Blogs |
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| Behind the Scenes |
| By Janaki Fernandes |
 Having lived in Mumbai all my life, I share a love-hate relationship with these men. In my teenage years, the cabbies of Mumbai played a very integral part of my life. You see, a middle class girl had no car, so all escapades depended on trust and reliance on the cab driver. I could walk out of a pub drunk, and I trusted a cab would drop me home. That's the love I had for these men. Now it's beginning to lean towards less love and more hate. And no it has nothing to do with there being more bhaiyyas from UP, Bihar driving cabs than Marathis. I didn't even notice the difference. It's the increasing number of cabbies that refuse to ferry you. And that bunch of 'refusers' is growing every day. |
| Third Frame |
| By Saif Khalid |
 Me, myself and Mr Dalrymple were in the same frame. Mixed emotions ran through me. I was happy and a little sad at the same time as Mr Dalrymple did not give me much time. But I hope the next year when I go there, he will sure come and welcome me. By the way, daydreaming is a recession-proof act! |
| Tech Toast |
| By Sonia Bhaskar |
 I have been thinking aloud on NDTV Social/Gadget Guru if the Apple Tablet in indeed such a big deal? Is it really the game changer that will shake the world of portable devices and computing? |
| A Fine Balance |
| By Supriya Sharma |
 Here's a state where tribal leaders are popular and powerful but where tribal areas remain in deep unrest. |
| Freedom of Choice |
| By Maya Sharma |
 I have mixed feelings about the burkha, the veil, the sari that is drawn down to cover the face. On one hand, I believe a woman should have the right to wear whatever she feels comfortable in. On the other hand - how much real freedom of choice is there in a tradition that has been largely imposed on women from the outside - a mindset that places the responsibility of stopping men behaving badly with the woman - and the 'modesty' of her clothing. |
| Field Notes |
| By Radhika Bordia |
 For anyone who despite logic and good sense, still clings to the concept of a New Year, with hope determination and a set of resolutions, there's good news. January 1st is just one little Gregorian Day of renewal. In India, innumerable calendars can spoil for choice with a new year offering almost every month. |
| Views |
| By Noopur Tiwari |
 There's been much fuss over the burqa in France and it's been shocking people back home in India. Whether the French are right or wrong in considering such a ban is another thing. The important thing is to start with getting the facts right. |
| Beyond the Byline |
| By Sunetra Choudhury |
 There's this urban legend about a TV reporter. When I call it that, I know that many are going to quickly exclaim that it's not an urban legend, it's a true story but I have no way of verifying that so I am going to assume it's one of the myths of TV journalism in India. The story goes that once upon a time, when private news channels were just starting out in India, brash young things were picked out from elite institutes and handed gun mikes. Since they weren't necessarily from journalism backgrounds, they were different from the akhbarwallahs. For one, they were all better looking, after all, they had to be seen, not just dismissed with a byline. |
| Talking Point |
| By Sarah Jacob |
 Vikram Buddhi is spending another Christmas in the correctional centre. Twice a week he is allowed to go up to the rooftop where there is an open-air running track and basketball court. Though he does not play basket ball and Chicago is below freezing in the winter, Buddhi says he uses the opportunity to go up because of the "fresh air and a great view of the city". The correctional centre is a windowless, triangular building in the heart of down town Chicago. Hailed as one of the architectural greats of Chicago it houses some of Illinois's worst criminal offenders, and Buddhi says he never should have been brought there in the first place. |
| Copenhagen Talkies |
| By Sunita Narain |
 The Copenhagen conference will definitely go down as the worst meeting in global climate negotiations. There is a complete mess here: lines of people standing outside the Bella Centre, where the conference is taking place, wanting to get in. Inside the meeting has broken down for the umpteenth time because industrialized countries refuse to commit to cutting emissions. Instead they want the global climate agreement changed, so that they do less and developing countries do more. The clock is ticking to Friday, when heads of state will descend to sign the 'historical accord'. But on freezing Monday there was no sign of the paper they would agree to sign, no agreement and the chaos inside and outside was horrendous. |
The two Tamil Nadu ministers who stood by and watched while an injured cop bled to death after gangsters had cut off his legs, stayed away from his last rites too.
