Monday, August 31, 1998
The modern Mahamatras
There were eighteen categories of "Mahamatras" (high officials) in the Kautilyan state and the highest salary stood at 48,000 panas a year ("enough to prevent one from succumbing to the temptations of the enemy or rising up in revolt"). Yet, misdeeds and corruption were not uncommon.
Militancy as a shield
When 1,200 doctors were interviewed by the Jammu & Kashmir government for appointment in the State's rural areas, all of them agreed to work in remote, rural areas for a minimum period of two years. That was in 1997. But immediately after their selection, the threat of militancy was used as a ready-made excuse for them to stay out.
Sorry, it's all about sex
It is an interesting analogy. After confessing to an improper relationship with a young woman, Bill Clinton ordered the bombing of suspected terrorist strongholds in Sudan and Afghanistan. Critics suggested that the second action was a deliberate ploy to cover up the first.
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