An Indecisive Indian

 Dr. Sudhanshu Mani On June 1, Indian Railways (IR) proudly added an 18th star to its official emblem to celebrate the birth of yet another railway zone, South Coast Railway at Visakhapatnam. At this rate, the logo may soon require a constellation chart rather than a graphic designer. One almost expected fireworks, commemorative stamps, and perhaps even a proclamation that the laws of railway economics had finally been repealed. Unfortunately, the new star signifies not operational progress but the continuing fragmentation of a national transporter into ever-smaller territorial fiefdoms. What is presented as decentralisation is, in reality, the steady Balkanisation of IR, driven less by operational necessity than by political considerations. I wrote about it in The Hindu BusinessLine on 2 June 2026 (link and image appened in the end) and here is a summary of that: IR was never meant to function like a collection of state fiefdoms. It was designed as a seamless national netw...

   Dr. Sudhanshu Mani Ideas such as history, freedom, nationalism, justice, and polity, which once animated the intellectual and moral life of the nation, are steadily receding from public discourse, increasingly drowned out by noise, hype, fake outrage, and shrinking attention spans. It has therefore become imperative to revive a culture of informed, open-minded dialogue and to invite distinguished thinkers and public intellectuals to share perspectives that provoke reflection rather than merely reinforce prejudice. At Awadh Conclave, we attempt to contribute to this endeavour through conclaves, discussions, and interactive sessions, both online and in person, alongside various cultural and social initiatives.   In continuation of this effort, my friend Anand Vardhan Singh and I, on behalf of Awadh Conclave, organized a reading and discussion session in Lucknow on 24 May 2026 on Dr. Ashis Ray ’s remarkable book, The Trial That Shook Britain: How a Court Martial Haste...

   Dr. Sudhanshu Mani The following discussion between Bertie Wooster and Jeeves concerns Indian Railways (IR) and its recent reforms, officially described as profound and transformative, though certain irreverent cynics continue to dismiss them as repainting the station signboard while the tracks themselves have applied for voluntary retirement. “I say, Jeeves,” I said, poking at my morning kipper with a sense of profound and brooding bewilderment, “I’ve been casting an eye over the morning rag, and it seems the brainy blighters at the helm of IR have embarked upon a fresh bout of what they call ‘Transformative Reforms’.” “Indeed, sir?” “And do you know what their opening gambit is? They’ve abolished the bandgala, the Black Prince coat, Jeeves!  It seems the powers that be have decided the best way to fix a locomotive is to change the driver’s trousers. Tell me, Jeeves, what is the administrative philosophy here? Is it merely the noble art of giving the front...

  In two earlier blogs (referenced in the end), I had written about the Jagjit Singh show in which I played the narrator. I had mentioned that the evening, held on 5th April in Lucknow, received an exceptionally warm response, but more than that, I carried back a quiet sense of being blessed, as though I had managed to leave a small imprint upon the performing arts canvas.   Soon thereafter, we were kindly invited by Mr. Rakesh Rathi, with arrangements facilitated by Mr. Praveen Parwal, both distinguished businessmen of Rajasthan, to stage the show in Jaipur for the vibrant Maheshwari community. The invitation itself felt like an inaayat (grace), but what unfolded there was something deeper, compelling reflection.   Yes, the hall was full. Yes, Dr. Prabha sang with her customary poise and nazākat (delicacy). Yes, the saazindas (instrumentalists) were in perfect saaz (harmony). Yes, Gopal Sinha’s direction and lighting, along with Anupama Mani’s compering, added st...

   Dr. Sudhanshu Mani    The news doing the rounds is that Indian Railways (IR) is poised to award a massive contract to M/s Bharat Earthmovers Limited (BEML) for sixteen more high-speed trainsets, coming close on the heels of a contract already awarded to them for developing two prototype 8-coach indigenous high-speed trainsets for ₹866.87 crore for the Standard Gauge Mumbai–Ahmedabad corridor under construction. I had firmly believed that the Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai, ought to have been the natural choice for designing and manufacturing these prototypes, in preference to BEML. That decision was, however, taken in favour of BEML, but one expected that at least this time the mandate would revert to ICF. I said as much, and those views have found place across several media platforms including The Print, ETV Bharat, MSN, among others (referenced at the end).   I am fully aware that while many may agree, there will be others who would argue that ...