War is ingrained in man and so it was in India. Indian kings were fond of everything military, but their over reliance on elephants as an instrument for offence and defense led to their defeat
The Indian Muslim is distinct aas he does not integrate with the Indian nation andd his synpathy lies with Pakistan
Jinnah the founder of Pakistan was a secular character, yet his legacy is twisted and extreme religious bigotry has got hold of Pakistan.
Kashmir is a part of India but almost 2/3rd is under occupation of pakistan and China and one wonders what will be the outcome in the ultimate analysis
A sharpening stone is autility item in the home. It may looka unglamorous gift, but it is a gift that will be much appreciated later
Driving under the influence of alcohol beyond the permissable limit is an offence. Most countries all over the world follow similar laws on drunk driving, which is an danger to the driver and others
The Ambassador was a car that was produced for 6 decades in India. Based on the Morris the English car it's production stopped in 2014( March)
Little women is a classic from the 19th century. Its a book written by Louisa May Alcott and gives an excellent expose of life during the civil war and what it meant to grow up poor.
Napkins are an integral part of a meal. They have a checkered history also. During holidays they add to the aura of a good meal
Pablo Picasso is one of the greats in the field of art. His paintingof his mistress titled 'Nude Green leaves and Bust' is one of the all time classics.
The battle of Plessey fought in 1757 is the most significant battle in Indian history as it established India as the brightest jewel in the British crown
Propaganda had great significance in Nazi Germany and a full ministry under Dr. Goebbels attended to it. The role was to motivate the masses to be willing tools of state policy
India is anation divided by religion, but the sad part is that this is perprtuated by the ruling Congress party. The twin issues bedeviling are a uniform civil code and article 370.
Scapa Flow was a natural port in Scotland that became the home of the Royal Naval fleet. It played a significant role during World war I and housed the fleet that sailed to battle the German fleet
Kushwant is the doyen of Indian English writing. In a career spanning half a century, Singh established himself as a writer of repute.
Andrea Levy is a British author of Jamaican origin. She has written some excellent books which are best sellers. her Book Fruit of the Lemon is a testimony to her standing as a writer
The Sub-continent is home to 1.5 billion people. They mostly follow Hindu or Muslim religion, but despite a concerted effort by the Church from Rome only about 2% of population could be converted
Side cars for motorcycle were almost a rage at the turn of the last century. They were in great demand for almost 5 decades, before their use petered down. They are now obselete
Fredrick was a naval officer who left the navy in 1830 to write books. He wrote prodigiously and his book 'Children of the New Forrest' is still being read.
Artwork display is enhanced with Matting. A plain work of art will not have the same effect as art with matting. The best method to go about showcasing matting is to use your genius .
Annie John is a novel by Jamaica Knkaid. Its a mirror of her life and is a lovely story of a young girl growing up from the age of ten to seventeen
Gwyneth Paltrow is a fine actress who has acted in 46 films. She has now taken to writing and has published a best seller on what foods to eat for good health
Bapsi Sidhwa is a Parsi woman writer from Islamic Pakistan. She has made it good as a writer of novels despite the restrictions on women. Her novel is an excellent of Parsi life in undivided India
Lloyd Jones is a writer from New Zealand , whose novel "Mr Pip" mixes reality and fantasy in a wonderful manner to relate an enticing tale
China has made great economic progress, but it is on a system that has denied equitable distribution of wealth and suppression of dissent. In that respect China as a super power is a myth
Toni Morrison is a black writer who has dispelled the notion spread by some white racists in America that eh Blacks have no intellect
The Goodwood race course at Chichester is one of the oldest race courses in England and has a prominent position in the annual racing calander
Gerda Klein is a American citizen who was born in Poland. She was imprisoned by the Nazi for being a Jew. She has written a personal account in the book 'All but My Life'
Sylvia Plath wrote only one novel The Bell Jar" but it won the Pulitzer Prize. She also wrote poetry. She committed suicide.
Bhagat Singh was a young revolutionary who was hanged in 1931 by the British. He had emerged as a serious threat to Gandhi's leadership and thus Gandhi lifted not a finger to save Bhagat
Prince Philip has just recovered from a UTI infection connected with his prostrate. he is 92 years old and the oldest surviving member of the Royal Family.
