Cultural Symbols and Platforms

Often the dhaba is described as Punjab's answer to the French bistro. But the dhaba plays a more substantial role than being a mere eatery. In India this culinary institution serves a socioeconomic purpose...

read more..

 Poll campaigns, politicians and public ire

let us not forget that we are a democracy and there are very effective, constitutional methods for registering our ire against government's policies and actions...

read more..

 Kabaddi is not the cure for drug addiction

Feudalism is alive and kicking in Punjab. The sixty odd years of socialistic policies and emphasis on egalitarianism has hardly made a dent on the Punjabi mindset. This thought assailed one's mind while watching the Kabaddi World Cup (!!!) on PTC News. Anchors and invitees missed no chance of singing hymns in praise of the presiding deity Sukhbir Singh Badal, who was invariably present with his consort, along with the retinue comprising courtiers and nobility from the state's Akali-BJP pantheon. There were film stars and dancers performing in the improvised durbar, with minions fawning all over him at every available opportunity. Even the modest kabaddi grounds reminded of the Roman Empire amphitheatres wherein gladiators fought for the pleasure of the Potentate...

read more..

 Youth, women & nation building

Endeavors need to be made to find out why our youth prefer to slave in inhuman conditions abroad to working in Punjab..

read more..

 Waiting for Punjabi Godot

Punjabi television and cinema lack skills in content management and human resource development. Only committed persons with vision can remove these deficiencies. Will the Punjabi entertainment industry's wait for Godot ever end?

read more..

 Television versus literature

It is true that most of the private channels are cashing in on popular demand for westernized music by selling airtime to various music companies. Naturally, editorial scrutiny is given a goby and the product’s quality suffers.

read more..

 Seeking out amusement

Audiences expect a stand-up comic to provide a steady stream of mirth and a performer is always under great pressure to deliver.

read more..

 Bizarre and untenable

Debates on The Sikh Marriage Act and the withdrawal of notification on Sehajdhari Sikhs generated heat but no light.

read more..

 Anna: agony and anodyne

It was observed that the Anna Hazare phenomenon owes its genesis to an abject abdication by the UPA-II government...

read more..

 Cops, crime and social conscience

How does one go about reforming the Punjab Police and make it accountable? To discuss the issue the panel had Dr. GS Aujla the ex-DGP of Punjab, Jagdish Singh Sran the ex-DIG (intelligence wing) of Punjab Police and Satinder Bains a journalist.

read more..

 Love and politics in Sawan

With the possibility of elections being held in December there is a sense of urgency to ensure a level playing field.

read more..

 IIFA awards, officers and scams

Glam quotient of the IIFA Awards function in Toronto was considerably diluted because the Bachchan family was missing. But there were other stars like Shahrukh Khan, Bipasha Basu, Dia Mirza, Anupam Kher, Chunky Pandey to lend éclat to the proceedings.

read more..

 Highlighting Punjab's Rural Lifestyle

...Several experts claim that phulkari has roots in Iran's gulkari art of embroidery, which has flowery motifs. According to several scholars and folklorists this craft came from Central Asia when tribes from there migrated to the Subcontinent...

read more..

 The influence of values

In fact corruption has been the flavor of the season, as far as the electronic media is concerned.

read more..

 Corruption conundrums

So what can khafa people do? Recall their elected representatives?

read more..

 Remembering Bhai Puran Singh

...his most valuable contribution is the institution of Pingalwara that looks after the poor, the diseased and the physically and mentally handicapped. Unlike Mother Teresa Puran did not have global support and funding but his service to the downtrodden has been glorious.

read more..

 Scanning the TV news channels

Punjabi television has been reasonably efficacious as watchdog, but its attempts at becoming an arbitrator between the government and the governed have not been so impressive

read more..

 Predictable Politicians

All that is predictable is not necessarily trivial

read more..

 The Power of Ideas

Every aspect of our life is driven by ideas. Of course, not all ideas are original...

read more..

 Remembering Sahir

His poetry added to the cerebral quotient of Hindi cinema's content.

read more..

1  2  3  4  >>