Known Turf

If we were to make a list of the most urgent problems in India, I can safely bet that ‘politicians’ would be on everyone’s list. They might...

By now, you would have read some reams about what stops our great nation from being truly free etcetera.  I’ve been reading a lot of boo...

I was slightly jealous when I read about this Kerela initiative – 'e-toilets' at government medical colleges. These toilets are ca...

Did you hear about the contamination levels of waterfronts in Mumbai? It's worse than it used to be. The beaches are filthier. And wha...

I read about two people recently who undertook tasks that seem to require the patience and courage that's beyond most ordinary citizen...

There is an art gallery called MOBA – the Museum of Bad Art – where the motto is “Art too bad to be ignored”. I went to the website to chec...

I shudder in anticipation of every Mumbai monsoon. But anticipate it, I do. Here's an attempt to capture some of the swirly-ness, gid...

The other day, I came upon a strange comment thread on a website. Somebody had posed this question: are villages an asset for India or a li...

Did you hear the news from Amsterdam about 'scum villages'. Apparently, there are 13,000 complaints of anti-social behaviour every ...

Recently, I had to apply for a new PAN card. It was a relatively painless process, despite a few weeks' delay on account of a misplaced...

My second graphic story for Mint's ' The Small Picture ' had appeared a few weeks ago. This one is about the trials and heartbr...

I have three poems in the new anthology of Indian poetry at Big Bridge: 'Cine Sestina' 'City, Twilight' 'Lifer Givin...

About a month ago, I'd read a critique of the report of the Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG) on hydropower projects in the Upper Ganga Bas...

The other day, I had to throw out a kilo of potatoes. I bought a bunch of vegetables, took them home and put away some inside the fridge. P...

I've often heard it said that you come into this world with just your body and you leave the same way. Which is to say, don't get ...

One of the best things about reading a good book is that it makes one want to rush out and buy everything else by the writer. It makes us ...

Imagine being dragged out of your home at midnight, being beaten up and shamed publicly.  Imagine that you have not beaten anyone else...

Two new poems published in Kindle Magazine. A Flesh Poem about War and March-end Sonnet

Schools have been in trouble lately. Hundreds have been derecognized. Thousands of them stand accused of fleecing us – all of us taxpayers,...

For the first time in years, I found my toes literally curling in fear during a film. My stomach was in knots and my knees were drawn ...