The Ashes have been played for more than 135 years since the first test in 1877. There have been many memorable episodes and making a choice is difficult
Andre-Marie Ampere was a great French scientist. He lived a tortuous life, but made significant contribution to the science of electrodynamics
Jaswant Singh has written an excellent book on the partition of India. he brings out a different personality of Jinnah and shows that partition could have been avoided
Philip Hammond is an upcoming Tory leader. He is rich and well to do and fits the image of a Tory. He is the Secretary of Defence
Dr Fidel Castro was a dictator of Cuba till 2006 when he handed power to his brother. He remains a great third world leader who has earned respect all over the world.
Duels are outdated in the 20th century, but a sniper duel at Stalingrad between a Russian and a German sniper is stuff that shapes legends
The Brothers Karamazov is regarded one of the greatest books ever written. Its a sag of love, sex, soul, violence and god in Russia.
Ann Patchett's novel Bel Canto is inspired by a real life incident in South America(Peru). She writes with flair and creates a thrilling tale
Cao Cao is considered one of China's greatest generals and won a string of victories. He lived during the Han dynasty almost 2000 years back
Nawaz Sharif of Pakistan has become Prime Minister for the third time. He was overthrown in his last two stints. He will now have to be careful as the army does not like him
John Dunne and Milton overlapped each other. They were the two greatest poets of the English language.
Intrusion is an important aspect in US law and flows from the first amendment. The constitution guarantees personal rights which are inviolable and allow the plaintiff to sue for damages
Pol Pot was communist leader of Cambodia. he remained in power with support from the USA and killed almost one third of the Cambodian populace. He never paid for his crimes and died in bed
Tea cups were introduced in the 19th century and many people collect them as a hobby
Anna Boch was a Belgian painter who died in 1936. She painted prodigiously and has left a permanent mark on the art field in Belgium
Edmonia Lewis was an Afro American sculptress who made a name for herself in 19th century when Blacks and coloreds were discriminated against.
Guilio Douhet was a great thinker. Though some of his theories are not valid, yet he remains a pillar of air power
The First Fleet is a unique event in maritime history
The Laws of Manu were the basis of Hindu Jurisprudence for almost 4000 years. The crime of rape was not recognized in Hindu law
Jawaharlal Nehru is like a holy cow in India and criticizing Nehru is akin to Blasphemy. But now after nearly 5 decades of his death there are many objective writers who are researching and the sad fact comes out that Nehru created insurmountable...
Jihad is an important word in Muslim doctrine. It is now interpreted unambigiusly as afight against non-believers. It is a step to the setting up of an Islamic caliphate across Asia, Africa and Europe
Guru Gobind was a great warrior who coined the word saint sipahi( warrior). He created the militant Khalsa in 1699 to fight the Mughals.
There have been widespread killings in America with guns. Schools and universities have been targeted and the death toll has mounted. There is a call to have some form of gun control and if necessary modify the second amendment. President Obama has...
History is a peculiar combination of a record of wars and its effects. It also affected the dress worn at that time. One dress that is so common among the men and women of the North West Frontier and Punjab is the Shalwar Kameez. It consists of a...
The aircraft carrier is an imposing ship. Ever since Douhet propounded his theory of airpower as the decisive force in warfare, the aircraft carrier is recognized as the most authentic exponent of Douhet’s principle of air war fare. After 1947...
The paintings of Raja Ravi Varma, the painter from Kerala show Draupadi the canter piece of the Mahabharata as a very beautiful woman. The epic written by the poet Vyasa in 4000 BC paints a very alluring picture of Draupadi. She was reported to...
Mali to most people in the world outside Africa is an obscure place. Not many are interested to know what is happening there. It is a remote land locked country, but its importance is tremendous. This country could well be the launch pad of an...
The Congo was for long a colony of Belgium. The Belgians occupied the Congo and unlike the British Raj which brought tangible benefits for India and the Indian people, the Belgians in contrast did nothing for the African population in the Congo....
