Excerpts from The liberal DNA by Pratap Bhanu Mehta (emphasis added):
First, liberalism places the freedom of individuals, their presumptive equality and claim to be treated with dignity at the centre of attention…our political culture far too often immobilises the claims of individual freedom in the face of community identity or group coercion, putting at risk assorted values, from freedom of expression to gender equality…Diversity should be an outcome of individuals freely exercising choices. The Congress cares for diversity but not freedom. The right cares for neither diversity nor freedom.
Second, liberalism has a …

A few of you may have already read recent posts on my friend and FTI colleague Sanjeev’s blog about our visit to Haridwar and meetings with Swami Ramdev & members of Bharat Swabhiman. I was barely able to make the visit (planned in the middle of  my “Tirth12″) but in the end it was MahaDev’s wish that I be there and I did manage to spend a very fruitful albeit intense 1.5 days at Patanajali YogPeeth.
During the conversations with Swami Ramdev, I mentioned the 3 tenets that underpin my political …

Dear All: I am posting below 2 recent draft policies by Freedom Team of India for discussion and comment. The first one if on the Jan Lokpal Bill and the second on Electoral Reforms. Pl do read, share and comment. Thanks.
The position of the Freedom Team of India on the Jan Lokpal Bill

FTI has agreed to the following draft position on the Lokpal Bill (all FTI documents are draft documents, subject to ongoing improvement).
1. What is the Freedom Team of India?
The Freedom Team of India (FTI) is a team of leaders who will, with …

Here is a short video in Hindi by my friend and fellow FTI colleague Nilesh Kamani lucidly explains the origins of government and why it exists.
This is is the kind of stuff we need in our civics classes in schools
Do please share with the younger ones in the family..
Nilesh will welcome any comments for improvement at
ask@FreedomForIndia.in अथवा question@FreedomForIndia.in
लोगों को सरकार के बारे में कई गलत धारणा है?जैसे कि सरकार हमारी मालिक है. सरकार के पास बहुत धन है. सरकार हमारी माई – बाप है.
यह सब गलत है. सरकार हमारी नौकर …

..so it would seem. Excerpts from “The Dakshina Kannada Model” (written almost five years ago; emphasis added):
Everyone talks of the Kerala model, but to the north of Kerala lie two districts called Dakshina Kannada (headquarters: Mangalore) and Udupi, which, if I am not wrong, are doing just as well as, if not better than, Kerala.
…The state and the district have a lot in common.
…More importantly, the socio-economic profile is similar. People have similar attitudes towards education. The schools in Mangalore are supposed to be the best in Karnataka…Education of women …

Dear All: As some of you may know already, FTI has launched India’s first Policy Writing Competition to encourage young Indians (the 90s generation) to develop well-researched draft policies based on the concepts of liberty. This project is being led by my FTI colleague, Sanjeev. I am very pleased to report that we have already raised more than Rs 3 Lakhs of our target of Rs 5 Lakhs (from a very significant number of supporters and FTI members).
May I request all of you to kindly consider supporting this effort with …

Thanks to Sh Krishen Kak for sharing this remarkable piece (actually from an anthology) by Air Marshal SG Inamdar, PVSM, VSM on “Kautilya to Chandragupta on the Mauryan Soldier“. As Air Marshal Inamdar notes, “It is truly amazing how those observations continue to be so completely relevant today, even after 2000 years.” I am reproducing it in full below with emphasis added:
The Mauryan soldier does not himself the Royal treasuries enrich nor does he the Royal granaries fill.
He does not himself carry out trade and commerce nor produce scholars, thinkers, …

Video of the extempore talk I gave on the “Political Philosophy of Hindutva” at the Ilford Hindu Centre in London, at an event that was presided by Dr Koenraad Elst on 8th Jan ’12. Comments and criticisms welcome.

***

***
As I stress towards the end of the seminar (and in the slides), this is work in progress. So suggestions, corrections and modifications will be garetfully acknowlegded and incorporated.   Thanks. Jai Hind, Jai Bharat!
Related Posts:  Hindutva and Liberalism, “Sukhasya moolam Dharmah”
Why I am a proud nationalist,
Understanding Raj-Dharma – Part I and Part 2
Somewhat Related: “People are …

Courtesy an article by Ronen Bergman, titled “Gilad Shalit and the Rising Price of an Israeli Life“ from the New York Times last week, please read these excerpts that deal with Israel’s stance in hostage situations since the time of Entebbe – which was memorably captured in a book and later a film too (emphasis added):
…During the secret discussions prior to the Entebbe operation, Rabin, who agreed to the mission after much persuasion by intelligence and ministry planners, effectively established the principle that is still followed by all Israeli leaders facing hostage situations: …

Dear All, it my pleasure to publish this guest post by my friend and FTI colleague, Dipinder Sekhon on why businesses would do well to focus on generating profits (ethically) and enhancing shareholder value rather than spending money on charitable causes (emphasis added).
*** Profit is Charity by Dipinder Sekhon ***
Profit – legally and ethically generated – is one of the best measures of social value-add.
Clients buy services and products only when they can extract value from them. Example, if a company sells asoap for Rs 10 (when it costs it …