Cover Stories

The PM and the Phantom

A decade of political dominance was meant to replace the Nehruvian era. Instead, Nehru remains the indispensable reference point of Modi's India—invoked, denounced and resurrected in almost every ma

Fr. Gaurav Nair Fr. Gaurav Nair
15 Jun 2026

Twelve Years of Rule that Inflicted Irreversible Damage on India

Twelve years after Narendra Modi assumed office, critics argue that the gravest damage lies not in any single policy failure but in the weakening of democratic institutions, constitutional norms and p

G Ramachandram G Ramachandram
15 Jun 2026

Articles

After I reached this place on May 27, 1964, I have generally kept away from writing letters. Old habits, however, die hard. My daughter is here, and so are my grandsons. None of us knows you personall

A. J. Philip A. J. Philip
15 Jun 2026

As an educator committed to improving the quality of education in our country, I am writing this open letter to draw your attention to issues that require urgent intervention. I trust these concerns w

Albert Rayan Albert Rayan
15 Jun 2026

The greatest threat to religion today is not atheism but its politicisation and commercialisation. When faith is used to divide, hate and dominate, it becomes a mockery of itself. True religion begins

Jacob Peenikaparambil Jacob Peenikaparambil
15 Jun 2026

Once the BJP leader who proudly defended his right to eat beef, Kiren Rijiju now stands accused of dismissing minority anxieties as propaganda. His evolution reflects the growing distance between cons

John Dayal John Dayal
15 Jun 2026

India's invisible care economy rests on the unpaid labour of millions of women. The Supreme Court has recognised homemakers as nation builders; the challenge now is to support, value, and invest in ca

Jaswant Kaur Jaswant Kaur
15 Jun 2026

A court that recognises a constitutional danger yet permits the process to proceed cannot remain outside the story. As allegations of mass disenfranchisement grow, the focus of political and constitut

Oliver D'Souza Oliver D'Souza
15 Jun 2026

As hate, violence and greed become the new normal, the Sacred Heart of Jesus challenges us to live differently. Its message of fire, forgiveness, fearlessness, freedom and fraternity remains the most

Cedric Prakash Cedric Prakash
15 Jun 2026

You mark us by our labour. Hindu scriptures call us We were born From feet, From dirt, From sin.

Dr Suryaraju Mattimalla Dr Suryaraju Mattimalla
15 Jun 2026

A few years from now, while the old political warriors are wondering what embarrassing nickname has been invented for them, the cockroaches may still be crawling steadily forward, quietly having the l

Robert Clements Robert Clements
15 Jun 2026

The battle over cattle is no longer merely about faith or food. It is about whether farmers can survive, whether livestock retains economic value and whether symbolism can coexist with the hard realit

A. J. Philip A. J. Philip
08 Jun 2026

The real national emergency is not religion or identity but the betrayal of India's youth. While governments chase votes through division and spectacle, millions of young Indians confront unemployment

Jacob Peenikaparambil Jacob Peenikaparambil
08 Jun 2026

At the Red Fort, Amit Shah transformed a so-called cultural gathering into a declaration of intent: tribal identity belongs within the Hindu fold. For two crore Adivasi Christians, the rally signalled

John Dayal John Dayal
08 Jun 2026

The controversy surrounding ILBS goes beyond one tragic death. It raises concerns about the VIP culture, commercialisation, unequal access and institutional accountability in a public healthcare syste

Joseph Maliakan Joseph Maliakan
08 Jun 2026

The 1851 novel by one of the best English novelists of all time, Charles Dickens, levelling a poignant critique of industrialisation and utilitarianism in England, attempted to present the dehumanisin

Julian S Das Julian S Das
08 Jun 2026

The sun rises But does not touch us first. Roosters in the non-Dalit yards Crow before we are allowed To open our doors.

