Articles by GPD

M S Golwalkar, whose birth centenary the RSS observes this year, was the RSS chief who gave shape and imparted a definitive ideology to the organisation. Golwalkar's position on "Hindu consolidation", especially with regard to caste differentiation, came to differ in several crucial aspects with Savarkar's ideas on caste.

In the short history of Indian democracy, "familocracy" has long established precedents. But familocracy, as revealed by the Karnataka crisis, sparked off by moves made by Kumaraswamy, Deve Gowda's son, appears little different from political opportunism.

By dispensing with the celebrations associated with November 7, Russian president Vladimir Putin is seeking to define a new history for his country. But his action involves the sweeping erasure of a significant moment in world history, a day associated with the establishment of the "Soviet Unionâ". For several decades, the existence of the Soviet Union offered a unique vision of liberation for several countries around the world that were still bonded to colonialism.

Telling the truth, with a capital 'T' is in fashion - be it between the coach and captain of the Indian cricket team, or by the defence minister about relations with China or prime minister Manmohan Singh's remarks to president George Bush on the BJP's position on the nuclear deal. But what does all this mean?

There is probably no better word than 'prashasti', usually a long poem intended as a work of praise and veneration for a king or patron, to refer to the prime minister's exercise in rewriting of history at Oxford. If the colonial period was such an unqualified era of modernity, development and growth, what were we fighting for or against?