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Barkha Dutt

Barkha Dutt is consulting editor, NDTV, and founding member, Ideas Collective. She tweets as @BDUTT.

Articles by Barkha Dutt

India’s health system has collapsed

As human tragedy unfolds, there is a shortage of everything — oxygen, drugs, beds, vaccines, even cremation space

opinion

Updated on Apr 17, 2021 06:44 AM IST

ByBarkha Dutt

As Covid returns, India must not repeat the mistakes of 2020

Don’t return to lockdowns. Instead, approve more vaccines and ramp up vaccination — especially in the most affected states and cities

As the country that produces 60% of the world’s vaccines, India can ramp up the vaccination process. But a conventional, bureaucratic mindset appears to be holding us back. The vaccination programme needs to be reset and targeted (Amal KS/HT PHOTO)

opinion

Updated on Apr 03, 2021 04:37 PM IST

ByBarkha Dutt

What Bollywood could learn from Munawar Faruqui

In this patchy, roller-coaster of a fortnight for India’s fundamental freedoms, some individuals have stood up, while others have failed our citizens

opinion

Published on Mar 05, 2021 06:09 PM IST

ByBarkha Dutt

For India’s women, a week of hope — and anguish

The Priya Ramani verdict has shut down the debate on the most banal and common question asked of women: Why didn’t you speak up earlier?

Even as there was a hope-filled verdict in Delhi, think of the two Dalit girls found dead in Unnao and you remember how much tougher it is for millions of women in India than it is for us (PTI)

opinion

Published on Feb 19, 2021 06:33 PM IST

ByBarkha Dutt

How not to respond to Greta, Meena, Rihanna

As India sought to stand against propaganda on farm protests, it appeared to be teaching the world a class on propaganda. And not very smartly at that

Since their tweets, posters of Meena Harris, Greta Thunberg and Rihanna have been burnt. Our television channels have lived up to their reputation for dangerous mindlessness by running character assassination campaigns. The police have registered a case, like they don’t have the actual issue of the farm protests in the real world to deal with. (REUTERS)

opinion

Updated on Feb 06, 2021 06:38 AM IST

ByBarkha Dutt

When invasion of privacy comes back full circle

The sanctimony that a section of the media wears like a second skin comes undone so fast when the scrutiny is on them.

We journalists, so trapped by egos and the ratings wars, have brought this moment upon ourselves (shutterstock)

opinion

Published on Jan 22, 2021 10:39 PM IST

ByBarkha Dutt

After anarchy in the US, reimagining the middle ground

Governments have to learn how to engage with those who did not vote for them. Citizens have to learn how to converse amidst ideological divisions

What other, newer democracies find relatively easy — conducting an election, the counting of votes, the peaceful transition of power — seems to have befuddled the US. There can be and must not be any normalisation of gross prejudice or violence(AP)

columns

Updated on Jan 08, 2021 07:53 PM IST

ByBarkha Dutt

How the TMC is fighting the BJP juggernaut in Bengal

The Trinamool Congress has made dramatic changes to its organisational power structure and launched two key mass outreach programmes

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee addresses a public meeting, Jalpaiguri district, December 16, 2020(ANI)

columns

Updated on Dec 25, 2020 05:36 PM IST

ByBarkha Dutt

Powerful citizens, missing Opposition

The two agitations which have made a mark in the past year have been led by citizens. The Opposition remains absent and redundant

Movements that are seen to be run by people instead of politicians do trigger more popular support. The farmers movement carries the moral advantage of not having party politicians on its stage(Biplov Bhuyan/HT PHOTO)

columns

Updated on Dec 11, 2020 07:47 PM IST

ByBarkha Dutt

Why Ahmed Patel mattered in Indian politics

With his pragmatism, openness, rigorous work ethic, and absolute commitment to the Congress and Sonia Gandhi, he emerged as a pillar of the party

Though he was low-key and non-charismatic, his great political gift was in building connections. He was skilled enough for you to believe that the conversation with you was individual and personal, not just generic and political(PTI)

columns

Updated on Nov 27, 2020 08:51 PM IST

ByBarkha Dutt

From Bihar, a message for Indian politics, writes Barkha Dutt

The national Opposition does not exist, the Congress’s claim to this role is cosmetic, and only regional parties can be a bulwark against the BJP

BJP workers attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address at party HQ, a day after National Democratic Alliance garnered majority in the Bihar assembly polls, New Delhi, November.12, 2020(PTI)

columns

Updated on Nov 13, 2020 08:51 PM IST

ByBarkha Dutt

In Bihar, the eclipse of Brand Nitish Kumar, writes Barkha Dutt

Irrespective of the outcome in the assembly elections, the rage against the Bihar chief minister is palpable — and he only has himself to blame

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar at an election rally, West Champaran, Bihar, October 29(SANTOSH KUMAR/HTPHOTO)

columns

Updated on Oct 30, 2020 07:33 PM IST

ByBarkha Dutt

What’s common to TV news and the Opposition, writes Barkha Dutt

Both have failed to create a new template to take on the new normal. Both critique, but often don’t offer their own narrative. Imitation won’t work

