Saffron Sweep Reveals the Age of Unreason

The world’s biggest democracy has just elected its new government in a marathon 7-phase election. And what a mockery of democracy it has proven to be. Yet, without a sense of irony, the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, says in his victory speech that “it is democracy that has won.” If democracy is merely casting your… Continue reading Saffron Sweep Reveals the Age of Unreason

How Should We Think About Time?

Spend it, waste it, enjoy it, take too much of it, gift it, cherish it, fritter it away… no matter what we do with our time, we never seem to have enough of it. And try as we might, we can only pack so much into 24 hours. “Yesterday”, as the Beatles have immortalized for… Continue reading How Should We Think About Time?

Now Streaming to a Screen Near You

If we ever need proof that the digital medium is meant for a highly personalized audience and experience, we now have it in streaming of media and entertainment. The likes of Netflix, Amazon and Spotify have changed the entertainment landscape forever with on-demand video and music tailored to our specific tastes wherever we might be.… Continue reading Now Streaming to a Screen Near You

Indian Elections 2019: Theatre of the Absurd

It is said that Indian elections are the greatest experiment in democracy. In a nation of 1.3 billion people and over 900 million eligible voters, that does mean a grand pageant. Some observers, talking to Matthew Amroliwala on BBC World News, even called it a great “festival of democracy”. If you watch the news and… Continue reading Indian Elections 2019: Theatre of the Absurd

Owl That You Read: Survey Results and Reward!

The Peripatetic Perch Reader Survey is done and it's time to share the findings with you all. First, I would like to thank all those who responded to the Survey, which was done to understand your reading preferences, so that I can plan my blog content better. Proust's delightful account of the pleasures of reading… Continue reading Owl That You Read: Survey Results and Reward!

Of Faustian Bargains in Our Times

I finished reading the complete Faust by Goethe just a few days ago. However, this post is not about what I thought of the book, but about the train of thoughts it set off inside my head. About Faustian bargains and how we are surrounded by them in our lives. I then discovered that all… Continue reading Of Faustian Bargains in Our Times

Universal Basic Income: A Gift for All?

At the moment, India is in the grip of election fever and it is not surprising that each political party is promising sops to the farmers and the poor. Well, the ruling party started doling out a farmer income support programme called PM KISAN (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi) from December last year which promises… Continue reading Universal Basic Income: A Gift for All?