Sunday Posts

The Governor of the Indian state of Rajasthan has a new issue. He thinks the Indian national anthem is somewhat not right, as it praises the then English king, George the Vth. He has a specific, poetic suggestion to make - he wants to replace the word Adhinayak (meaning Leader, though he thinks it stands for Ruler) with Mangal (Good) in the lyric ( see the latest here ). Governorship is political retirement, but some people refuses to fade away. The governor in question, Kalyan Singh, presided over the demolition of Babri Masjid, the coming-out party of political Hiduvta which now triumphant in India, when he was the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. That was the crowning contribution in his career, one that he would be long remembered. He seems to be trying best it now, by dismembering the National Anthem - and by implication, its writer, Rabindranath Tagore, a bête noire for nationalists for good reason. Though the poetic suggestion is a new thing, the accusation is not. Th...

We sing glory to You, The Captain of the Indian mind, You, the maker of our destiny! The lands of Punjab, Sind , Gujarat and Maratha , The Dravidian Plains, Those of Utkal and Bengal, The mountains of Vindhya and Himalaya, The waters of the Jamuna and the Ganges, The dancing waves of the ocean, Rise up to chant your name, Pray for your blessings, And sing your greatness. You, gracious Lord, our Captain, The maker of India's destiny, Victory, victory, victory to thee. You invite everyone, with open arms, Hindus, Buddhists , Sikhs, Jains , Persians, Muslims and Christians; East and West come together And script a new unity Under your throne. The unifier of all, The maker of India's destiny, Glory, glory, glory to thee. Our endless journey, Through decline, fall, ascendance, and difficulties, Led by you, the Charioteer! Your clarion call Steer us through the revolution, You reliever of all. You, the great guide, The maker of India's...