eldest son of Jinnah Poonja, a well to do Hindu merchant. The son later adopted his father's first name as his own last name. After attending a school in Karachi, he went to England at the age of 16 to study law at Lincoln's Inn. He returned to India four years later in 1896 as a full-fledged barrister. He had learned to speak English perfectly – at one time he even toured England as a Shakespearean actor – and for the rest of his life he was more at home in English than in Gujarati, his mother ton

Mukesh Devrari Pakistanis are obsessed with Kashmir. The madness in Pakistani media is just spectacular to observe. Media is only taking the cues from the state. It has become difficult for Pakistan to accept that the two-nation theory has no place in the Modern World. It is impossible for the Islamic separatist movement in Kashmir to succeed. It is unlikely to succeed in any part of the world in this day and age.  India as an aspiring modern nation determined to fight against Islamists in Kashmir. The entire world has seen how Kashmir valley was ethnically cleansed by terrorists and their radicalized supporters aided and abetted by Pakistan. All the Hindu families, otherwise known as Hindu Pandits were forced to leave their homes. Their vacated properties were seized by their Muslim neighbours with a sense of impunity. Their houses were burned by militants so that they could never return.  Islamic militants gave Kashmiri Hindus two choices. Either to convert to Isla

Mukesh Devrari It is just amazing how China and Pakistan are openly working against India. It is a time for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to completely do away with the Nehruvian era foreign policy of maintaining an independent stance on world affairs and come openly against China on all major issues including banning Chinese companies on security grounds. The policy of maintaining equal distance from all existing superpowers costed India heavily in the past, it is still doing the same.   China decided to attack India in 1962 because of the non-aligned policy. Imagine if Nehru would have openly joined the US or Soviet camp and signed a security pact as Indira Gandhi did before the 1971 war, then China would not have imagined attacking India without risking a war with existing superpowers. Although it appears amazing that communist dictators of China are calling for a meeting to discuss the Kashmir issue at United Nations security council. Communist regime in China has

Mukesh Devrari First, India is not China. It is not possible for any party to change the demography of any state. Second, people in other states are not waiting to move inside Kashmir and Ladakh in droves as it is being projected. Thirdly, details are not known how the property rights will be managed in newly created Union territories of J&K and Ladakh. It is important for the central government to clarify details to counter the influx of rumours. It seems BJP has no plans to keep J&K as a union territory, but it has been declared UT so that central government could have direct control over the state police as they have it in New Delhi for the time being. Kashmiri rulers are no saints. BJP is using their blunders as justification to scrap both the articles, including their decision of not allowing thousands of Hindu migrants from Pakistan in 1947 to vote in legislative assembly elections. And also, their refusal to implement many central laws including reservation

Mukesh Devrari The state of J&K is being discussed around the globe. It will remain in the news cycle for the next few days. Abrupt scrapping of article 370 and 35A came as a shock to the nation. J&K is a privileged state of the Indian Union. It has its own constitution. Central laws are not automatically applied to it. Legislative assembly of the state can also decide the rights of state subjects. People from other parts of India are not allowed to buy immovable property, apply for government jobs and avail educational scholarships in the state of J&K. All these rules will now become history as BJP government is repealing article 370 and 35A.  J&K consists of Jammu, Ladakh and Kashmir valley. BJP has decided to convert J&K into a Union Territory with its own legislative assembly. Ladakh region will also be a Union Territory but without a legislature. Kashmir valley is a Muslim majority region and source of all the troubles for India. Jammu and Ladakh

Mukesh Devrari Prime Minister Narendra Modi has opened a Pandora’s box by asking Donald Trump to mediate in Jammu & Kashmir. Asking for mediation by United States is the first step of losing Kashmir. Prime Minister Nehru did the same blunder by asking for the United Nations intervention in 1948. All right-wing politicians still abuse Nehru as he acquired only half of the Kashmir and ran to UN for intervention, rather than repelling all Pakistani invaders from entire Kashmir. Pakistan still controls one-third of the Kashmir. Why Modi has not been briefed properly by seasoned bureaucrats around him? Why did he ask for Trump’s mediation? What did he intend to achieve through US mediation in Kashmir? What are the implications of Modi’s tactical blunder? Why is he keen to internationalize Kashmir issue further? Is he such a novice on foreign policy issues? Did he think he can make a joker out of Pakistan like he did to his main political opponent Rahul Gandhi? Has he

Mukesh Devrari  No country can become developed country unless it spends money on creating world-class institutions for higher education. There is no short cut to success, not for individuals, not even for nation-states. Education is the most powerful tool to transform the fortunes of nation-states, yet not a priority of our rulers. In fact, corporate-controlled media in third world countries tries to describe it as avoidable government expenditure. It shows the shallowness of our understanding of the need to spend more on education and its potential impact on our coming generations. India decided to ensure access to universal primary education in the early years of the 21 st  century. It was a remarkable project launched more than five decades after independence. India is now reaping the benefits of increased literacy rate among its impoverished citizens. Still, it is difficult to quantify the real benefits. It is easier to spot a school-age child helping his illiter

Mukesh Devrari If you are watching the race for the presidential nomination in Democratic Party in the United States, then by now you must have noticed that Pete Buttigieg is the only candidate who is looking like a potential US president. All other candidates don’t appear to have that balance which a politician needs to succeed in Presidential elections. Although this entire debate is useless as Trump is most likely to win US presidential elections on November 2020, probably with a better margin this time. Still, the upcoming elections will be worth watching, if the democratic party succeeds in electing an effective opponent in the internal party struggle for contesting against Trump juggernaut.   Pete Buttigieg is a guy who has created ripples in US politics. He is a mayor of South Bend, Indiana, still only 37 years old. It appears little in his own words audacious on his part to aspire for a White House. There is no doubt he is a bloody genius. Listening to him is

Mukesh Devrari Dehradun is a nice place. It’s the capital of Uttarakhand. People living here are known for their honesty and valour and patriotism and their looks (mostly girls) and what not. Anyone who never lived in the city really takes it seriously. Sometimes people who visit Dehradun for short trips also creates this confusion. Although locals don’t find this description mesmerizing, as it just doesn’t match with their lived experience. Maybe a few decades ago the city was about amazing weather, greenery, honesty, but nowadays it is more like any other place in the country full of drugs, petty crimes and unruly behaviour of all kinds. Still, it is much better than most of the other places because of its people, but in all other parameters, it is a horrible place. Dirty, overcrowded, polluted, unruly traffic, over-politicized and struggling in many other ways.   Our city does not have adequate infrastructure. It has become a city of narrow lanes. The whole city

Mukesh Devrari This article is not an academic exercise, in fact, it is a result of the elaboration of lived reality between 2014-19. Nothing changed in the last five years in India, nothing at all. Life was as difficult as it was under the tenure of UPA government led by Cambridge educated Manmohan Singh. Jobs were as rare as they are now. The economy was in tatters as it is now. Millions of unemployed graduates are joining the existing fleet of unemployed youth in India.     When Manmohan Singh was a PM, he did not enjoy the stature of PM in the eyes of common masses as he was holding the office as per the wishes of Gandhi family. He was a humble down to earth man Sikh gentleman who had no control either over the Congress party or over his colleagues in the government. Most of the Congress and UPA alliance partners leading the different ministries minted as much as money as they could. Corruption was rampant. Things went to such a state that corporate India, which gen