Let Gays Rejoice – Not Exult!
by Rajinder Puri
The Delhi High Court judgment which decriminalized private sex between gay adults is welcome. Hopefully, the Supreme Court will endorse the judgment to make it applicable throughout India . That should end harassment and insecurity among gays. But there is need for caution and restraint while welcoming this measure. The first reaction by media and the gays who participated in a parade and hailed the judgment later was far from encouraging. Read On

Pakistan Engulfed in Virtual Civil War
by Dr. Subhash Kapila 
Pakistan today presents the tragic spectacle of being at war with itself with two of the four provinces in open revolt against the nation-state. Pakistan’s entire western flank border provinces are engulfed in a virtual civil war comprising Baluchistan, NWFP and FATA. In the last named two tribal regions, the Pakistan Army and the Pakistan Air Force have been now for the last couple of months employed heavy bombardment by tanks, medium artillery, attack helicopters and fighter war-planes Read On

Filmisation of Politics
or Heroes of ‘Reel’ Vs ‘Real’
by Dr. Anil Kumar Mohapatra 
Among other things that distinguish the 15th General elections in India from its preceding / foregoing ones, has been a relatively more use of film icons in politics. Politics has tried to outsource glitz and glamour from the movie industry. The whole of film industry (leaving a very few) has shown its amazing magnanimity and willingness in extending support to politics. Some have contested elections, some are used in campaigning and the voices of the rest are heard in the process of creating awareness among electors to ‘not-to-forget to exercise their franchise.’ Read On

Who Demolished Babri Masjid?
by Rajinder Puri
Assuming that the senior leaders of the BJP lacked foreknowledge of the demolition, how did it occur? Was it through spontaneous action by the demonstrators or was it preplanned? If it was preplanned who planned it? Read On
► Liberhan Report will Hurt Advani the Most

• CPI-M is Damned If it Does,
  Damned If it Doesn't 
• Expectations High as Mukherjee Readies
  for National Budget  

Iran Elections Expose Simmering
Clerical Disharmony by K. Gajendra Singh
The Iranian people have been under US led Western siege since 1979 when Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini led Shia revolution ousted Shah Reza Pehelavi, US gendarme in the Middle East. The memories of 444 days of hostage taking of US embassy personnel in Tehran by the Iranian student revolutionaries and 1953 CIA and British MI6 organized coup which ousted Iran’s nationalist and popular Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadeq for his nationalization of British and other Western oil interests continue to color and bedevil the two sides perceptions and mistrust. Read On

Anand Model Should be Replicated
for Inclusive Growth by Animesh Banerjee
Traditional growth models are the legacy of the industrialization era that started a couple of centuries ago. Read On

India: Expanding Interests in Central Asia
by Col. Rahul K. Bhonsle 
India marked up its presence in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) dubbed as the Eastern NATO with attendance of the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh for the first time in the Summit held in Yekaterinburg Russia on 16 January. Read On

Twice Born by Leela Soma
- A Review by Suzan Abrams
Twice Born may tickle your senses to the alluring idea of an ethereal beauty lived and not imagined. And why not when this reader on long closing the last page to the unexpected novel, would wistfully be reminded of shiny brassware and gold earrings, the close rustling of silks and lingering scents or otherwise too, of a frangipani whiff, ... Read On

Obama's Economic Team Male Member’s Disease Diagnosed by Gaurang Bhatt, MD
In neurology some diseases are easily diagnosed as the patient enters the doctor’s office. The scraping toe and spastic gait of the hemiplegic is unmistakable. Lesions in the cerebral cortex or sub-cortical region on one side cause a flexed upper limb bringing the hand nearer to the mouth and a stiffly extended lower limb with the foot flexed downward at the ankle towards the ground (on the opposite side as the brain lesion). The knee is extended and stiff and the above two defects makes the paralyzed leg longer than the normal one. Read On

Another Sovereignty Transfer Charade
in Baghdad by K. Gajendra Singh 
People and media have such short memories. The first charade of transfer of sovereignty to Iraq was conducted in a secret, short and pre-poned ceremony from 30 June to 28 June in Baghdad. Wrote New York Times; “At 10:26 a.m. on 28 June, L. Paul Bremer III, (US Viceroy), head of the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq “restored formal sovereignty to Iraq in a simple meeting deep inside the heavily fortified area known as the Green Zone, Mr. Bremer handed Dr. Iyad Allawi (PM) a leather-bound note from President Bush, indicating that the Coalition Provisional Authority led by Mr. Bremer since last May was dissolved.” Read On

American Gulliver and Lilliputian
World Bodies by Mukesh Williams   
It is the special responsibility of America to create a world system that encompasses more than military power and translates cooperation into action. It must show to the world that it does not just seek its own interest but the interest of others as well. America is still the most powerful nation in the world with an annual defense spending of 800 billion USD, eight times that of China, and totaling the combined defense spending of the world. Read On

Democratic Faiths by J. Ajithkumar 
General elections, whether rigged, manipulated or impartial, are the most vital and visible signs of life in any functioning democracy. Be it presidential or parliamentary, democracy has been widely accepted as the nearest form to minimum acceptable governance embodying the vital elements of liberty, human rights and equality that are ‘beyond-bargain’ parameters for dignified human existence. The harsh reality ... Read On

Tenderness by Ola de Sas 
That day I went to see my friend the doctor, to return his precious tennis racket. George and I were sport fanatics. We played tennis, rugby and loved swimming. Throughout our school days we were both in the A teams (for sport) and we never gave up our sports. George was busy with a patient, so I spoke to his receptionist. I noticed she was new. I silently congratulated him on his choice; her face was like Rafael’s Madonna. Read On

The Unfulfilled Dream of A Daughter
by Lakshmi Menon 
I was on my way to Kentucky in USA to visit my daughter's family. It was my first international journey and obviously I was a little worried, as I was travelling alone. I had to change my flight from Amsterdam and then again from Detroit. I was able to make a friend in Mumbai International Airport, a Dutch girl, who was also going to USA, but her destination was Minneapolis. Read On

Harvest Colors from the Rainbow
by Jayati Gupta 
This autumn in Berlin, the State Exhibition Grounds of Hall number 9 lived flamboyant world colors. Traders from various corners presented their wares. Eager to do business, every participant highlighted their best; using spotlights, focus, and an array of imaginations. At the yearly import shop fair, another few days of radiant activities in the city showered ... Read On

The Life We Are Given
- A Review by Satya Chaitanya
The Life We Are Given, described as “A Long-Term Program for Realizing the Potential of Body, Mind, Heart, and Soul,” is a manual for personal growth based on what the authors call Integral Transformative Practice. It is based on certain principles from Leonard’s book on long-term practice, Mastery, some of which are: Lasting transformation requires long-term practice; the most effective transformative practices involve ... Read On

Recession:
Looking Towards Indigenous Solutions
by Dr. Perumal Koshy 
The global market has a lot of potentials worth exploring, but how far we can we explore job creation potentials just outside our homes, within our local economy? Entrepreneurs emerge when things look gloomy. It is the innovative spirit that facilitates an economy moving forward towards recovery and not just the financial packages. There are areas that can be harnessed as feasible ventures that generate employment both in manufacturing and service sectors. At a time when ... Read On