Thursday, March 4, 1999
Another blunder
That the fractured electoral verdict of 1998 was going to be particularly stressful for the already highly strung politicians was more than expected. Even so, it would have taken a veritable leap of imagination to anticipate the recent burst of invective from Communist veteran and longest-serving Chief Minister Jyoti Basu.
Fists of fury
At its best, the festival of Holi celebrates life in all its colour and vitality. In a strongly hierarchical and regimented world, this moment of celebration represents a breaking down of social barriers and a genuine surrender to the sheer joy of living.
Now for a reality check
A fortnight since Prime Minister Vajpayee's bus ride to Wagah, two extreme views at opposite ends of the spectrum are: it was populist gimmickry, and that it was a major attempt to get out of the grooves of hostility that characterise Indo-Pak relations.
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