Polygamy was part of society for almost 3000 years, but now except for some Islamic nations Polygamy is not in vogue, but that has not stopped men from having sex outside marriage
Th Indian tiger is a ferocious beast and in case he turns a man eater is a formidable adversery
Hinduism is a complex religion. It believes in one god and at the same time is also polytheist. This may appear as a dichotomy to a foreign observer but Hinduism is a deep philosophy that is not easy to understand. Hinduism talks of the Supreme...
Guru Nanak traveled to Mecca in 1499 and also to Baghdad and the Middle East. With the rise of Muslim fundamentalism his travels are obliterated,but now some Gurudwaras are restored
The wild west is a part of American folklore and popular the world over. Hollywood has cashed on this and produced some lovely films that have brought the wild west alive
A B-grade movie made by an American came into prominence due to he bigotry of some people. The movie which deserved to go in the trash can received undue importance.
Sex is part of the human race. It sustains creation with pleasure. Scientists have opined that Good Sex is almost like a treadmill exercise and has similar effects. It increases blood rate to the heart and the entire system gets toned up. Scientists...
Essay is generally considered the backbone of a language and the same is with English. It has been defined by many scholars which can gleaned from various text books on literature. Whatever the definition, the fact is that an essay is a personal...
In 1958 an Indian Air Force Canberra Mark I took off from an Indian Air base. It was a Photo reconnaissance version of the Canberra and was fitted with long range cameras. The entire flight was planned in the holy month of Ramadan in the hope...
Lust is a word that means intense or unrestrained sexual craving. Sometimes the word does look vulgar or coarse but it defines a mindset that is dictated by desire and temptation. All over India and Pakistan the one fact that stands out is the...
Tibet was a buffer state between India and China during the days of the Raj. However after Mao tse Tung won his war against Chiang kai Shek in 1949 he turned his attention to Tibet. In 1950, 40,000 troops of the Peoples Liberation army invaded...
The Hudood ordinance was promulgated by General Zia Ul Haq to appease the Muslim hardliners. It was a draconian ordinance that took away many rights enshrined in the Pakistan Penal Code 1860.
Every man dreams of a lovely, fair and auburn or golden hair girl. Man also has an inane desire to try for a relationship with someone exotic; maybe a mystery woman.. This desire to an extant is catered to by . Anastasia web. This site showcases...
The Raj was one factor in Indian history, which has no parallel. It was in some ways a benign rule and some ways an autocratic rule wher the British rulers were the sahibs. Not withstanding this, what ever we see from Mumbai Central station, tothe...
The elephant was part of Hindu armies for almost 6000 years. The Greeks first faced the elephants of Porus and were suitably impressed.
Aurangzeb is much maligned as a temple breaker and also as a man who persecuted Hindus and imposed the Jizzia tax. Perhaps we cannot context these points, but we must remember that he was a man with a religious zeal and many of the commanders in his...
India is a land of contrasts, at one end we have modern cities like Bombay and Delhi and at the other end is the lawless land of Central India. This area crisscrossed by ravines and deep gorges is home to the dacoits and gangs led by Daku’s...
The pig is a common animal. It is found in fair abundance in all continents of the world. The meat of the pig which is usually referred to as pork is eaten all over the world except in the Islamic countries. Generally religions can be classified as...
Many of us are envious of a colleague or another man known to you escorting a lovely girl on his arm. This element of envy is usually with men known to you. One is not really bothered to see an unknown man escorting a beautiful girl other than an...
Manmohan Singh has been a Prime Minister who achieved dubious distinction as leading a nation without a following and is a historical aberration as he presided over the most corrupt regime ever
Lahore was the number one city of India before partition. The Hindu Sikh population then was 48%, but it is now less than 0.5%. it is an old city but some how seems to be going to seed
Nirad C Chaudhury is generally recognized as the original Indian great writer in English. Now we have Kushwant Singh and Salman Rushdie who are Indian writers to the core, but the original master of the English language is Nirad C Chaudhuri. Many...
The Muslim Pir in Mumbai is a man with supernatural powers. It is ESP, but he can change the course of an event in a followers life
Operation Gran Slam was Pakistan's plan to capture Kshmir in 1965. The plan failed for a number of reasons the principle being that the principles of War as eneunciated by Clasusewitz were not followe.
