menu_open Columnists
Karan Thapar

Karan Thapar

hindustantimes

We use cookies to provide some features and experiences in QOSHE

More information  .  Close

Appraising the Constitution on its 75 anniversary

Appraising the Constitution on its 75 anniversary

Scholars have criticised the Constitution for being colonial. The RSS claims it’s not rooted in an Indian ethos. So, in what sense has it been good...

02.02.2025 20

hindustantimes

Karan Thapar

Full Text | Govt Needs to Accept that What It’s Doing Hasn’t Worked: Arvind Subramanian to Karan Thapar

30.01.2025 3

The Wire

Karan Thapar

'On All Fronts, Economy Not in Great Shape': Modi Govt's Former Chief Economic Advisor

30.01.2025 20

The Wire

Karan Thapar

24 Akbar Road, home of Aung San Suu Kyi

24 Akbar Road, home of Aung San Suu Kyi

“Last week, when the papers started to reminisce about 24 Akbar Road, I realised I knew it before it became a political office”

26.01.2025 9

hindustantimes

Karan Thapar

Issues that will come under Trump 2.0 fire

What sort of relationship is Trump likely to pursue with China and Xi Jinping? And what will be the implications for India?

19.01.2025 20

hindustantimes

Karan Thapar

BJP's Overreaction to Mark Zuckerberg May Help Party, But Not India: Karan Thapar on 'Modi's Loss'

15.01.2025 30

The Wire

Karan Thapar

India is a fine country after all, as Brits found

W.D. & H.O. Wills once issued a handbook with guidelines for British soldiers arriving in India. It was intended to ease their sojourn in our land

12.01.2025 20

hindustantimes

Karan Thapar

Political parties should endorse dual citizenship

Citizenship is not just a privilege conferred by birth. It can also be a reflection of multinational parentage as well as an expression of self-...

05.01.2025 7

hindustantimes

Karan Thapar

The delightful, rude world of put-downs

Witty insults showcase cleverness and restraint. Karan Thapar shares memorable put-downs from notable figures as we welcome the New Year.

29.12.2024 3

hindustantimes

Karan Thapar

‘We Need a Politics Which Is Inclusive, Rather Than Exclusive’: What Manmohan Singh Said in 1999

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh passed away on December 26, 2024. The following was published by The Wire on February 25, 2024, when Singh...

26.12.2024 4

The Wire

Karan Thapar

Subtle and seductive charms of Abu Dhabi

The wonders of Abu Dhabi include its cultural gems. The Louvre and the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque are two obvious examples

22.12.2024 8

hindustantimes

Karan Thapar

Full Text | Constitution, Majority, BJP: What an RSS Chief Told Karan Thapar Decades Ago

In 2000-2001, K.S. Sudarshan, former RSS sarsanghchalak or chief told Karan Thapar that the Indian constitution is alien to the India ethos and...

17.12.2024 3

The Wire

Karan Thapar

Zakir Hussain in Interview: Sleeping in School, Learning Music at Night and Melding Traditions

Zakir Hussain was playing at a Mumbai concert at 3.30 am with Ravi Shankar – his father the legendary Allah Rakha seated in the front row – when...

17.12.2024 5

The Wire

Karan Thapar

Why I refuse to address guests on my show as sir

Sir, as understood in British English, is deferential. It would place the interviewee on a pedestal, above the interviewer. Yet the assumption of a...

15.12.2024 5

hindustantimes

Karan Thapar

The strange feeling of hatred towards the Other

What allegedly happened eight centuries ago — and it’s a belief, not a fact — is of relevance to history but hardly reason to demolish a dargah...

08.12.2024 4

hindustantimes

Karan Thapar

'Large Part of Media Completely Compromised on Journalism's Core Values; I'm Disillusioned': Rajdeep Sardesai

Rajdeep Sardesai talks about the state of the media today and whether he is disillusioned with it. The well-known television anchor said “large...

05.12.2024 10

The Wire

Karan Thapar

Full Text | The Inexplicable Surge in Maharashtra Turnout Data After Polls Closed

In an interview to Karan Thapar, economist and current affairs commentator, Parakala Prabhakar, drew attention to inexplicable and disconcerting...

28.11.2024 10

The Wire

Karan Thapar

Watch | 'EC Must Explain Surge in Maharashtra Turnout Data After Polls Closed, Legitimacy of Mandate at Stake'

Economist and current affairs commentator, Parakala Prabhakar, has drawn attention to inexplicable and disconcerting discrepancies in the official...

28.11.2024 9

The Wire

Karan Thapar

Full Text | Adani Hid FBI Raid and US Investigation From SEBI, Denied Allegations: Sucheta Dalal

Sucheta Dalal, the Managing Editor of Moneylife and India’s foremost financial journalist, says the 54-page US indictment of Gautam Adani, his...

