Narendra Modi has completed one year in office and traveled to more locations around the world than most Indians would in a lifetime. A robust foreign policy no doubt is a big plus of his tenure so far. Does India need a foreign minister with Modi at the helm, is one question? Also, judging by…
Tag: Arvind Kejriwal
Narendra Modi looks to deliver, quietly
There has been some buzz about Prime Minister Narendra Modi keeping the media at a distance. Modi, TV channels main pre-election TRP-busting protagonist has gone missing save formal speeches and tweets that do not say much. The new PM has opted not to travel abroad with the usual large press entourage, used to being wined,…
Standing up to Narendra Modi
Latest exits polls predict a BJP victory. Many harbor misgivings about emergence of a “fascist” Narendra Modi. I have reason to believe it will not be easy for BJP’s PM candidate to turn into a “dictator” as some fear. Though Modi managed to subdue the usually belligerent Arnab Goswami on TV recently, it will not…
Why I voted for Narendra Modi
Living in Gurgaon, Haryana, I voted for Narendra Modi last week. I am no diehard BJP supporter or Modi fan, ideologue, Hindutva advocate or Pracharak. But, I do weigh my vote carefully every five years. I usually look at two aspects, one nationalistic, other selfish — whether the party (or person who sets the agenda…
India’s e-commerce jump
Indian e-commerce portal Flipkart recently announced it has clocked US$1 billion in sales. Others such as Snapdeal and Myntra are expected to follow. These figures maybe little compared when compared to Amazon or Ebay turnovers or Facebook’s valuation of whatsapp, yet they are significant milestones for a country such as India. For one, they underline…
Not a boy or girl, its a book
It’s a book. Not a boy or girl. I am the father of two daughters. Writing and publishing a book was more like becoming a mother. It stayed with or rather within me for nearly a year, when I keyed in the novel, usually after a long day working, earning my livelihood, again mostly on…
Aam Aadmi Party needs to succeed
(Arvind Kejriwal has threatened to resign. Re-posting this piece I wrote last month) Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is focused on setting right government functioning that I believe will go much beyond shunning red beacon lights on official cars and bungalows in Lutyens’ Delhi. If they are able to fix just this and nothing more,…
India’s two most eligible bachelors flounder
Over the last few days Rahul Gandhi and Salman Khan, often mentioned as the two most eligible Indian bachelors, though in their 40s, have been in the news. Gandhi featured in his first face-to-face one-on-one interview on TV during which he mostly looked away from Arnab Goswami, the Badshah of Indian news channels. I have…
A Driving License without bribing
I renewed my driving license (DL) recently without paying a tout, the usual route advised by my gym trainer, ex-colleague and many others. As I found out (first up, I googled: how to get DL in Gurgaon, Haryana), some e-savvy touts advertise online. The promotional literature describes (in very bad English) dealing with a government…
Siddharth Srivastava 