Television news died the day it stopped telling the stories of people. And once debates became the staple, they had to be jazzed up with drama and the dialectics of confrontation to make them more entertaining.(AFP)

columns

Updated on Oct 17, 2020 06:35 AM IST

ByBarkha Dutt

Hathras: Making a mockery of the idea of justice

The institutional response to sexual violence is critical. On this, the UP police have covered themselves in shame. At every turn, they robbed the family of its agency to make key decisions

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi with party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi during their march to Hathras, Yamuna Expressway near Jewar, October 1, 2020(PTI)

columns

Updated on Oct 03, 2020 05:57 AM IST

ByBarkha Dutt

A wake-up call: There is a crisis in India’s schools

Covid has hit incomes. Parents are unable to pay fees. Schools, in turn, are blocking children from classes and exams. The government must step in

For many parents, coming out and speaking about the struggle to pay their children’s fees is difficult. Just like governments stepped in to cap the fees private hospitals could charge, a similar move might be needed for schools(Sanchit Khanna/HT PHOTO)

columns

Updated on Sep 19, 2020 05:57 AM IST

ByBarkha Dutt

Chronicling the tragic death of television news

Nothing has, as dramatically, underscored the death of journalism as the coverage of Sushant’s death. Those who are watching it are enablers

The invasiveness, the misogyny, the gossip, and the rumours, masquerading as reportage, herald a new low for TV news. Not one person has paused to wonder about the ethics of broadcasting deeply personal elements of individual lives in the public domain(HTPhoto)

columns

Published on Sep 04, 2020 08:02 PM IST

ByBarkha Dutt

Don’t fear democratic and lawful politics in Jammu and Kashmir | Opinion

The BJP has successfully buried the 370 debate. Why, then, marginalise pro-India democrats?

A year after the effective nullification of Article 370, nobody believes that the special status of J&K will be restored and almost everybody believes that its statehood will be returned(HT PHOTO)

columns

Updated on Aug 22, 2020 09:53 PM IST

ByBarkha Dutt

From Kashmir to Ayodhya, the BJP’s total domination of politics

The failure of the Opposition is on display yet again. It needs a new leader, a new language, a new story

The Opposition is either setting itself up as a minor variant of the BJP, or giving up already, or countering new politics with old and rusty instruments. All three methods will fail(Arijit Sen/HT Photo)

columns

Published on Aug 07, 2020 05:51 PM IST

ByBarkha Dutt

Rahul Gandhi should either take charge or get out of the way, writes Barkha Dutt

The Congress faces a leadership crisis, an inter-generational tussle and lacks a political narrative

This is not about Rajasthan. It is not about Ashok Gehlot or Sachin Pilot’s strengths and weaknesses. It is about the Congress and its leadership(PTI)

columns

Updated on Jul 24, 2020 10:00 PM IST

ByBarkha Dutt

This is not justice. India has faltered on the fundamentals of law, writes Barkha Dutt

There can’t be double standards on extrajudicial killings, depending on the case. It isn’t right

Vikas Dubey who was implicated in 62 criminal cases, including five cases of murder and eight cases of attempted murder, could not have thrived for 30 years, without the patronage of the rich and powerful(PTI)

columns

Updated on Jul 10, 2020 07:37 PM IST

ByBarkha Dutt

On China, the Indian government needs to communicate better

To lose the information war is to let down brave soldiers. Emulate the positive lessons from Kargil

During Kargil, the news media became a force multiplier for India’s interests. In this case, the government has released only dribs and drabs of information, leading to rumours(PTI)

analysis

Updated on Jun 26, 2020 07:39 PM IST

ByBarkha Dutt

The worst is yet to come in Delhi and Mumbai, writes Barkha Dutt

Requisition health care workers; create temporary facilities; have a clear chain of command; help patients

Bombay Municipal Corporation workers prepare an isolation centre at the NSCI dome, April 9, 2020(Bhushan Koyande/ HT)

columns

Updated on Jun 13, 2020 05:51 AM IST

ByBarkha Dutt

The solicitor general is wrong on migrant workers, writes Barkha Dutt

The crisis has exposed deep inequities. Glossing over the tragedy is an abdication of professional and moral duty

The lockdown has shielded the upper-middle class. The poorest citizen has been pushed to the periphery(Santosh Kumar/HTPhoto)

columns

Updated on May 29, 2020 07:38 PM IST

ByBarkha Dutt

There is a humanitarian crisis in India. Lift the lockdown, now

There is panic and devastation; social, economic and emotional structures are breaking down

India’s poorest are suffering the most. But entire swathes of the salaried middle-class are also in danger of being wiped out(Amal KS/HT PHOTO)

columns

Updated on May 15, 2020 05:34 PM IST

ByBarkha Dutt

India is staring at a crisis greater than Covid-19. It is time to open up

Continue to test, trace, and quarantine patients. But the rest of the nation has to get back to work

Health officials collect samples from medical staff of a hospital, Karol Bagh, New Delhi, April 30, 2020(Burhaan Kinu/HT PHOTO)

columns

Updated on May 01, 2020 08:15 PM IST

ByBarkha Dutt

Migrant workers are being treated poorly. Address their concerns, now

They are hungry, scared and worried. If the State cannot look after them, let them go home

