Columns

Political Column

Karunanidhi continues with pressure tactics

Battered by the public agitation over Pakistan-based Lakshar-e-Tayyiba's devastating 26-11 attack on Mumbai, the dilemma for the Congress government in New Delhi seems to be growing from the proportions of a political storm to one that of a cyclone.

5th Column

It’s easier to hedge my bets; so catch me if you can!

My Dear Minister Fowzie,

Situation Report

Troops make further gains in march to Kilinochchi

One of the misfortunes of the intelligence community worldwide is how their reported failures reach the public domain in large measure than their successes.There are many occasions when timely warnings have prevented assassinations, attacks and other catastrophe. However, in a service where the hallmark is secrecy, not all the instances become public knowledge.

Thoughts from London

Terrorism: More action less talk please

Some wag said that the acronym NATO stood for “No action talk only.” That is not really true. The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation which has expanded far beyond the dreams of its architects, has acted quite decisively in the former Yugoslavia and in Afghanistan, to mention just two instances.

The Economic Analysis

Food and fuel dependency: contrasting scenarios

The dependency of the country on food imports is often bemoaned and political rhetoric on the need to be self-sufficient in food is plentiful. On the other hand, policies to conserve fuel consumption are rarely heard of. Conversely, what we hear about is the need to reduce domestic prices of petroleum products in the local market.

Lobby

Hitching a ride on the military victory bandwagon

With the apparent successes of the military operations against the LTTE in the north, it is little wonder that many politicians want to portray themselves as strong supporters of the military effort and bask in the victories of the security forces.

Focus on Rights

Rendering the Presumption of Innocence to Naught

An unpleasant reality of the conflict that has prevailed in this country for decades is that suspects are presumed guilty virtually before they are tried for any offence.

Inside the glass house

Cluster-buster: Oslo pact a major triumph in disarmament drive

Pat Buchanan, a part-time columnist, a full-time political analyst and a two-time candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, once famously described the United States Congress as "Israeli-occupied territory" because of its overwhelming and unrelenting support for the Jewish state -- right or wrong.