Dr Suryaraju Mattimalla Dr Suryaraju Mattimalla
08 Jun 2026

Marco Rubio had a tough time in India trying to respond to questions about Donald Trump's "hellholes" remark regarding India and China. Did Rubio describe the statement as "stupid," or was he referrin

Thomas Menamparampil Thomas Menamparampil
08 Jun 2026

The white-bearded village chief and his bald-headed deputy stood at the edge of the village where nobody would overhear them. They had chosen the spot carefully because of Pegasus, the invisible flyin

Robert Clements Robert Clements
08 Jun 2026

It is not surprising that India has been lukewarm to Pope Leo XIV's Encyclical on Artificial Intelligence. The Pope has warned that Artificial Intelligence threatens to normalise an "anti-human vision

John Dayal John Dayal
01 Jun 2026

What began as a "special revision" of electoral rolls has evolved into something far more unsettling: a test of who truly belongs in the Republic. By upholding the Election Commission's powers while o

A. J. Philip A. J. Philip
01 Jun 2026

Two newly elected governments, two sharply different visions of India. While West Bengal's new BJP regime signals majoritarian assertion and ideological confrontation, Kerala's UDF government projects

Jacob Peenikaparambil Jacob Peenikaparambil
01 Jun 2026

As concern for climate change and environmental destruction grows, the deeper crisis of "human ecology" is often ignored. From family breakdown to abortion and demographic imbalance, the defence of hu

Bp Gerald John Mathias Bp Gerald John Mathias
01 Jun 2026

A movement born from mockery of unemployed youth now commands millions, headlines, and political panic. But beneath the cockroach memes and anti-establishment spectacle lies a deeper question haunting

Oliver D'Souza Oliver D'Souza
01 Jun 2026

India's rise cannot be measured by GDP, expressways, or digital ambition alone. A Republic becomes truly developed only when constitutional promises translate into dignity, employment, equality, justi

Jaswant Kaur Jaswant Kaur
01 Jun 2026

"If an untouchable marries a non-Dalit girl, then he must be put to death. If untouchable commits adultery with a Hindu woman, then he is to be burned alive" (Matsya Purana, 227.131; Vaishtha Grhyasut

Dr Suryaraju Mattimalla Dr Suryaraju Mattimalla
01 Jun 2026

My lifelong passion is cricket, and in more recent times, the political world has become an obsession, not joyful as with cricket, but born of a profound anxiety about the state of the world. Given su

Mathew John Mathew John
01 Jun 2026

The saddest part is that twenty-two lakh students studied honestly. Millions of parents worried honestly. Teachers taught honestly. Yet a handful of dishonest people have managed to drag one of the co

Robert Clements Robert Clements
01 Jun 2026

India's political summer is witnessing impulsive governance, bulldozer crackdowns, and inflammatory rhetoric symbolised by "cockroaches." From hurried populism to selective demolitions and anti-minori

Julian S Das Julian S Das
25 May 2026

India's discomfort with a Norwegian cartoon and European questions about press freedom expose the erosion of democratic accountability. The issue is not foreign criticism, but a leadership culture tha

A. J. Philip A. J. Philip
25 May 2026

Amid the BJP's growing dominance and the weakening of opposition forces, Kerala's UDF victory under VD Satheesan offers Congress a rare chance to build a secular, employment-driven governance model ro

Jacob Peenikaparambil Jacob Peenikaparambil
25 May 2026

In his message for World Communications Day, Pope Leo XIV urges communicators to preserve human voices and faces amid AI's growing influence. He warns against technological dehumanisation and challeng

Cedric Prakash Cedric Prakash
25 May 2026

Strikes and protests are vital democratic tools in India, but the Mahila Morcha's KSRTC protest before Kerala's new government assumed office was marked by legal ignorance and political theatrics. Ele

Jijo Thomas Placheril Jijo Thomas Placheril
25 May 2026

Punjab's new sacrilege law, introduced by the Bhagwant Mann government, creates sweeping non-bailable offences that could intimidate converts, minorities, scholars, and ordinary citizens while deepeni

John Dayal John Dayal
25 May 2026

If the Chandala, i.e., untouchable, hears the Veda, then molten lead must be poured into his ears; if he recites the Veda, then his tongue should be cut off; if he memorises Veda, then his body must b

Dr Suryaraju Mattimalla Dr Suryaraju Mattimalla
25 May 2026

Donald Trump went to Beijing like a wounded soldier, seeking attention and assistance after his Iran misadventure, and returned almost empty-handed after what seemed an eager shopping expedition. He c

Thomas Menamparampil Thomas Menamparampil
25 May 2026

For the first time in years, the cockroaches may actually seem like a refreshing change from the polished hypocrites and well-dressed impostors who have crawled through our political system pretending

Robert Clements Robert Clements
25 May 2026