We used to call him kurta-pyjama when I knew him. Partly because of his name but largely because of the resemblance he bore to the big, floppy, creased and usually soiled garment so typical of e...
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They say one lives and learns. Last thursday I certainly did. I had been invited by the Ved Vyas D.A.V. Public School in Vikas Puri to answer questions from their four thousand school kids. Know...
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There’s a question which I am repeatedly asked and which today I shall attempt to answer. It’s not always asked as a compliment. More often than not it’s a simple but sure kic...
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Dictators can be fascinating. This is partly because of the absolute power they possess but also because of their personalities. Only truly extraordinary people end up in such situations.

The Indian government in one of its periodic fits of self-righteousness is not an edifying sight. On such occasions it makes an issue of a subject of limited importance and then parades itself a...
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We all know which is the most polluted city in the world or the most expensive or even the most dangerous. That’s the sort of detail the papers never fail to give us. But have you any idea...
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As you will shortly discover I am in London. My visit has coincided with that of the Chinese President. His has been more ceremonial but mine has been more enjoyable. Yet there is one area where...
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After the heat and dust, the toil and struggle of the campaign, what are politicians like when the results start coming in? This question is only worth asking because the answer is revealing. Act...
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Would I kiss a woman when I greet her? Yes or, to be honest, usually. In actual fact it depends on her appearance. But don’t misunderstand me : I don’t mean her looks but something f...
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What is it that makes some people special? It could be their looks, intelligence, wit, charm or just their magnetic presence. But in the case of a man I met last week – a man you all know of an...
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