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The Afghanistanization of
South, West & Central Asia by
Gaurang Bhatt, MD
Imperial
powers are well known for their divide and rule
policies. Britain in acquiring and dissolving its
empire split Iraq and Kuwait and created Jordan and
Gulf kingdoms. It split the Pashtuns by the Durand
line between India and Afghanistan and subsequently
hived off the two wings of Pakistan from India.
France divided Syria and Lebanon. Russia in its
conquering phase took over Azerbaijan splitting
Azerbaijanis between Iran and its conquests. The
breakup of the Soviet Union left economic
deprivation, autocratic and corrupt authoritarian
rulers and rising Islamic insurgencies.
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On
Hillary’s Rebuke
to Pakistani
Leadership by Col. Rahul K. Bhonsle
Exasperated with lack of progress and the
amount of efforts it is taking for the Pakistani
Establishment and the government to act against the
Al Qaeda and the Taliban, the US Secretary of State
is possibly taking the harsh approach now. With 80
percent of the respondents opposing US assistance in
Pakistan’s fight against terrorism – a 19 percent
increase since March, Hillary Clinton had a tough
job in any case to woo her Pakistani hosts.
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A Note
on Arundhati Roy’s Essay by Uddipan
Mukherjee
It needs to be clarified right at
the very outset that the present
piece is neither an outright
remonstrance against Arundhati Roy’s
essay ‘Mr.
Chidambaram’s War’
nor a panegyric of Mr. Chidambaram’s
policies regarding the ‘Maoists’.
Rather, what the author fails to
comprehend is the manner in which
Roy embarks on a ‘reprimanding
spree’. That obviously does not
exonerate the Home Ministry of its
rhetoric, policies and actions which
keep on fluctuating in an asymmetric
fashion.
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UHO in UINING by J. Ajithkumar
Unique Historical Opportunities (UHO) thrown up during the
lifetime of individuals and nations can matter a lot. Indian
nation, which has been stagnating with the miserable tag of a
‘developing nation’ for the past six decades, is a best case
study for missed opportunities. In the past one hundred years,
India passed through at least a dozen UHOs’ when a different
decision by those in power then would have made us citizens of a
developed nation by now.
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The Man Who Spoke to
Ashes by Jai Jui
Dwarkanath figured he must have been evil in
his previous life to get such a lousy deal in this
present one. Brought up in an orphanage he never
knew his parents. In appearance he was dark skinned
scrawny and bug eyed. At least he had thick black
hair and a straight long sharp nose. The other kids
always teased him ...called him Darkee or Dracula.
He almost wished he was Dracula the undead, living
for centuries on the blood of other human beings.
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A
Trip to Canyons and Vortexes
by Michael Levy
I have just returned from an eight day bus tour of
The Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Zion Canyon, Lake
Powell, Antelope Canyon and Monument Valley. There
is no doubt about it; the Canyons are truly an
awesome sight to behold. Time, wind, fire and water
have worked their magic to make these shines of
nature places of overwhelming wonderment and
stunning awe.
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The
Margosa Tree by Dipankar Dasgupta
Some are skinning off its bark and boiling it. Some are tearing
away leaves for grinding. Yet others are frying them in oil. To
apply on ringworm afflicted skin. A panacea for a variety of skin
ailments. Many eat the tender leaves. Raw, uncooked. Or, sautéed with
eggplant. Helps the liver. Endlessly many chew the
young twigs ... to keep their teeth healthy.
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Yes, Dear! by Naira Yaqoob
“Yes, dear. Oh, definitely! I’ll arrange
everything tonight. I’m sure this guy must be
special. I can’t believe it. This is for the first
time that you have invited someone on your own. I’m
so excited. Gosh! Is he rich? Must be.” Mrs. Tanner
was beaming with excitement. “We’ve selected him for
our show. He simply fits the title! I too am
excited.” Mr. Tanner was the head of a small
production studio.
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Look Ma,
Democracy has
No Clothes!
by Rajinder Puri
After
the Constitutional deadline had expired for the
Maharashtra government to be sworn in the UPA-NCP
alliance advised the Governor that they would do the
needful within forty-eight hours. Okay, said the
Governor indulgently. Heck, a few hours delay won’t
ruin the Constitution. The BJP demanded President’s
rule. Stop worrying about Maharashtra and focus on
Karnataka, sneered Congressmen. What ailed
government formation in Maharashtra?
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Peace with India:
The Onus Lies on
Pakistan Army by Dr. Subhash Kapila
Pakistan is imploding as a
result of the policies and lack of policies of the
Pakistan Army. Pakistan is not imploding as a result
of civilian governance of Pakistan as the Pakistan
Army has throughout the history of Pakistan never
allowed democracy and civilian government to strike
roots. Now when Pakistan is headed towards ending up
as a 'nuclear weapons failed state' there is
international concern about the implications of this
implosion.
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Why
Taliban is Winning by Rajinder Puri
PM Manmohan Singh in Srinagar
urged Pakistan to end terror so that Indo-Pak talks
may commence. That will not happen. Pakistan cannot
end terrorism given even the most sincere efforts by
a section of the army genuinely fighting it. What
needs to be done is to stand Dr Manmohan Singh’s
Srinagar statement on its head. Terror cannot be
ended to start talks. Talks must start to end
terror. If talks are to end terror they must
address the core issues: encompass not
just Kashmir but also the Pak-Afghan border.
