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
Iron man’s mettle
Sardar Patel’s absence in Left and Centrist discourse is as deplorable as his co-option in Hindutva narratives. It is time for a reappraisal of the leader, writes Gopalkrishna Gandhi.
Updated on May 21, 2011 04:40 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Gopalkrishna Gandhi
A very real estate
An imaginary conversation among three people on what should be built on the disputed Babri Masjid site. Gopalkrishna Gandhi writes.
Updated on Mar 06, 2011 12:58 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Gopalkrishna Gandhi
Walk that other way
With two decades of failures behind us, the world now needs something new if it wants to meet the UN’s Millennium Development Goals, writes Gopalkrishna Gandhi.
Updated on Mar 06, 2011 01:14 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Gopalkrishna Gandhi
A different call game
In India, neighbourhood malls are elbowing out street vendors and with them a way of life. A lifestyle where life is more important than style, writes Gopalkrishna Gandhi.
Updated on Sep 10, 2010 11:43 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Gopalkrishna Gandhi
Game of the name
Though the names of the ministries of the Union government are in pure Sanskrit, people have embraced these names. This exemplifies the national spirit of our diverse country, writes Gopalkrishna Gandhi.
Updated on Aug 27, 2010 09:40 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Gopalkrishna Gandhi
A moth-eaten nation?
Sixty-three years after Independence, there are enough reasons for us to be celebrating India’s hard-won freedom today. But is this celebration being conducted under darkening skies?
Updated on Aug 14, 2010 07:54 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Gopalkrishna Gandhi
The rainbow people
Any question on caste in the census will be an easy one to answer for those who come from ‘clear’ caste lines. But what about those of mixed parentage? asks Gopalkrishna Gandhi.
Updated on Jul 31, 2010 08:23 AM IST
None | Gopalkrishna Gandhi
Srimati Lanka
Sirimavo Bandaranaike, the world’s first woman prime minister, broke all traditional assumptions of women being incapable of political prudence, Gopalkrishna Gandhi explores...
Updated on Jul 16, 2010 11:10 PM IST
None | Gopalkrishna Gandhi
Taking the high road
Fali Nariman, one of the most honest of men I have known, has recently published an absorbing autobiography, Before Memory Fades. A little earlier, in a foreword to the memoirs of a man of deep faith, Russi M. Lala, Fali wrote: "Whilst I too believe in God, I don’t believe that God concerns himself with the fates and actions of individual human beings." Gopalkrishna Gandhi writes.
Updated on Jun 18, 2010 10:00 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Gopalkrishna Gandhi
Walking a tightrope
It’s difficult to give a definite answer to whether the world is a good or a bad place. There are many questions in our daily lives that are not as unanswerable as they are unasked, writes Gopalkrishna Gandhi.
Updated on Jun 06, 2010 10:37 PM IST
None | Gopalkrishna Gandhi
Dying a slow death
A nation’s lifestyle is nothing but the integrated lifestyles of its people which, in turn, is nothing but the living pattern of individuals. And few things reflect an individual’s lifestyle as honestly as the pile of garbage that collects in the kitchen, and is thrown out, at the end of the day, says Gopalkrishna Gandhi.
Updated on May 21, 2010 11:23 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Gopalkrishna Gandhi, New Delhi
Double role models
Can national and personal instincts co-exist? The lives of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru hold answers, writes Gopalkrishna Gandhi.
Updated on Apr 23, 2010 11:12 PM IST
None | Gopalkrishna Gandhi
No lunacy, this
For a thirsty Earth, the temptation to tap moonwater could be irresistible. But hopefully India will not pioneer the race to exploit this resource, writes Gopalkrishna Gandhi.
Updated on Apr 09, 2010 10:55 PM IST
None | Gopalkrishna Gandhi
Renaissance studies
As we celebrate 20 years of Mandela’s release and 80 years of the Dandi March, let’s cast a glance at the state of prisoners in India’s jails today. Gopalkrishna Gandhi tells more...
Updated on Mar 26, 2010 10:48 PM IST
None | Gopalkrishna Gandhi
Richter’s lessons lost
As Kutch and Latur showed, India is vulnerable to earthquakes. We need to know more about them not only for information but also for our safety, writes Gopalkrishna Gandhi.
Updated on Mar 12, 2010 11:01 PM IST
None | Gopalkrishna Gandhi
A hum, Hindustani
Is there such a thing as an ‘Indian instinct’? It is the inner voice of India that’s so important and so fragile, writes Gopalkrishna Gandhi.
Updated on Feb 26, 2010 11:59 PM IST
None | Gopalkrishna Gandhi
Three Chennais
Gopalkrishna Gandhi writes about the truth of movie tickets, how to hold one’s own among music aficionados, and watching people on the beach front...
Updated on Feb 21, 2010 11:15 PM IST
None | Gopalkrishna Gandhi
They serve a purpose
The Mahatma wanted governors to influence policy, not just be mere figureheads of the State, writes Gopalkrishna Gandhi.
Updated on Jan 29, 2010 11:55 PM IST
None | Gopalkrishna Gandhi
Birds of a feather
How two regular visitors at the Raj Bhavan in Kolkata provided unexpected cheer and joy to another couple about to leave, writes Gopalkrishna Gandhi.
Updated on Jan 10, 2010 09:44 PM IST
None | Gopalkrishna Gandhi
Mark his words
There is an essentiality to Gandhi’s use of ‘potent’ vocabulary, his elisions being of a voltage higher than that of his words, writes Gopalkrishna Gandhi.
Updated on Oct 01, 2007 11:31 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Gopalkrishna Gandhi