AN apparition wearing a smartly tailored jacket with a gleaming red rose pinned to his pocket has been haunting the halls. Rashtrapati Bhavan, Raisina Hill, Lok Kalyan Marg, Supreme Court, Sansad Bhavan, Shastri Bhavan, Samvidhan Sadan—sightings galore reported. Sometimes, the ghost leaves behind pages from books: The Discovery of India, The Unity of India, Letters for a Nation: From Jawaharlal Nehru to His Chief Ministers, Letters from a Father to His Daughter, Words of Freedom: Ideas of a Nation, Independence and After...The list of his tomes is long. The pages are scattered around in no particular order. In the morning, when the doors swing open, those who walk in are free to gather them. Read them, don’t read them—the people’s choice. It’s all very democratic.
Some nights, snatches from his speeches appear on the walls in big bold letters. They are said to shine like lighthouses at sea, beckoning passersby, preaching the scientific temperament, preaching peace and the politics of integration. ‘‘Tryst with Destiny”, “Emotional Integration”, “The Plan is the Country’s Defence”, “Private Property and Public Good”, “Government and the People”, “The Temples of Modern India…” One man, many quotes. One nation, many hauntings.
Denne historien er fra March 11, 2024-utgaven av Outlook.
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Denne historien er fra March 11, 2024-utgaven av Outlook.
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The 'Invisible' Dalits
The debate over sub-categorisation of castes is likely to shape the political discourse in the upcoming state elections
Caste Census: To Conquer Or Conserve?
The caste census is generating heated debate, but even its most ardent proponents are not able to articulate a plan about how to use the resulting data
THE FATEFUL COMEDY
Actor-director Rajat Kapoor talks about adapting Fyodor Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov into a Hindi play
Mad Hatter
When a leader takes off his topi and holds it in his hands while appealing for votes, it signals something extraordinary
Circle Within Circles
The caste question in Muslims.
Backward March
The Maratha reservation question may continue to mire the next government in the state
The 69% Exception
Quota within quota: lessons to be learned from Tamil Nadu
United Indifference
The perils of tweaking tribal identities
Two Nations, Two Destinies
The widely differing balance of power between the military and civilian leadership in India and Pakistan has significantly impacted democracy in the two countries
Crème de la Crème
The mainstream society thinks reservations are against right to equality. It’s high time they are seen in the context of right to justice.
