Sonali Gosh Sen Delhi
JANUARY 2016
December 2015- January 2016
Cover Story and Featured Stories
India’s border with Bangladesh is the fifth longest in the world and the epicentre of a vibrant cow trade, which is spawning its own politics of hate
Sadiq Naqvi and Jasnea Sarma Dhubri/Guwahati
Punjab is faced with a serious crisis. Drugs have become synonymous with the business and political classes. Narcotics are coming in, and a multibillion-crore-rupee international cartel is sending them out as well
Abeer Kapoor Delhi
The problem with authorities in countries that the Rohingyas seek asylum in is that they consider them economic migrants and a threat to security
Sucharita Sengupta Kolkata
I watch Quantico every week so you don’t have to
Sonali Ghosh Sen Kolkata
Shireen Azam Delhi
The departure of Rehmatullah Nabil, as the head of Afghan intelligence, brings to the fore the internal rift within the government on the issue of ties with Pakistan
Sadiq Naqvi Delhi
A recently made documentary film shows refugees who left for Europe desperate to return home to Syria
Dr Waiel Awwad Delhi
More Stories from this Issue
Since the peak of June 2014, the price of oil has plummetted by about 70%. At the time when the price was in the vicinity of $140 per barrel, no one really believed it could ever come down. So-called oil experts talked about “peak oil” theory and how the petroleum reserves were dwindling and so the price of oil would never fall below $100 per barrel. Think-tanks that put out regular updates scared people by saying a barrel of Brent crude could cost about $200. This was a scary scenario for consumers, but music to those economies that live off commodities.
The most important thing we learnt in 2015 is that the BJP is very, very special. It’s so special that rules that apply to other parties do not apply to it at all. This party is a gift from the gods (only Hindu gods, mind you) and anyone who thinks otherwise will be banished to Pakistan. The Ministry of External Affairs will do all the irritating paperwork, I assume, and we’ll get a grand send-off – shoes will be hurled at us which is a good thing because we can set up shoe shops as soon as we arrive.
Muharram is long over but the memory of that month of the Islamic calendar continues to play on the mind. The mourning rituals witnessed in Lucknow during these months in remembrance of the martyrdom in the seventh century of Husain, grandson of Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam, once again raised questions of rationality in this day and age.
Our intelligence agencies should develop the ability to crunch the metadata to prevent subversion of our plural society
Sanjay Kapoor Delhi
The continuing agitation against the three Bills passed by the Assembly and the nine deaths in securitymen’s firing has brought together the tribal groups
Akshay Sharma Delhi