Shankaracharya of Sringeri peeth Jagadguru Bharathi Teertha tells Ketan N Tanna about his Ayodhya plan A pontiff with a difference The Sringeri Shankaracharya is obviously a very unusual pontiff. He asks questions, which would put media planners and publicity-conscious politicians to shame. I meet him under full public glare of his devotees and there seems […]
Chat show host Nikki Bedi talks to Ketan N Tanna about Kabir Bedi, fidelity and critics Chat show host Nikki Bedi talks to Ketan N Tanna about Kabir Bedi, fidelity and critics Just right for the idiot box It is well past 10pm, and I am in Nikki Bedi’s bedroom at Empress Court building in […]
Commerce Minister Pranab Mukherjee talks to Ketan N Tanna about his differences with the Finance Ministry Votary of the middle path I am a religious person and ardent reader of Chandi paath. An important aspect of Chandi is that whatever we are seeing or doing is nothing but maya (illusion). Nothing is everlasting. When I […]
“BJP Leader Atal Behari Vajpayee tells Ketan N Tanna why Kashi and Mathura should not be on BJP’s agenda” The loneliness of a reasonable man Taqkdir ne mera kahan sath diya? (When has luck been on my side?),” laughs Atal Behari Vajpayee sardonically. As the sun sets outside his 6, Raisina Road residence, Vajpayee is in […]
BALTHACKERAY has apparently climbed down. And how! He now says he believes “in the rule of law” and is now willing to fight his on going battle to absolve himself of any role in the 1992-93 riots in a court of law instead of the streets of Mumbai. “I ‘ll go right up to the […]
From sarpanch of obscure Bhabalgaon village in Latur district to chief minister of Maharashtra, the 54-year-old Vilasrao Deshmukh has come a long way. He believes it was his density to become chief minister. Excerpts from a conversation The fortnight-old Congress NCP government seems to be in perpetual crisis. How will you keep the flock together? […]
FOR THE 24th time since he joined the IAS in 1967, St Stephen’s and Cambridge-educated Arun Bhatia has been transferred. The latest transfer came last week. He was shifted out from the post of Pune Municipal Commissioner after he ordered the demolition of illegal structures built by Pune’s rich and famous. Ketan Tanna spoke to […]
If there is one thing common between bal thackeray and Nani Palkhivala, it is their fear of India’s disintegration. One of the last surviving greats of the Tata empire, Nani Palhkivala, eminent jurist and India’s former ambassador to the united States of America, is convinced about the country’s all round degeneration. Indeed, when an eminent […]
Last fortnight has not been very kind of Maharashtra State and in particular the capital city of Mumbai. Life for the average citizen, which was anyway, nothing to write home about, is slowly moving from bad to worse. Bandhs have become the order of the day. It would not be an exaggeration to say that […]
In what was his last interview, to Ketan Tanna, before being arrested on the eve of the Bombay Municipal Corporation elections, underworld don, Arun Gawli spoke candidly about his past and future. Some excerpts: Why have you entered politics? I have many educated boys with me. Some of them are engineers and double graduates. They […]
When he was deputy municipal commissioner G. R. Khairnar fought the corrupt systems. As his hate list swells in numbers Q. It has been three years since you launched your crusade against corruption. How successful do think you have been? A. It is not a question of success or failure. I have tried to create […]
In course of an interview with Hindustan Times, the Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray accused the BJP of backstabbing and breach of promise. Lal Krishna Advani, Bhartiya Janta Party President, is wary about, making any comments to the press especially on the recent outburst by the Sena supreme, Bal Thackeray, that the BJP betrayed its’ […]
“I have lost all enthusiasm. The death of my wife, and later my son has shattered me. Yet, I must live. I meet people, give interviews, but I will have to retire. I am thinking of my retirement from politics. God knows, what I will do after retiring. May be gardening,” smiled a fragile looking. […]
Space scientist Abdul Kalam on India’s ability to develop its own cryogenic rocket technology With the on-again-off-again status of the Cryogenic engine deal, nobody is sure of its status. The Russian Prime Minister, Victor Chernomyrdin, on this way to USA, is quoted as saying: “The Russian government has not taken a formal decision to freeze […]