Gopalkrishna Gandhi read English Literature at St Stephen’s College, Delhi. A civil servant and diplomat, he was Governor of West Bengal, 2004-2009. He is currently Distinguished Professor of History and Politics at Ashoka University
Articles by Gopalkrishna Gandhi
Listening to the inner voice for inner peace
We do not have philosophers like JP Narayan among us to caution us about our follies. But let us not imagine we do not have “helpline” like persons in our midst
Published on Sep 23, 2024 09:03 PM IST
HT@100 | India’s conscience keeper
HT has known hard times and good times, and faced many challenges over the decades. Its role has been to counsel, correct and caution. This, it will not yield.
Updated on Sep 22, 2024 01:23 AM IST
Of freedoms gained, lost, and gained again
It is Muhammad Yunus’s wise mind, Saroj Devi’s generous soul and Arshad Nadeem’s pure heart that constitute true independence
Published on Aug 14, 2024 09:14 PM IST
The dangers of breaching parliamentary propriety
Spending public-financed hours in name-calling and finger-pointing carries a big risk: It may well make the people of India indifferent to Parliament
Published on Aug 03, 2024 09:30 PM IST
Two young girls, from Gurugram and Hathras
Their deaths call for more than just conviction and sentencing: Closure will be achieved only by seeking preventive and corrective action
Published on Jul 11, 2024 09:07 PM IST
In a tale of two nations, a case of shared values
Legacy and contemporary pragmatism can and must combine in South Africa. There are lessons for India as well
Published on Jun 08, 2024 11:40 PM IST
A medical cadre for correctional homes
The State is both the health provider and the sentence implementer for prison inmates. It needs to ensure swift and quality treatment of illness for them
Published on May 09, 2024 10:00 PM IST
Ink that protects the sanctity of elections
How Salimuzzaman Siddiqui developed “Siddiquink” that protects against impersonation in the voting process
Published on Apr 13, 2024 10:00 PM IST
How Rajiv and Benazir shaped nuclear restraint
A 1988 Agreement binds India and Pakistan to refrain from causing the destruction of, or damage to, any nuclear installation or facility in the other country
Published on Mar 19, 2024 09:50 PM IST
Public intellectual and jurist, God’s good man
In Fali Nariman’s death, India has lost its tallest spokesman for honesty in public intent and private conduct
Published on Feb 21, 2024 10:00 PM IST
Posthumous-isation of the Bharat Ratna
The national honour should be bestowed on people when they are alive, and not when they are holding high public office
Published on Feb 14, 2024 10:03 PM IST
Deathless prince who is more than mortal kings
If only Netaji had lived longer, he could have prevented the partition of Bengal, and even altered the course of events surrounding Gandhi’s assassination
Published on Jan 22, 2024 09:39 PM IST
Two purveyors of science, in the age of AI
The heart-mind of human experience must ignite our human intelligence and make it more than human
Published on Dec 15, 2023 10:13 PM IST
A cautionary tale from Indian Tamils in Ceylon
The stories of exile, exclusion and expulsion of indentured labourers from Tamil Nadu in Sri Lanka’s plantations hold lessons for us today
Published on Nov 11, 2023 10:53 PM IST
On reality of caste, Bihar holds a mirror
25 years ago, it gave the country a chance to see the Constitution’s morality being upheld. This time it is offering a cue on the caste census
Published on Oct 16, 2023 10:14 PM IST
When cricket inspired a moment of bonhomie
India-Pakistan cricket match, rained-out, recalls a diplomatic message of felicitations sent by President Venkataraman in 1992
Published on Sep 08, 2023 10:32 PM IST
The subtle influence of India’s President
KR Narayanan once said he held little direct power but had a subtle influence. In invoking equality in her I-day address, Prez Murmu exercised the same power
Published on Aug 21, 2023 08:07 AM IST
Uphold the lofty ideals symbolised by the Tricolour
Concord is under strain in India. Manipur is the most searing example. The national flag must be downcast, wanting to lower itself to half-mast in agony.
Published on Jul 21, 2023 10:49 PM IST
Lessons from history for the Balasore tragedy
When accidents occur, we must react immediately but also not fail to examine the aftermath through a minute and a wide lens.
Published on Jun 16, 2023 10:07 PM IST
In Nehru’s death, a precedent for rectitude was set
The transition of power after Jawaharlal Nehru’s death on May 27, 1964, was momentous. This was possible as those who led the process were egoless leaders
Updated on May 26, 2023 08:28 PM IST
Enduring lessons about India from a 70-yr-old classic
Do Bigha Zamin made a huge impact because it spoke about life not just in India but in all countries which stand on the cusp of agrarian and industrial choices
Updated on Apr 21, 2023 07:22 PM IST
Turkey, Syria and the real threat beneath India’s feet
India, which has the Indian Plate pressing onto the Eurasian Plate, which sculpted the Himalayas by colliding, has a similar razor’s edge right along the great Himalayan arc
Updated on Feb 16, 2023 07:57 PM IST
In his death, Gandhi joined a mortal act to an immortalisation
As the rest of India hailed Independence, Gandhi mourned its division. This year marks 75 years of a mortal act that led to an immortalisation. May Gandhi’s ideals always remain a guiding light on the power of ahimsa
Updated on Jan 30, 2023 08:34 AM IST
Ode to a remarkable era of cartoonists, and their ideals
Cartoons can pack a power punch that can bore a tunnel through sanctimony, vileness, and folly among the powerful. This is the legacy of several remarkable cartoonists that we must remember as we mark Republic Day.
Updated on Jan 21, 2023 07:43 PM IST
A call to treat India’s prisoners fairly and humanely
A Madras HC ruling to amend prison rules in accordance with global guidelines is admirable and may bestow prisoners with a life of dignity. This is an urgent need for India’s 550,000-plus prisoners, especially as most of them aren’t even convicts
Updated on Jan 16, 2023 01:11 PM IST
A message from Gandhi to a very troubled world
A bust of the Mahatma will be installed at the headquarters of the United Nations on December 14, affirming his global legacy of truth and non-violence.
Updated on Dec 10, 2022 07:49 PM IST
Dadabhai Naoroji, a leader who served India and Britain
This year, 2022, marks the 130th anniversary of the election, in 1892, of the first person of Indian origin to the House of Commons.
Updated on Nov 05, 2022 11:33 PM IST
Crafting an ethical mode of governance for India
Gopalkrishna Gandhi outlines his vision for an India@100 that places ethics at the core of its governance
Published on Oct 29, 2022 08:30 PM IST
S Radhakrishnan: A man of egoless impartiality
Constitutional authorities should be impartial guardians, capable of standing apart from the government if need be. Who or what determines that “need be”?
Updated on Sep 09, 2022 07:44 PM IST
The scorching truth of Rushdie’s ordeal
The attack on author Salman Rushdie results from judgment blinded by intolerance. We need honesty to see that the greats of history apart, it is innocents who will suffer if intolerance is not stopped from becoming violent
Updated on Aug 14, 2022 07:13 PM IST