MJ Akbar

Guns, gas and gossip

He turns 80 on October 11. A journey through his legend and legacy

Congress wants a regent, a placeholder for Rahul Gandhi. But who can combine political sagacity with a saintly heart? Ashok Gehlot, the loyal one, has weakened Sonia Gandhi at a vulnerable moment. If she relents, the aura of command gets blown apart. Congress has become a puzzled jigsaw rather than a jigsaw puzzle, a combination of small cardboard pieces that no longer add up to a coherent picture

Ghulam Nabi Azad means well but his rebellion is past its sell-by date

Nitish Kumar may speak with folded hands but thinks with hands crossed

How Vladimir Putin has exploited the liberal disorder and survived the sanctions

Syed Mahmood’s legacy as colonial India’s dissenting judge

Dara Shikoh’s defeat was a turning point in history as the concept of an inclusive India yielded to the supremacy of Islam. The consequences of the decisive battle of Samugarh were felt for more than three centuries despite the Mughal empire’s rapid disintegration under the weight of his victorious brother’s bigotry

Imran Khan had one ingrained virtue. He was breathtakingly sincere. But good intentions do not constitute good governance. Like an amateur, he overestimated his abilities when he needed wile or guile as strategy. On his day of judgment, Imran compared his predicament to that of Imam Hussain. The messiah may be faltering, but the messiah complex is alive and well

Why Narendra Modi is the mothers’ choice