kriticulture

By Shahzad Chaudhry August 23, 2011 I have often urged us, as a nation, to look beyond the distortions in our ideological foundations and carve a newer identity, more in line with the needs of the 21st century. Also, that it is okay for a nation to be seen evolving with time, maturing both its moorings as well as its promise. Ideological anchoring need not be based on religion alone. Each era must of essence have newer ideals and aspirations for a nation. The world has moved on from deep ideological associations in the political or the economic sense and has gradually evolved towards a more pragmatic, global cosmopolitan culture. There is now a wider definition of an ‘international’ character in all things — political, economic, social, cuisine and even music. Every nation dons both an international and a ...

From Hardnews  “India is Anna, Anna is India.” This slogan, reeking of the memory of Indira-imposed Emergency — “India is Indira, Indira is India” — tells you how much of what is now on display is about democracy By Badri Raina Bliss is it in this dawn to be alive, But to be old is to be doubting. (With apology to William Wordsworth ​ ) Maha Kumbh These are heady days in India. An orgy is underway in many parts, as angels of virtue shriek holy imprecations, ostensibly, to exorcise the demon ‘Corruption’, a word that has a nice Biblical-postlapsarian ring to it. This inventively constituted Ravana of our times, embodied, we are told, chiefly in the conjoint body of the politicians of the day, especially of the ruling Congress party, is now faced with the equally inventively constituted Ram in the person of Anna Hazare ​ . Suitably, this crusader, although he wears the pristine white, topped with a Gandhi cap, opposes the demon in hues which are increasingly more...

Arundhati Roy From The Hindu     August 21, 2011 If what we're watching on TV is indeed a revolution, then it has to be one of the more embarrassing and unintelligible ones of recent times. For now, whatever questions you may have about the Jan Lokpal Bill, here are the answers you're likely to get: tick the box — (a) Vande Mataram (b) Bharat Mata ki Jai (c) India is Anna, Anna is India (d) Jai Hind. For completely different reasons, and in completely different ways, you could say that the Maoists and the Jan Lokpal Bill have one thing in common — they both seek the overthrow of the Indian State. One working from the bottom up, by means of an armed struggle, waged by a largely adivasi army, made up of the poorest of the poor. The other, from the top down, by means of a bloodless Gandhian coup, led by a freshly minted saint, and an army of largely urban, and certainly better off people. (In this one, the Government collaborates by doing everything it possibly can to ...

Hippopotamus The new Indian middle class is full of pelf and prayer; it ogles at the fop in front, and quarantines its rear. The new Indian middle class is full of potato chip; it hogs away at restaurant, but is careful with the tip. The new Indian middle class means business every way; it will have the atom bomb, whatever you may say. The new Indian middle class is cross at population; it simply cannot undersatnd why people live in the nation. The new Indian middle class is bored by argument; argument so upsets its vacuous content. The new Indian middle class connects with tradition; it often needs to fly abroad to propagate that fashion. The new Indian middle class is a hippopotamus; it fattens on protected feed, and yawns at politics. Hippopotamus revisited The new Indian middle class is into Channel V, where V stands for vertigo and viscerality. The new Indian middle class drives to disco tune, It sees nothing upon the road except i...