Terrorism is a South Asian problem. It requires a
South Asian solution.
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Know Your River
by VK Joshi
Human
civilizations and rivers have been part and parcel
of the same eco-system. Water means life and
naturally all living beings including humans get
attracted towards water bodies. Since times
immemorial major civilizations have developed and
vanished on river banks only. They prospered on the
river banks because of availability of water for
drinking and irrigation and vanished because of mega
floods. There is a dire need to know the river
around which human habitats are located. The floods
do not distinguish between developed and developing
nations. A river in spate just maroons everything.
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Shrimad Bhagavatam:
The Living Tradition
by Prof. R.N. Mishra
It is believed by all Indians
that Shrimad Bhagavatam consisting of eighteen
thousand verses was authored by Vyas Dev in ancient India. Earlier Vyasa Dev had
also composed the great saga of Mahabharata. It is said that
after completion of writing the great epic Mahabharata, the
author somehow felt greatly discontented and was advised by the
sage Narad to write the epic Bhagavatam. It tells the stories of
Lord Vishnu (Vasudev) in His various incarnations and contains
the gist of almost all the great epics of India. It
is regarded as the foremost epic among the eighteen
great epics.
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Confessions of a Tea
Drinker by Pramod Khilery
Days
are fast drawing close to yet another season of
mist, haze and cold waves when we all will be forced
to take refuge into whatever promises the soothing
of much desired warmth. Everyone has his or her own
way of alleviating the buffeting of cold waves
dictated by topography, financial status and
individual traits. So if bonfires come to the rescue
of poor and rustic, air-conditioned interiors
provide respite to those who are well heeled. If
woolen sweaters, jackets and blazers adorn our
personality then woolen blankets come in as
all-in-one for those for whom these few months
become a test of survival.
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The Last
Lifeline for Karzai
by
Uddipan Mukherjee

The long and arduous process of
electing (or selecting ?) the
President of Afghanistan which began
on Aug 20; finally came to an end,
albeit on a somber note when on Nov
1, the formidable candidate Dr
Abdullah quit the run-off elections.
He expressed his dissatisfaction
towards the ‘election procedure’ and
the ‘associated fraud’.
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Eliminating Stress by
the Natural Process
of Evolving Creation
by Michael Levy
Who
am I? Where is my place on earth? Wise sages have
discussed these two questions since the beginning of
human time. If these questions cannot be
authentically answered and lived, then humanity will
cease to exist. Without any doubt, daily world and
local events, family disputes, money problems, job
security, and health issues can lead to depression,
fatigue and anxiety. This in turn can lead to
overeating the wrong type of foods, lack of
exercise, addictive habits such as smoking,
alcoholic drinks and recreational and medical drugs.
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Poetry |
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A Moon Life! by TA Ramesh
A Touch Of Happiness by Ashik
Rajak
An Unexpected Day by Ashik Rajak
Come Back by Rupradha Mookerjee
Dark Moon! by TA Ramesh
Don't Speak, Don't Talk by
Supriya Verma
Embracing Solitude by Bharat B.
Trivedi
Evening by Dipankar Dasgupta
In the Country by Kumud Biswas
Invocation to Mount Purandhar by
Dr. Ram Mehta
Locked Eyes by Vaibhav Pandey
Our Roads by Ashik Rajak
Parting by Kumud Biswas
Reverie by Jan Oscar Hansen
Teary-eyed Tigers by Vaibhav
Pandey
Tell Me Your Desire by Supriya
Verma
Uprooted And Banished by Satis
Shroff
Virtue and Vice by Kumud Biswas
Window by Supriya Bhandari
Your Touch by Kumud Biswas
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Boloji, We are
listening! |
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Freedom. Seven Alphabets. Numerous Connotations.
Freedom to think, write and read. Freedom to freely
express your thoughts and views. Freedom to connect
with millions of people across the world. We allow
you to do all this and more.
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Rock Cut Architecture by Ashish
Nangia
Rock-cut architecture
occupies a very important place in the history of Indian Architecture.
This differs from 'building up' in many important ways. Firstly, the art
is more akin to sculpture than architecture, in that a solid body of
material (rock) is taken, the final product visualized and
cutting starts.
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Awesome Oslo: A
City of Smiling Hearts and Creative Souls by
Ramendra Kumar
If someone had told me that the color of peace could be
red – and that too a bright, flaming, passionate
red, I would never have believed him or her.
However, in Oslo I saw and experienced Peace and
love, trust and togetherness in red. The place was
the Nobel Peace Centre.
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Ayurveda: No Longer Just "Vaidji Ki Pudiya"
by Vaidya Ramakant Mishra
Ayurveda,
the more than 5,000-year-old traditional system of healing from
India, is justly enjoying a widespread resurgence in popularity
today. Savvy, health-conscious individuals all over the world
are taking more responsibility for their own health and
well-being. The old adage "prevention is better than cure" makes
increasingly more sense in a time when health-care is exorbitant
and fraught with risks such as dangerous side effects of drugs
that often lead to more problems instead of treating the illness
they were taken to address.
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