The Greatest Hindu King - A Translation and Analysis of Maratha Fury and Shivaji

To me, he appears similar to Robert Clive, who took every advantage of acquiring/ winning territory. Obviously you cannot grudge him his place in history as an empire builder from scratch.

Beyond that he was just an ordinary person like we all are.

Reinventing Pakistan: The Rise of The Left
I believe societies are either in flux or equilibrium. Western Societies are in relative stable equilibrium due to numerous safely valves built into there system even then there are pockets which are in taut equilibrium such as areas where Mafia has large influence etc. India, even though a democracy, is not in such a stable equilibrium. Actually some parts are in a highly taut equilibrium therefore unstable and it manifests in snapping of that equilibrium now and then in Naxal violence or separatist movements etc.

Saturation Mullaism on one hand and Military leadership keeping eye over civilian rule too has created serious tension in Pakistani society, which should have led to taut equilibrium but elements cannot be kept in a state of tension indefinitely as creep tends to make tense situation as normal situation. In this context I am relieved that there is no violent snapping of equilibrium instead there appears a gradual shift towards more stability in Pakistan. This is a highly desirable situation.

Reinventing Pakistan: The Rise of The Left
I read the whole piece, am still searching which indicator suggests ‘The Left’ is making inroads. All I noticed is that plain commonsense is slowly replacing reflex response and I think this is a very good sign.

The glass after all is half full!

Reinventing Pakistan: The Rise of The Left
If somebody says ``glass is half full`` because The Left has made inroads in Pakistani psyche, I am a little confused. Shouldn’t it be ``the glass is half empty``?

I would like to know where in its entire history, The Left has done any good?

Remembering Munish

It is eerie that always the good fellows are devoured by probability.

A Muslim Pope? Re: # 23

Not in competitive sense though but I am proud of Indian Muslims and they could give Pakistanis run for their money. The best actors are Indian Muslims, the best classical singers and music composers are Indian Muslims and of course the best modern painters are also Indian Muslims. Some topnotch scientists are Indian Muslims and the richest resident Indian is also an Indian Muslim.

A Muslim Pope?
Maulana Sattar Edhi, deserves ‘Nobel’ prize not ‘Noble’ prize. It is named after Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel. Though, I wonder which Nobel Prize, the one for Peace? Peace Nobel is highly politicized therefore has completely lost its aura. Look at some of the winners....
Yasser Arafat( all his pictures have a revolver stuck to his belt), Simon Peres, Ronald Reagan..., I wonder why Idi Amin wasn’t chosen

The Indifferent Sikh Ally,freethinker, mannyd, amansandhu,abskii,salim_chauhan,kaalchakra,.....


You are right kaalchakra. Everyone looks at a narrative from his particular perch and what he sees may not conform to narrator’s perspective. However that should not be the reason for avoiding the fact. If Kuldip was Sikh there is nothing anyone can do about it. Some have already made their judgement “Good riddance”, some are amused and some quite indifferent. That’s the way it always happens.

What however lingers is intelligent, clear headed comments of fellow humans. Thanks!

The Indifferent Sikh Re: # 33

I don`t get this?

``And please, let`s quit using Sikhs in an `incidental` manner. That is/can be quite offensive, even when one doesn`t mean to offend. ``

Kuldip was such a person that if he were a Hindu Brahmin and felt like eating beef he would have done that with the `Janeu` on and if a band of Hindu zealots had confronted him, he would have thrown the Janeu on their faces. In this sense it was symbolic. He was the last person to have made distinction between beef and any other meat.

The Indifferent Sikh Re: # 24
Apparently some Sikhs are upset with the story, that wasn’t my intention. As I said earlier Kuldip’s being Sikh was incidental, merely symbolic. I believe and think Kuldip also believed that essence of Sikhism is in teachings of Guru Nanak, not in symbols. Symbols have a tendency to overwhelm us and become the essence of our faith. Does any one think Guru Gobind Singh would have approved Sikhs fighting court cases all over the world to spare Sikhs from wearing helmets or insisting on carrying Kirpans everywhere regardless of other individuals opinions. Smoking wasn’t such an issue in seventies, booze was, in that context Kudip’s observations are relevant.

Well I am not very good at translation, so loosely the sh’er mean:

First sh’er( couplet) would mean

Listen to me, for I have time in hand, who knows what may befell!
Lying dormant in my bosom are some restless stories.

And the last would be:

I fear the spell of sky may break
A pregnant question raking my mind

I give up. Some great poets are here who could do a much better job.

Perfidy, Qur’anic Apostasy or Hermeneutics? Re: # 21

Well said

Perfidy, Qur’anic Apostasy or Hermeneutics? Re: # 4

Sailen, you are wasting time here. Neither am I a Hindu. The smugness with which every faith holder argues superiority of his faith is appalling.

Perfidy, Qur’anic Apostasy or Hermeneutics?
This pathological obsession with Quran and Islam is a reflection of doubt and unease in faithfuls. It doesn`t concern the world what theoretical Islam is, practiced Islam is a real threat to the world. Just visualize for second all the Middle-East either as Christian or Buddhist, and see for yourself what a paradigm change in attitude you will note.

An Empire in the Making Re: # 146

Salim Sahib, parallel is out of context. Gujarat is tragic history, Iran is in dire straits.

The Indifferent Sikh Re: # 7

Guru Gobind Singh in goggles riding a motorbike! Awesome. That kid deserves Ig Nobel.

The Indifferent Sikh Re: # 2

Amazed but not surprised that even in this age of saturation media coverage some Americans can confuse a Sikh for snake charmer, thirty years earlier it must have been a common occurrence. However, Kuldip’s being Sikh was incidental, just a symbol. The point I am making was his ability to discard years of cultivated religio-cultural baggage at first inconvenience with minimal fuss. How many of us can do that? I would regard myself an agnostic rational, yet if beef is served to me, I would find it very difficult to ingest.