Why did Narendra Modi allegedly allow horse-trading overtures in Karnataka though he swears to uproot corruption from public life? Which is part of a bigger question: Why don’t political leaders keep their promises? This phenomenon is best enunciated by Machiavelli in his seminal work Discourses on Livy, where he compares how the dilettante politician recognises the impracticality of the promises […]

Machiavelli said, “the ruler’s virtuous actions can also bring harm”. He cites the example of Pertinax, the Roman emperor who after taking over from his predecessor Commodus, mandated his soldiers to live an honest and Spartan life. These soldiers were accustomed to living licentiously under Commodus. They started hating Pertinax for withdrawing their privileges and […]

Any account of how the Modi government has fared on this front should begin with what the BJP promised in the 2014 election manifesto and whether and to what extent has it been able to keep these promises. Staying within the area of my expertise, I will restrict my argument...

The last I wrote of my expectations from the PM was for his Independence Day speech. Some of the wishes I put forth must have been on his agenda as well, as I see some spur on these. Thought I must come up with the next set of asks from my PM on 69th Republic Day of India...

In his latest ‘Mann Ki Baat’ broadcast, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked citizens to send him ideas on what he should say in his Independence Day speech. The prime minister did...