Articles written by Vengrai Parthasarathy

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Relationships & Family > Marriage & Divorce (Other) Arranged marriages: Why some cultures promote them: 1 of 22
ARRANGED MARRIAGES IN INDIA Among the South-east Asian countries, India is notorious for 'arranged marriages'. Many in the Western nations wonder how such a system in which the parents choose spouses for their son or daughter can work. Well, it has worked. If there have been failures, they are no different from other traditi... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Democratic Leaders Will the photo of Obama in a turban hurt his chances for the Democratic nomination?: 5 of 35
OBAMA AND THE TURBAN I do not think it is going to hurt Obama because he can easily and convincingly explain it away. Does a turban make him a terrorist? Come on, let us be fair. There must be umpteen photos of our dignitaries seen in the company of dictators from which one can draw any conclusion he or she wants. All our pr... More..
Politics, News & Issues > US Elections Archives US elections 2008: Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign: 4 of 26
Hillary is being written off because she lost the Primary to Obama and was passed over for the Veep post. Is she a spent force? The answer should be a resounding 'No'. Here is why. First, the pedigree. She is Bill's wife, not that by itself it is a scoring point but it does mean exposure and scope for close association with ... More..
Education > High School Humanities How does one define illiteracy?: 6 of 22
THOROUGHFARE FOR THOUGHTS Imagine a student world without pen, paper and text books! Are we ready for it? This is the question that arises in one's mind on reading a slim volume, in which the author Dr.Thiru, envisions a world in which skills in Reading, Writing and Arithmetic would no more be considered as preconditions of ... More..
Creative Writing > Reflections Reflections: Struggle in life: 42 of 128
LES MISERABLES Vengrai Parthasarathy The Matunga Railway station in Bombay, India was seething with people. Shankar hop-scotched his way through the thicket of passengers, visitors, hawkers, gawkers and idlers. As the train was about to leave, a beggar maid with a woebegone aspect made her way into the compartment and stood ... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Political Issues Youth perspectives on voting: 5 of 15
VOTERS' DILEMMA A voter is a privileged person, specially at the time of elections. S/HE is bombarded with appeals and letters and courted in umpteen ways to influence their decision. The current hullabaloo is about the Presidential elections. The parties, Republican and Democratic, have not yet chosen their candidates. We k... More..
Politics, News & Issues > News Industry The role of contemporary journalists: Tim Russert, Tom Brokaw and more: 4 of 9
I do not know him. Yet, I do know him from ten feet,in front of the TV.Sunday after Sunday, I had watched him question, grill, confront and challenge leader after leader of various shades, shapes and political leanings. Tim Russert always came well-prepared. That was his forte. It was never his intention to humiliate a perso... More..
Politics, News & Issues > US Elections Archives John Edwards endorses Barack Obama: Why now?: 1 of 1
John Edwards' endorsement of Barack Obama has been received by the News media with much fanfare. His was a notable endorsement and sought by both Obama and Hillary. He waited. And waited to make his announcement. Why? I am not questioning John's motives in delaying his endorsement. He knew both candidates pretty well, having... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Presidential Elections 2008 US elections 2008: Barack Obama's choices for vice president: 15 of 26
There are two vacancies for the Veep post, one on the Republican side and one on the Democratic side. McCain had said that he would be a one-term president.No one knows whether he still holds the view. Anyway, he has to choose someone who will replace him, if necessity arises. More importantly the Veep has to be on all fours... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Politics in Africa How the fiighting in Darfur impacts its African neighbors: 11 of 15
LITERARY ODDITIES Proper words in proper places' was how Jonathan Swift defined style' in literature. That is something not hard to find. There are countless illustrations if one only looks out for them in classics by master-writers. On the other hand, some hold the opinion that it should suffice, if, depending on the effect... More..