PERSPECTIVES

The ‘Global Leader’ Complex: Sycophancy and Religious Nationalism Turned India Into a Majoritarian / Authoritarian State

As I exited the Hyderabad airport in India, the city of my birth, I was…

The Closing of the American Mind: The Importance of Letting the Children Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

I still remember the first time I read The Book Thief. Markus Zusak’s story of…

MAGA Indians and White Nationalism: Kash Patel, Harmeet Dhillon and Vivek Ramaswamy Must Stand Up to It

Right-wing commentator Ann Coulter has built a career on hate, targeting blacks, Mexicans, Jews, and…

Of Birbal and Brinjal: The Story of India’s Indigenous Vegetable That Traversed From Draupadi’s Kitchen to Today’s International Platters

In one of my favorite stories, Emperor Akbar sits down to a sumptuous lunch with…

The Radiance of Rosemary: Exploring the Connections Between Ancient Knowledge and Modern Skin Science

In the Bay Area, rosemary seems to grow everywhere, wild and unbothered, spilling over fences,…

You Can’t Bomb The Truth in Gaza. ‘Silence in the Face of Suffering is Not Neutrality. It is Complicity’

“The Israeli court psychiatrist who examined Eichmann found him a ‘completely normal man, more normal,…

The Curtain Falls On Jimmy Kimmel: When the Authoritarian State Decides What We Can Laugh At

Not many people remember when Constitution Day is. I’ve lived here for over 27 years,…

It’s the Religion, Stupid: Growing Anti-Indian Sentiment in the U.S. is Not About Trade and Tariffs. It’s About Hinduism

The endearing hero of the quintessential Indian-American childhood movie, “Growing Up Smith” (2017), learns from his…

Truffle Oil: A Nothing Burger Mocked by Chefs, Sued by Consumers, Protected by Courts, Loved by Diners

I wondered why I wanted to write about truffle oil. Maybe there’s a reason. Or…

Decoding Mythology, One Story at a Time: Meeting Devdutt Pattanaik at  South Asian Literature and Arts Festival 2025

Devdutt Pattanaik is a name synonymous with Indian mythology in the modern times. Born in…

Bollywood Director With a Panache for Storytelling Enthralls South Asian Literature and Art Festival

The grand finale on Sept. 13 at the South Asian Literature and Art Festival (SALA)…

‘Chhaunk’: An Afternoon With Abhijit Banerjee at the South Asian Literature and Art Festival 2025

On a golden September afternoon at the South Asian Literature and Art Festival (SALA), I…