Migrant workers hitch a ride after a nationwide lockdown was announced on March 24, Noida, March 29, 2020(Sunil Ghosh / Hindustan Times)

columns

Published on Apr 17, 2020 07:35 PM IST

ByBarkha Dutt

From Nizamuddin, on the ground, the story of the Tablighi Jamaat

The Jamaat was wrong. So were State agencies which allowed the gathering to take place

Drones being used by municipal employees to spray disinfectant during a sanitisation drive on day nine of the 21-day nationwide lockdown at Nizamuddin West, New Delhi, April 2, 2020(Biplov Bhuyan/HT PHOTO)

columns

Published on Apr 03, 2020 05:50 PM IST

ByBarkha Dutt

Modi is right to prepare India for a deeper crisis, writes Barkha Dutt

The PM used the grammar and rallying spirit of wartime. Be prepared for a longer, more formal, set of restrictions

In his next speech, the PM should focus on testing, provide data, and speak about the vulnerable segments who need help(PTI)

columns

Updated on Mar 20, 2020 06:57 PM IST

ByBarkha Dutt

Delhi riots: How India has failed its riot victims. Twice over, writes Barkha Dutt

No politician, from those in power to Opposition leaders, has reached out to the victims of the riot.

The police failed people of both religions. But the ineptitude or callousness was compounded by reports of communal bias when it came to police action in Muslim neighbourhoods(REUTERS)

columns

Updated on Mar 06, 2020 06:37 PM IST

ByBarkha Dutt

Why jailing Kashmir’s leaders is wrong, undemocratic and unwise, writes Barkha Dutt

The Modi government’s actions are only emboldening separatists and jihadis

India can offer many explanations for its decisions on Kashmir - a complex history, a desire to integrate the country under one law, terrorism, and misuse of social media. But there is no good reason to detain leaders who have sworn by the Constitution(Wassem Andrabi/HTPHOTO)

columns

Updated on Feb 22, 2020 06:17 AM IST

ByBarkha Dutt

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Barkha Dutt

Barkha Dutt is consulting editor, NDTV, and founding member, Ideas Collective. She tweets as @BDUTT.

As human tragedy unfolds, there is a shortage of everything — oxygen, drugs, beds, vaccines, even cremation space

Don’t return to lockdowns. Instead, approve more vaccines and ramp up vaccination — especially in the most affected states and cities

In this patchy, roller-coaster of a fortnight for India’s fundamental freedoms, some individuals have stood up, while others have failed our citizens

The Priya Ramani verdict has shut down the debate on the most banal and common question asked of women: Why didn’t you speak up earlier?

As India sought to stand against propaganda on farm protests, it appeared to be teaching the world a class on propaganda. And not very smartly at that

The sanctimony that a section of the media wears like a second skin comes undone so fast when the scrutiny is on them.

Governments have to learn how to engage with those who did not vote for them. Citizens have to learn how to converse amidst ideological divisions

The Trinamool Congress has made dramatic changes to its organisational power structure and launched two key mass outreach programmes

The two agitations which have made a mark in the past year have been led by citizens. The Opposition remains absent and redundant

With his pragmatism, openness, rigorous work ethic, and absolute commitment to the Congress and Sonia Gandhi, he emerged as a pillar of the party

The national Opposition does not exist, the Congress’s claim to this role is cosmetic, and only regional parties can be a bulwark against the BJP

Irrespective of the outcome in the assembly elections, the rage against the Bihar chief minister is palpable — and he only has himself to blame

Both have failed to create a new template to take on the new normal. Both critique, but often don’t offer their own narrative. Imitation won’t work

The institutional response to sexual violence is critical. On this, the UP police have covered themselves in shame. At every turn, they robbed the family of its agency to make key decisions

Covid has hit incomes. Parents are unable to pay fees. Schools, in turn, are blocking children from classes and exams. The government must step in

Nothing has, as dramatically, underscored the death of journalism as the coverage of Sushant’s death. Those who are watching it are enablers

The BJP has successfully buried the 370 debate. Why, then, marginalise pro-India democrats?

The failure of the Opposition is on display yet again. It needs a new leader, a new language, a new story

The Congress faces a leadership crisis, an inter-generational tussle and lacks a political narrative

There can’t be double standards on extrajudicial killings, depending on the case. It isn’t right

To lose the information war is to let down brave soldiers. Emulate the positive lessons from Kargil

Requisition health care workers; create temporary facilities; have a clear chain of command; help patients

The crisis has exposed deep inequities. Glossing over the tragedy is an abdication of professional and moral duty

There is panic and devastation; social, economic and emotional structures are breaking down

Continue to test, trace, and quarantine patients. But the rest of the nation has to get back to work

They are hungry, scared and worried. If the State cannot look after them, let them go home

The Jamaat was wrong. So were State agencies which allowed the gathering to take place

The PM used the grammar and rallying spirit of wartime. Be prepared for a longer, more formal, set of restrictions

No politician, from those in power to Opposition leaders, has reached out to the victims of the riot.

The Modi government’s actions are only emboldening separatists and jihadis

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