My Thoughts

    One day, when I was a Colonel and commanding a combat unit, I returned home very late for lunch. Although, physically back home for some food, my mind was still reeling with the stuff at work. I was unable to notice an old friend who had come on a surprise visit and was sitting in the lawn, chatting with my wife for the past two hours. He read my mind well and smiled. When my wife moved to the kitchen for laying the lunch, we got talking over the pre-lunch drinks.      My friend, also a senior colleague, explained that when we had joined the army twenty years back, as Second Lieutenants, ten men each were placed under our command. These men made one, two or three mistakes every day. The lapses were of simple nature like getting late for parade, untidy turnout, slouching or missing salutations. It was very intimate command. We noticed almost every lapse and were well trained to take corrective actions. Thus, at the end of the day, we were quite satisfied with...

Nation is a community of people formed on the basis of common language, history, ethnicity, culture and territory. A nation exists when its members recognise one another as belonging to the same community and as bearing special obligation to each other. Main characteristics of a nation are sovereignty, land, population, government, common descent, common language, common religion, common historical experiences, same cultural practices and traditions and infrequent internal ethnic conflicts. India has most of the ingredients of a strong nation in abundance. It is a vibrant democracy with an exceptionally explicit constitution, strong central government with all its organs, competent armed forces, well developed agricultural, industrial, health and education infrastructure, extensive air, road and rail networks and postal services. We are, however a multi racial, multi lingual and multi religious secular state. Our strongest characteristic is ‘Unity in Diversity’. While all languages, re...

The religious places dispute, presently sub judice in the Varanasi Courts is manifestation of religious misadventures of a barbaric ruler, during the seventeenth century. The case is actually against the ruler who is long dead. During the past three and half centuries, nearly fifteen generations of one community living in the vicinity have been paying their obeisance at the mosque. They were not even remotely party to the mischief of demolition of temple. Now, if they are denied prayers at this mosque, they shall be victims of a cruel ruler’s deeds of pre-independence era.  On the other hand equal number of generations of the other community have not had the opportunity to pay their obeisance at the temple, as it was demolished on the dictates of the same earl. Generations of this community have suffered and denial of relief to them now, will further aggravate their wounds. The alleged incident of constructing a mosque after demolishing an existing temple at the site is ne...