Essays

Ruin of the Congress

Hartosh Singh Bal

As two recent books tell us, India’s most charismatic leader, Indira Gandhi, has left a debilitating effect on the party. Rahul’s efforts to shelve personality-driven politics only bewilders it

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Chinki Sinha

Confessions of a serial matrimony seeker

A Snatched Home

Mihir Srivastava

The diary of an Afghan who fled his country after being accused of spying against the Italian forces posted there

Home is Where…

Sidrah Fatma Ahmad

...there’s work. Santoshi, a construction worker, keeps home amid half-built houses, a new one every year

The Falconer’s Knot

Aanchal Bansal

Even as Unesco accords falconry ‘global heritage’ status, India’s only licensed falconer, Shahid Khan, speaks of the dying sport

From the Autopsy Table

Shahina KK

Dr Shirley Vasu, one of Kerala’s top forensic surgeons, on living in the company of corpses for over 30 years

A Different Species

Michael Edison Hayden

The mysterious world of a house cat

Sleepless on Facebook

Sumana Roy

The nocturnal gathering of insomniacs on a social networking site

In the Enemy’s Mind

Edwin C May

During the Cold War, Edwin C May ran a secret psychic spying programme, known as Star Gate, for the US government. He recounts the project’s successes, as he sees them