Even if much of the corporate sector perceives Modi as strong, decisive and honest, many Indians see him as arguably the most-divisive and deeply-contentious political personality in modern India

For the separatists it’s not the message that matters; for them, the medium is the message. That medium is music. Soulful. Elevating. And thus dangerous to the profession of stone-throwing.

The fact that many Americans were unable to distinguish Nina Davuluri from being an Arab or even a Muslim was not surprising. Nor was it unusual that she was called a ‘terrorist’.

A Muslim and a non-Han, Zheng He was not worthy of extolling. Today, his voyages are a symbol of Chinese daring, and used to establish China as a legitimate stakeholder in the Indian Ocean.

If Karnataka stands resolved, Modi’s problems on the state front recede greatly. Rajasthan, MP, Chhattisgarh are expected to give the BJP a healthy number of seats. If he is able to revive the BJP in Uttar Pradesh, Modi will become PM.

What does Mr Modi have to offer beyond the Gujarat development model, which is not necessarily suited to all parts of the country? We have not had an answer from him thus far.

Margaret Thatcher earned the sobriquet, ‘Margaret Thatcher, milk snatcher!’ when she withdrew the free school milk dished out by the state to all schoolchildren in the ’70s... Now, a Conservative-led coalition is making more than amends.

One hopes that after winning a bitter ethnic conflict against the LTTE, Mr Rajapaksa will demonstrate that statesmanship lies in winning enduring peace through devolution of powers