The Taj Mahal Hotel facing the Gateway of India is the first thing travelers used to see when they alighted at Ballard pier close to the Gateway of India. The Gateway of India is an imposing structure built to honor the visit to India of the Prince...
I rarely venture to the cinema hall or multiplex to see a movie which is advertised with a poster of a man holding a gun. I don’t like violence and I felt after seeing the advertised hoardings of ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’ that it would be a film...
Islam is the second great religion in terms of followers in the world, yet I am not sure that people have really understood what Islam says. Islam recognizes that the Koran is the word of God. I accept this belief in the Koran as the word of God and...
Dogs are faithful animals and it is not without reason that they are referred to as Mans best friends. On dog has carved a niche for itself in the annals of the Indian army. He was a Labrador named Rex. The dog is now no more but that is all the...
The Parsi temple and place of disposal of the dead is often referred to as the Tower of Silence. One of the most significant Tower of Silence is in Mumbai. It is situated on prime land at Malabar hill. The man responsible for coining the word...
India was not a manufacturing hub for any type of Motorcycles before 1947. During the days of the British Raj a few assorted motorcycles which were imported from England were used by the British Indian army. They were mostly the Triumph and the BSA....
MS Pujji was a Sikh who flew for RAF during World War II. Subsequently he settled in England and expired in 2010.
The US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta in a recent address to a conclave at Singapore brought home the fact that by 2020 the US would be transferring 80% of its fleet to the Asia Pacific region. Leon Panetta is credited with the view that the China...
Black magic is a word heard by almost all people; though very few are aware of the nuances involved. It actually means to please the devil that is the reverse of God. These black arts date to ancient times and many are laced with religion. These are...
Guru Gobind Singh was the 10th Sikh Guru. He created the Khalsa as a potent force to fight for the rights of the non Muslims in the Punjab. He was also a great warrior and poet
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was a fire brand politician of Pakistan. He was a junior minister during the term of general Ayub Khan and later became foreign minister of Pakistan under General Yahiya Khan. Bhutto was in some respects a megalomaniac and his...
Maharajah Bhupinder Singh of Patiala spent much of his time seducing women and selecting the most beautiful for his palace. He ascended the throne in 1900 at the age of 9 after approval was given by the Viceroy the 4th earl of Minto. The maharajah...
Democracy and capitalism go hand in hand. The democracy as envisaged by Abe Lincoln is a thing of the past as modern democratic election are all about corporates and money power.
The Winchester rifle is a hallowed name in American gun history. It is a name associated with the Wild West, an era that has no parallel in the world. One of the weapons manufactured by the Winchester Company was the .351 Self Loading Rifle. This...
India is passing through a critical period. The Congress party which has ruled much of the period after independence has brought the country to the nadir with corruption seeming an endless factor. In contrast one expected the BJP (Bhartiya Janta...
The USA is recognized as the bastion of freedom and that boils down to owning and using a gun as well. The USA is perhaps the only country in the world where it is extremely easy to own a gun, why some states also allow you to own a machine gun....
The clock has turned full circle as the USA exits Afghanistan. The United States has thus suffered a strategic defeat. It is a moot point whether the USA should have shown the will to fight AL Qaeda
Muslim girls have dominated the Hindi screen for over 70 years. The Muslim heroines have done away with Islamic trappings and have shown they are a liberated breed.
On 25thMarch 2012, a 33 year old Pakistani woman Fakhra Younnus committed suicide in Rome by jumping from her apartment. Fakhra died but her tale points to an extremely insecure existence for women in Pakistan. Twelve years back Fakhra’s ex...
The killing of a black by a white is a non event in the USA and has been going on for over 2 centuries. However now the Black is not accepting this racial inequality
I write this post with a heavy heart as a nationalist one cannot condone the thinking of the political leadership which in turn rubs off on the Army. I underwent the 41st Staff course at wellington. One of the exercise as part of the curriculum is a...
The Indian Army Act 1950 is a revised version of the earlier Indian Army act of 1911 passed by the Governor General and applied to the British Indian army. This act in turn was based on the ‘Indian articles of war 1869’ One of the important...
The Middle East is in ferment with the Sunni ISIS winning in Iraq. Iran is non plussed and not happy as it detracts from its primary aim of destroying israel.
