Akshaya Mishra

Is the success of movie 'Pathaan' a victory of secularism over religious hate-mongering? Some analysts are tempted to believe so. They see a lot of positive messaging in the effusive…

The resounding reception to Shah Rukh Khan-starrer 'Pathaan', at the superficial level, is a tight slap on the face of the boycott gang and champions of the cancel culture. The slap may be…

How was the year 2022? Looking back, it was a mixed bag. Like all years it was a melange of decipherable and incomprehensible events, activities and emotions. It had its quota of highs and…

This piece is an extension of the earlier article on party politics circumscribing the lay persons' freedom to choose the best candidate to serve the state or the country or at the local…

"...Politics is too serious matter to be left to the politicians," said Charles de Gaulle, the man who rescued democracy in France post World War II. Playwright George Bernard Shaw would…

A by-election either to a parliamentary or assembly constituency used to be a low-key affair a decade ago. It was to a great degree a local election. The top brass of parties didn't get…

Wokes get as much flak from online rabble-rousers as liberals and seculars do. They invite ridicule, particularly from the Indian Right, for being what they supposedly are - aware of issues,…

The incredible success of WhatsApp University as disseminator of information and knowledge should inform us about the many failings of our education system. It should also warn us against…

Ideology is a destructive force. Once turned into an instrument of power-grab, and weaponised for political purposes, it loses its softer edges, and to a great degree its moral moorings too.…

Are faith and rationalism mutually exclusive entities? The line of thought insisting on it makes it categorical that both don't mix. If one is faithful, one has to be irrational. Conversely…