poverty

In the 2001 film, The Believer, a former Jewish student in a New York yeshiva becomes a Nazi skinhead who wants to exterminate his own community. The movie is based loosely on the life of Dan Burros. Born to Jewish parents, he attended a Hebrew school and had his Bar Mitzvah. Later he joined Lincoln [...]

At the time of writing the contest between the leader of the Conservative Party, and indeed prime minister of the UK, stands between Liz truss and Rishi Sunak. Normally the candidate’s experience, ideas, policies and calibre would be looked at. But this is no normal contest. Britain may have its third female prime minister and [...]

The recent acquittal of Asia Bibi after a decade on death row was initially a cause of celebration, indeed relief. Accused under the draconian and much abused Blasphemy Law of Pakistan, [...]

The very idea that western civilisation, and the United States in particular, could have nurtured radical Islam remains absurd in many quarters. Indeed it is America that is seen as the bulwark against jihad. How then could the leader of the free world, the founder of modern democracy, the nation that epitomises freedom, that in [...]

At 7:10am BBC Radio 4 broadcasts the religious affairs programme ‘Sunday’, appropriately named because that is the day on which it is aired. Now in this programme we have this delightful installment: “The National Council of Churches in India will hold a day of protest next week against the country’s discriminatory caste system. It follows [...]

From its independence in 1947 it was predicted by many in the west that India would collapse. The pro-Pakistan policies of UK, France, USA and many others as well as the sympathy shown by them to secessionist movements, most notably in Punjab, Kashmir and Nagaland, the belief that India is heading to civil war due [...]

Chandras Devadiga (58), who used to operate a hotel from Padavinangady in the city, and who was widely known and reverred for providing homely meals for a paltry sum of ten rupees, breathed his last at his residence at Bolpugudde in Padavinangady on Thursday June 19 due to cardiac arrest. He has left behind wife, [...]

In the framework of Europalia India, a string of institutions including my Alma Mater, the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, hosts a series of exhibitions, performances, films showings, conferences and lectures. Last Tuesday and Wednesday, Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal was to speak in Brussels and Leuven, but he didn’t show up, being detained in a sex scandal. [...]

In the classic children’s story Goldilocks went into someone else’s house to eat and sleep uninvited. To her horror she was confronted by the owners, which happened to be three bears. Discovered she fled.  At no point were negotiations on the agenda. It was after all pretty indefensible. This is a bit like the manner [...]

Christian welfare 'trusts' defraud poor Dalit Christian villagers of more than Rs.450 crore [...]