A Calcutta Christmas

A Yuletide gift that brings back memories of a long ago and faraway city This year as always, our friend Derek, MP and Trinamool Congress stalwart, has sent us a special Yuletide present. Derek’s seasonal gift is not just a Christmas cake, but a very special Christmas cake, in that it comes from Nahoum &…

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Christmas: Enfolded in God’s presence

Christopher Mendonca A Jewish Rabbi, teaching the Talmud to agroup of students, pointed out that it was as necessary to notice the white space between words as words themselves. Were it not for these spaces, words would become unintelligible. What is more, he pointed out, these spaces formed the background and context in which what…

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Saffron Season, Again

There are 3 reasons next year may be a breeze for BJP. Congress, isolated even within opposition, may struggle more. Census & delimitation will trigger stormy politics only ahead of UP & Gujarat polls in 2027 It’s safe to predict 2026 will be another politically tumultuous year. Less easy to predict is specific outcomes or…

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Oscars, A Persecuted Iranian & Freedom Of Thought

Artists, writers, moviemakers are peaceful warriors against censorship. Their resilience informs their art, despite all the crackdowns, prison time and even exile from their home countries Dissident Iranian film director Jafar Panahi has always drawn global attention,as much outside the circle of cinema as within. One of the very few directors to have won the…

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Atithi Devo Bhava? (Guests Are Like Gods?) 

India has a saying: Atithi Devo Bhava, which means guests should be treated with respect. But recently, something happened that went against this idea. Delhi has always been a city of people from many places. Over hundreds of years, people have spoken different languages here — Persian, Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi, and English. No one language…

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Def Tech Tonic

India can be a serious defence exporter if it invests heavily in R&D. A nimble innovation base is crucial  In a leg up for Indian defence exports, Vietnam and Indonesia look set to buy India’s BrahMos cruise missile. If the deal goes through, the Asean nations will follow Philippines in inducting the BrahMos missile system….

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Def Tech Tonic

India is trying to become better at making and selling its own defence equipment, like missiles, tanks, and drones. Recently, countries like Vietnam and Indonesia may buy India’s BrahMos missile. The Philippines already uses it. This is good news because it shows other countries trust Indian defence technology. The BrahMos missile was made together by…

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Eggs Aren’t the Enemy

India’s food safety body, called FSSAI, has said clearly: eating eggs does NOT cause cancer. Some tests found tiny, trace amounts of certain substances in eggs, but that does not mean they are harmful. Scientists and health experts around the world agree that normal egg consumption is safe and healthy when eggs are produced properly….

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SIMply Problematic 

Govt should rethink idea that SIM-binding will curb cyber fraud. Biggest impact will be consumer inconvenience GOI’s push for continuous SIM-binding for messaging apps like WhatsApp and Signal appears to be a classic case of throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Govt has been pitching the move as a way to counter cyber fraud…

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