The game of rivalry and terrorism has over taken the Indian nation and perhaps has caught the Indian security agencies napping. On 13 Feb 2012 a car (Toyota Innova) carrying the wife of an Israeli diplomat who was returning after dropping her...
After the demise of the Libyan regime of Gaddafi, there was talk that the next target would be Syria where a similar uprising had commenced. In fact the British Prime Minister had hinted about this as well. But that was some months back and nothing...
Syria is in the middle of a civil war. But Assad has a backer in Russia, which Gaddafi never had. This may be the clue to his survival.
Man Mohan Singh has completed 10 years as Prime Minister of India. These have been years that have seen massive inflation, corruption and slide of India's standing in the world.
Nawaz Shariff has come to power with a thumping mandate. Yet the Pakistan army is not comfortable with him , especially as he has put his old enemy general Musharaff on trial for treason.
General Pervez Musharraf became President 1999 in a military coup. He was a good president, but megalomania took hold of him and his last 2 years were chaotic.
The refrain all over Israel and the west is that ‘we must prevent Iran from going nuclear’. The fears may or may not be unfounded, but the dread is real as there is a general perception that Iran may nuke Israel and later on the USA (If it...
The Start The Second World War ended in 1945 by the dropping of two Atomic Bombs on Japan. This feat itself needs scrutiny and is the start of the decline of the West. Japan, it has been conclusively proved was a defeated nation at the start of...
Introduction The end of the Second World War saw the rise of two super powers the USA and the USSR. The USA feeling a morbid fear of communism decided to contain the Soviet ejmpire. They thus set up defense pacts all around the Soviet Union. One...
America is a society at the cross roads. At one end, it is being besieged by Muslim radicals who have vowed to destroy the ‘great Satan’ meaning the USA and at the other end a significant number of blacks and a small number of whites have...
Turkey is a predominant Muslim state that straddles the narrow straits of Bosphorus and is thus a part of both Europe and Asia, making it a Eurasian power. After the spread of Islam, Turkey became a sultanate and the Ottoman Empire was established...
Chandragupta was a great warrior and he loved a Greek princess Helen, the daughter of the Greek emperor Seleucus
I first entered the Military academy and the day commenced with our reading a quote ‘If you sweat in peace, you will bleed less in war’ this about summed up the back ground of the training, which was tough. One of the regimens was learning to...
Manmohan Singh has been prime minister for 10 years in a period in which he lowered India's prestige as well as presided over the biggest financial scandals ever in India.
The trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva form the bedrock of Hindu religious thought. These are the exalted deities, but there are some less exalted deities or gods that have also a great effect on Hindu philosophy. One of these deities is Lord...
Man Mohan Singh is a well known economist who entered politics. He joined the Congress party despite it having massacred Sikhs. He failed even as an economic messiah as poverty has risen greatly.
The Indian National Army is supposed to have fought for Indian Independence with decisive results. Many Indians have some romantic notions of the INA as a creation of Subhas Chandra Bose the fiery Indian nationalistic leader who had sided with the...
There are so many war movies created by Hollywood that if one were to make a selection of the greatest war movie of all time, would be indeed a difficult task. However after sifting through the various movies churned out by Hollywood , the movie...
The USA is finally going to withdraw from Afghanistan. Its been a long and difficult war and the objectives are not attained. The retreat from Afghanistan could well create a situation like Iraq
The original movie ‘Murder’ was a hit and was tribute to the direction of Mahesh Bhatt. He has now followed up with a sequel to that movie titled ‘Murder 2’. The movie 'Murder2' as the name suggests is a crime thriller from the stable of the...
India has been playing test cricket since 1932, when India played its first test match at Lords in England against the MCC. All these years a number of batsmen have made their appearance and many have a left a lasting impact on the game. One can...
Marriage is considered a sacred rite in Hinduism right from ancient times as specified in the ancient Hindu texts, the Purana’s. Ancient texts specify many forms of marriages. One form of marriage was the Swayamvara. This form of marriage was very...
Astrology is not considered an exact science by scientists as they feel there are too many variables in it. However Astrology commands a wide following all over the world and some astrologers have made uncanny forecasts that defy rationale. In this...