Articles by V K Natraj

Of late Karnataka has been in the news for unhealthy reasons. Controversies relating to the wearing of hijab by students have left a scar on the social landscape. This was followed by protests against the revision of school textbooks. The government did not handle either with skill. The opposition (read the Congress) also has failed to present to the public a vision for the state’s development.

The peculiar qualities and work of the first woman vice chancellor of University of Mysore as she waded through the limitations posed by her gender and caste are narrated.

A Vaidyanathan was a stalwart among social scientists. He has made distinguished contributions to several branches of economics. These include agriculture and irrigation, water management, data analysis and development policy. He has contributed to policymaking as an academic and an interlocutor. Decentralisation and participatory governance were his principal interests. He also played an important role as a mentor who encouraged and promoted young talent.

This letter is written in the hope that it will provoke discussion on an important issue. Is the President of India not expected to project a secular and neutral image as far as public religious observance is concerned? The question is raised in a specific context.

After lying covered for nearly 20 years, the statues of the Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar and the Kannada poet Sarvajna were unveiled in August in Bangalore and Chennai, respectively. Considering the strained relations between the two states over sharing the Cauvery waters, which has led to anti-Tamil violence in Bangalore on two occasions, and the militant stance of the pro-Kannadiga organisations in the Karnataka capital, how and why did the chief ministers of the two states, particularly B S Yeddyurappa of Karnataka, pilot this event successfully?