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Karan Thapar is a super-looking genius who’s young, friendly, chatty and great fun to be with. He’s also very enjoyable to read.
Articles by Karan Thapar
Seditious hearts and mature democracies
Today, when we claim to be vishwaguru, leader of the Global South, deserving of a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council, does not this treatment of Arundhati Roy reveal a sad but inescapable truth about us?
Published on Jun 22, 2024 08:57 PM IST
How (not) to read market swings in the poll season
Suppose foreign investors had commissioned their own exit polls, which pointed in the same direction as those of the pollsters, wouldn’t it be legitimate for them to buy shares based on such information?
Published on Jun 16, 2024 12:11 PM IST
The old order changeth, yielding place to new?
The key question is can Modi, temperamentally and psychologically, adjust to the very different circumstances he now faces as PM?
Published on Jun 08, 2024 11:43 PM IST
Brotherhood of lapsed spies turned chroniclers
Covert doesn’t reveal the inner workings — leave aside secrets — of R&AW and ISI. Instead, it “explores the inner lives and motivations of spy chiefs …"
Published on Jun 02, 2024 12:02 AM IST
What questions to ask in an interview with a PM
What do I want to hear when I listen to interviews of a Prime Minister? After all, if the questions are asked on my behalf, what would my questions be?
Published on May 25, 2024 10:09 PM IST
What if TN Seshan were leading the EC today?
Imagine what Seshan would have done. He would have called out the PM, loudly, bluntly and unhesitatingly.
Published on May 18, 2024 11:35 PM IST
Listening to silence in the dance of language
It’s no secret that English is not a phonetic language. How you spell a word has little connection with how you pronounce it.
Published on May 11, 2024 10:07 PM IST
Addressing citizens in a secular democracy
We’ve travelled a long distance since the fifties and sixties. These days there’s nothing you would not expect of a politician
Published on May 04, 2024 10:00 PM IST
Using words to remake and reclaim the world
Unlike his earlier masterpieces, in his latest book, on the terrible attack that almost killed him, Salman Rushdie speaks directly to the reader.
Published on Apr 27, 2024 09:50 PM IST
In election season, saving politics from politicians
People may change and countries may differ but politicians and politics remain the same.
Published on Apr 20, 2024 10:07 PM IST
Manifesto promises to make Parliament work
What the Congress has promised needs to be delivered. For the good of our Parliament, our democracy and, beyond that, good governance.
Published on Apr 13, 2024 09:50 PM IST
Up and close: Ashok, the idol of my youth
Last week my cousin, Ashok Thapar, suddenly died. He was 15 years older but, in my teens and early twenties, he was an icon I sought to emulate.
Published on Apr 06, 2024 08:12 PM IST
A World War II story of misplaced panic, scare
Why hasn’t The Great Flap received the attention it deserves? The book has delightful tales to tell, none more amazing than what happened at Madras Zoo.
Published on Mar 30, 2024 10:00 PM IST
When Kandhamal cast a shadow over BJD-BJP ties
Naveen Patnaik's principled stand against BJP post-Kandhamal showcased his secular beliefs, ending a lengthy alliance.
Published on Mar 24, 2024 12:48 AM IST
Electoral bonds case casts SBI in a bad light
“The bank I knew would never have behaved the way SBI did last week. Its staff would have shrivelled at the rebuke from the Supreme Court.”
Published on Mar 16, 2024 10:00 PM IST
Retro-chaotic sleuth in a crumpled suit and tie
Have you ever considered how much a book can reveal about the author’s personality?
Published on Mar 09, 2024 10:00 PM IST
Outspoken, committed to doing the right thing
“Fali Nariman had a way of saying things that could be pertinent and pointed but never offensive or hurtful.”
Published on Mar 02, 2024 10:00 PM IST
MSP as subsidy for consumer, not farmer
When MSP is higher than the market price, private traders will refuse to buy, thus leaving farmers with unsold surpluses or forcing the government to step-in
Updated on Feb 26, 2024 11:09 AM IST
Caught in Mumbai, a spy who came in from China
Found by the police in Mumbai in May, with what appeared like Chinese writing on the reverse side of its wings, the pigeon was held in custody for eight months.
Published on Feb 17, 2024 10:11 PM IST
Why LK Advani is a truly special politician for me
The unhesitating willingness to accept a mistake is, perhaps, LK Advani’s greatest quality and immediately attracted me to him
Published on Feb 10, 2024 10:09 PM IST
Turncoats thrive in politics because voters allow them
Has Nitish Kumar brought into focus a sad and sorry truth about Indian politics?
Published on Feb 03, 2024 10:00 PM IST
Debunking propaganda myths, restoring truths
For those who genuinely care, this book is revelatory. It tells you the truth in simple terms that are easy to handle. I hope it’ll be equally easy to accept.
Published on Jan 27, 2024 10:10 PM IST
What INDIA could do to stop BJP juggernaut
PM Modi and the BJP cannot be defeated easily. Bringing them below 272 should be the target for 2024.
Published on Jan 20, 2024 10:15 PM IST
At Heathrow, you are always in the queue
What happened at Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 3 on the evening of December 23 cannot — indeed must not — be forgiven.
Published on Jan 13, 2024 11:18 PM IST
My resolutions for New Year, present and past
A resolution is an acknowledgment of what needs to be done even if the commitment to do it lacks resolve. So today let’s, at least, take that first step.
Published on Jan 06, 2024 10:12 PM IST
Is there an Indian way of telling the truth?
This morning, I want to compliment my late-night interlocutor for helping me appreciate a quality I had not properly thought of before.
Published on Dec 31, 2023 08:00 AM IST
What is it like to be a Muslim in India?
The answer to the question “What is it like to be a Muslim in India?” could threaten the integrity and future of our country
Published on Dec 23, 2023 11:01 PM IST
Article 370 order flags several federal concerns
Is this a potential Pandora’s Box the Court has opened?
Published on Dec 16, 2023 10:00 PM IST
In botched murder plot, a few tough questions
The case of unsealed American Superseding Indictment is going to trial and we cannot brush it aside dismissively
Published on Dec 09, 2023 10:15 PM IST
Palestine through the eyes of the Israeli State
If one wants to understand the wider relationship between Israelis and Palestinians, they should be aware of how Israel treats its Palestinian citizens
Published on Dec 02, 2023 10:39 PM IST
