The Indian budget every year has always been an eagerly awaited event. For many decades, the best minds in economics, finance, tax, business and industry throng the media house to analyze the provisions shared by the Financial Minister.
Sometimes major events completely disconnected may be data points for the plans of the different powers around the world. The challenge is to discern what purpose they serve? More critically, what are we moving towards?
When the US Ambassador threatened India's "Strategic Autonomy" policy over India's friendship with Russia - much more than meets the eye was at stake. Let us unpack how the Ukraine war has fundamentally changed the US and the world. And why are we here anyway?
In the midst of courage of some and perversity of others, we have seen a miracle unfold. A wife’s farewell to her beloved husband. This is our heartfelt thanks as we bow down to her.
W
hen a terrorist goes out, he does so to kill others. When a soldier goes out, he does so because others may live.
He is not sure whether he will make it back or not. And, that is ok with him.
Think for a moment. You leave for work with a more than even chance that you might be killed. And, you are still ok with that thought. He is. Are you ok with that thought?
There are many, including some I know, who have sometimes claimed – that a soldier joins the Army for money.
So, let us go to the morning at 5 am. You wake up. You get dressed. You go to work. You know, not as some hunch of being in an accident. But on the basis of the fact that you are to go in a battle where bullets are raining. It is highly likely that you will not come back alive.
If the bullets were the only enemy, that would be one thing. Even the human rights of the terrorist, who goes out with the goal to kill others, will be thrown at you.
That is how Major Vibhuti Dhondiyal died. A Bullet wrapped in the Human Rights. Human rights tipped the scale to take his life.
He was not the first who was killed by Human Rights. And unfortunately, he will not be the last. How I wish, the Right to Terror was secondary to Right to life. But in the twisted world called Secular India that we are in, Right to terror is greater than Right to life.
When life becomes subservient to terror, we can be assured that we have turned against ourselves.
But, then in the midst of this spectacular perversity of those who righteously mock the courageous, and… get away it with, actually prosper, we witnessed a miracle.
A small built woman. All of 27 years old. Who lost the love of her life, whom she had married just a year back. With tears flowing, she told him how much she loved him and how he instead loved his country more. How she will always love him. And then she resolves – we will stay strong. And then she stood straight, holding her tears back, shouted “Jai Hind” with all her might. As much as the being and the body that had seen everything shatter in a matter of 24 hours could.
And, one stood stunned.
Life. The perennial life. It is without defeat. No terror, no ideology, no machinations, no perversity can defeat it.
Nikita Kaul, you see, was touching the realm of the existential within, and we could not but break down in tears. Jai Hind, O’ Bharati, Jai Hind! Who said Manikarnika was no more?
The Indian budget every year has always been an eagerly awaited event. For many decades, the best minds in economics, finance, tax, business and industry throng the media house to analyze the provisions shared by the Financial Minister.
When the US Ambassador threatened India's "Strategic Autonomy" policy over India's friendship with Russia - much more than meets the eye was at stake. Let us unpack how the Ukraine war has fundamentally changed the US and the world. And why are we here anyway?
This visit of India left me with many questions. Many observations and inputs from different people and sections. Food for thought that I have tried to contemplate on and make sense of. Sharing all that with you.
When you analyze the last 60 years of the economic miracles of Singapore, South Korea and Malaysia versus the continued impoverished Indian economy, you get very interesting lessons. Can Indians have the wherewithal in them to do in one generation so that the coming generations may rise?
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