There is a photograph of the Second Round Table Conference in London, which shows every person in the room looking at the camera except for Mohandas K Gandhi. The maharajas, the leaders of the Depressed Classes and the Muslim League, the officers of His Majesty’s Government — all have their face turned at the photographer come to capture them. Not Gandhi, who sits in his chair, wrapped in a shawl,...

“Right to privacy,” like other fundamental rights in the Constitution and statutory rights under various laws, will soon become a reality. Union Law Minister Veerappa Moily indicated that a bill in this regard would be introduced in the monsoon session. The Right to Privacy Bill (a copy is with The Hindu) is to provide for such a right to citizens of India and to regulate collection, maintenance, use and dissemination of...

Congress firm but Baba Ramdev, BJP to fight UPA government's “fascism” The Union government swung into damage control mode on Sunday, in the wake of the early morning swoop by the Delhi Police on the Ramlila grounds and the bundling out from the national capital of a trembling yoga guru Baba Ramdev, who had exchanged his saffron garb for a white salwar kameez in the hope of escaping unnoticed. But this...

Freedom is important, so is responsibility. In countries like India, the media have a responsibility to fight backward ideas such as casteism and communalism, and help the people fight poverty and other social evils. Freedom of the press and journalistic ethics is an important topic today in India — with the word ‘press' encompassing the electronic media also. There should be a serious discussion on the topic. That discussion should include...

Civil society members of the joint committee on the drafting of the Lokpal Bill have invited the government representatives for a public debate on the six contentious issues they could not resolve at Monday's meeting of the panel. In a letter, committee co-chairman and senior advocate Shanti Bhushan has invited Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who heads the committee, to participate in a national debate, which the civil society members intend...