Shiv Visvanathan
A democracy can do without fan clubs and vigilante crowds
Oommen Chandy, the Kerala Chief Minister with a cultivated Mr Clean image, may not recover from the latest twist to the sleaze-and-bribery scam
Mythicised or misunderstood, RSS is an organisation whose influence is a permanent topic of contention. Its doors seldom open to outsiders, its leaders hardly speak to the public, and, at 90, it is still steeped in secrecy and moulded by a culture of austerity and discipline. Is the Sangh changing faster under the leadership of Mohan Bhagwat, the possible reforms including its attitude towards Muslims and women? Advaita Kala gains access to the cloistered world of RSS
Lalu Prasad Yadav’s political journey of farce is almost over
S Prasannarajan • Pratap Bhanu Mehta • Swapan Dasgupta • Shashi Tharoor • Tunku Varadarajan • Shiv Visvanathan • Priyamvada Gopal • TM Krishna • Ullekh NP • Madhavankutty Pillai • V Shoba • Aresh Shirali • Sonali Acharjee • Shreya Sethuraman
A political leadership that realises the sanctity of individual autonomy and the limits of the state is all the more relevant today
An academic take on the last years of Indira Gandhi fails to capture her impact on Indian politics