2012

[(REMEMBERING G. PARTHASARATHI ON HIS BIRTH CENTENARY
On July 7 this year falls Gopalaswami Parthasarathiˆs birth centenary. He was born in Madras on July 7, 1912. He came from a family noted for its intellectual contributions and public service. His father, N. Gopalaswami Ayyangar, rose to high positions in the Provincial Civil Service of the Madras Presidency and later became the Prime Minister of Kashmir (1882-1953). GP, as Gopalaswami Parthasarathi was known to one and all, himself (…)

by NEELAN TIRUCHELVAN
Many Sri Lankans were distressed and saddened to read of the death of G. Parthasarathi on August 1, 1995 at the end of a distinguished career in law, diplomacy and education. GP was a consummate diplomat who immediately commanded respect for his erudition, his intellectual sophistication, his understanding of international relations and domestic politics and his inexhaustible patience, compassion and good sense. This article will focus only on one aspect of his (…)

The passing away Gopalaswami Parthasarathi on August 1 marked the disappearance of a familiar landmark in the public life of our country. A diplomat, media specialist, educationist and an ardent lover of sports, he was, above all, a humanist of the very noble brand.
GP, as he used to be fondly called by practically all who knew him, old and young, personified enlightening liberalism at its best while upholding the finer aspects of our traditional value system.
A personality of uncommon (…)

“There is a very high possibility that by the end of the century, the earth is going to be a very different place.”
This statement by Anthony Burnosky of the University of California, who authored a study by 18 scientists based on a review of research on climate change and ecology to discuss future trends, made headline news recently. Writing in the prestigious journal Nature, this team of prominent scientists from various parts of the world warned that the world is headed towards a (…)

[(Sometime back Abha Appasamy, the daughter of Ravi Bakaya, informed us from Chennai that her father had passed away in that city on April 22, 2012. Thereafter she sent us the following brief sketch of her father with a note that read: “I am very sorry to have delayed writing to you. I did receive your letter and tried to think what to write, but I am not able to compile a bio-sketch, as I have been living away from my parents for over 35 years until very recently...My mother is also not (…)

TRIBUTE
by VIJAY PRATAP
Professor B.K. Roy Burman is no more with us to give energy and thought to discussions on crucial issues of our time. He passed away at the age of 89 years on the morning of June 26, 2012.
He was a Senior Visiting Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, New Delhi. He had served in various capacities with the office of the Commissioner for Scheduled Castes and Tribes and the Registrar General of India. He was a Professor at the JNU and Viswa (…)

POLITICAL NOTEBOOK
In mid-May, the official representative of the US State Department, Victoria Nuland, acknow-ledged that Washington, which provides the Syrian Opposition with non-military aid, is well informed about the arms supply to it; this, she asserted, fell within the “CCASG countries’ right” thereby justifying such assistance on the part of the external forces.
The “Syrian National Council”, which offers political cover for the aggression against Syria, and the “Free Syria (…)

Part-I
Myth of National Growth
The country is in an enigmatic crossroad. It is difficult for the common man to comprehend the direction India is heading. To him, the euph-oria surrounding India’s economic prosperity coupled with the high rate of growth hyped in a sonorous pitch is a paradox beyond his appre-ciation or intelligence. This does not mean or presuppose that the country has not travelled along the road to prosperity or growth. It has indeed made substantial progress, which is (…)

I’m back from Srinagar. In fact, got back only this week-end and even now sitting somewhat lost in what the Valley had to offer. The one big positive for me was my interaction with the enthusiastic students of Convergent Journalism at the Central University of Kashmir. Also, to see and sense how life moves on…keeps moving on, overcoming those emotional upheavals that come along. And though the senseless-cum-brutal killings of the young in the summer of 2010 have left a definite impact on the (…)

Whatever the Congress speaks, it sounds like an evangelist’s outpouring. The party was no different a few days ago at its meeting of some 100 delegates, comprising Working Committee members and State Presidents. The party again acted like a preacher who wanted to stir up feelings of revival. It cannot be done by merely attacking the opponents. There has to be answers to the questions on the ever-rising prices and the never-ending scams.
The delegates and other supporters who return to (…)