You told me I was less than you. Enemy of the people. You robbed my sun, dimmed my stars, took away my moon. Left me adrift; I knew not how to sail to the future. You told me I was less than you. Brown skin shimmering in the light, dark eyes searching. I read a poem: Try to praise the mutilated world. I stood on … Continue reading Enemy of the people
When is the last time I cried over the death of a public figure or a politician? I can’t remember, really. Perhaps it was when Indira Gandhi was assassinated. I was young then and mourned the woman I had idolized in childhood. Beyond politics, she served as a role model for Indian girls of my generation.
Last night, I cried when I heard the news that John Lewis had lost his battle with pancreatic cancer. I grieved the death of a tireless fighter for freedom and justice. Continue reading “The word ‘hero’ is overused but it’s truly fitting for John Lewis”
Women will be key in Tuesday’s mid-term elections. I joined colleagues Ann O’Neill and Jessica Ravitz in reporting what women want from three battleground states. Check it out on CNN here: http://cnn.it/1oat8DM [voterinfotool] Continue reading It's about the women, stupid!
India now has a 29th state. Telangana. It was six decades in the making, the fruit of a strong separatist movement that argued neglect by successive governments and finally succeeded in breaking off a chunk of land from Andhra Pradesh. The man who once went on a hunger strike in defense of Telangana, K. Chandrashekar Rao, became its first chief minister Monday. The celebrations began Sunday … Continue reading No longer one
By Friday afternoon, everything should become clear. Who did more than 500 million voters choose to lead India? India’s day of reckoning is here. Election results will be announced soon. All week, there has been so much speculation and interpretation of exit polls that my head is spinning. By all guesses, Narendra Modi of the Bharatiya Janata Party will become the next prime minister of … Continue reading India's day of reckoning
Today was the last day of polling in India’s mammoth parliamentary elections. Five weeks of voting; Nine polling days; 814 million eligible voters; 543 Lok Sabha (lower House) seats. From all the exit polling I’ve seen, it looks like the worst loss ever for the Indian National Congress, the party of Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi that for so many years led an independent India. … Continue reading Looking like change in India
I just read a CNN-IBN report on the Devyani Khobragade episode that made me squirm. “Devyani’s arrest,” the report said, “has rattled the Indian Diplomatic Corps. “It is forcing the government to hit back at the U.S. According to Indian diplomats serving in the Western countries, paying lesser than what is actually on official papers is a common practice among the Indian diplomats. They claim … Continue reading Cat fight between homeland and home