25.11.2024 4

The Wire

Karan Thapar

Gautam Adani Failed to Inform SEBI of FBI Raid & US Investigation, Lied When He Denied They Happened

Sucheta Dalal, the managing editor of Moneylife and India’s foremost financial journalist, says the 54-page US indictment of Gautam Adani, his...

22.11.2024 3

The Wire

Karan Thapar

Misandry cannot ensure safety of women of UP

The proposals reveal an astonishing level of distrust of men. They presume women are not safe in the company of male tailors, hairdressers and shop...

16.11.2024 5

hindustantimes

Karan Thapar

Portrait of an icon: Ratan Tata, up close and personal

Thomas Mathew's book reveals Ratan Tata's personal life, including his childhood, loves, and quirks, showcasing a complex and relatable figure...

09.11.2024 3

hindustantimes

Karan Thapar

Full Text | 'I Hope History Does Not Remember CJI D.Y Chandrachud': Dushyant Dave to Karan Thapar

07.11.2024 30

The Wire

Karan Thapar

The wonder that was India in ancient times

The Golden Road: How Ancient India Transformed the World is, therefore, not just about the wonder that was India but its influence on the rest of...

03.11.2024 9

hindustantimes

Karan Thapar

HARDtalk made guests squirm, viewers happy

I predict the BBC will come to regret the scrapping of HARDtalk. More importantly, it will leave its loyal viewers poorly informed

26.10.2024 2

hindustantimes

Karan Thapar

A posthumous Bharat Ratna for Ratan Tata

Ratan Tata was a great businessman, a visionary industrialist and a warm, compassionate, and good human being. But that could be true of many...

19.10.2024 3

hindustantimes

Karan Thapar

After Gaza war, image of Israel has been battered

Justice for Palestine has become a cause not just for the United Nations but, more tellingly, in Washington. And it’s voiced most strongly on the...

12.10.2024 3

hindustantimes

Karan Thapar

The case against bans, including on cigarettes

There are a thousand good reasons not to smoke; a million good arguments to persuade me against it. But if I still choose to do so, don’t seek to...

05.10.2024 3

hindustantimes

Karan Thapar

Attracted to the world of words, like bees to honey

Shashi Tharoor's love for words shines in his book "A Wonderland of Words," exploring English's quirks, from Indianisms to clever figures of speech.

28.09.2024 4

hindustantimes

Karan Thapar

Watch | 'One Nation One Election Violates Basic Structure of Constitution; I’ll Go to Supreme Court'

One of the founding members of the Association for Democratic Reforms, has said that he has no doubt that one nation one election will breach the...

26.09.2024 6

The Wire

Karan Thapar

Sita, a man of wit who stood by what he said

“Sita was also an attentive listener with a formidable memory. In fact, the range and accuracy of his memory was a powerful weapon in interviews...

21.09.2024 3

hindustantimes

Karan Thapar

‘Manipur Police’s Behaviour in Kuki Areas ‘Questionable’, Assam Rifles Is Unbiased’: Lt. Gen Kalita

Lieutenant General Rana Pratap Kalita, former chief of Eastern Command who retired in December 2023, has confirmed that “numerous lives were saved”...

19.09.2024 2

The Wire

Karan Thapar

HH Asquith, on the precipice of propriety

Precipiceis the story of Herbert Henry Asquith, the Earl of Oxford and Asquith, who was pM of Britain from 1908 to 1916, and his infatuation for...

14.09.2024 5

hindustantimes

Karan Thapar

KNO Leader: Kuki Groups May Have Breached Suspension of Operations; Separate Admin Can Wait 20 Yrs

The national spokesperson of the Kuki National Organisation, one of the important umbrella organisations that is a part of the SoO Group, has said...

14.09.2024 2

The Wire

Karan Thapar

Watch | 'CJI-PM Puja Absolutely Unforgivable, Undermines SC’s Integrity': Ramachandra Guha

In outspoken and hard-hitting criticism of the Chief Justice of India, historian Ramachandra Guha has said the Chief Justice inviting the Prime...

13.09.2024 7

The Wire

Karan Thapar

The good life of the Raj in a Calcutta hotel and club

A recent trip to Kolkata revealed lingering colonial charm at The Glenburn hotel and the Bengal Club, where tradition and elegance persist.

07.09.2024 4

hindustantimes

Karan Thapar

A strange accusation, and malice in Faujiland

The tale I have to tell is so strange, most people wouldn’t even find it credible as fiction. And yet, believe me, it’s true

31.08.2024 4

hindustantimes

Karan Thapar

The man who knew how to retrieve lost moments

Natwar Singh had this instinctive skill of knowing how to retrieve lost moments. It was one of his most winning qualities.

24.08.2024 2

hindustantimes

Karan Thapar

Neeraj-Arshad warmth echoes shared culture

Punjabis share a unique bond across India and Pakistan, rooted in shared culture and history, transcending political divides. This connection...

17.08.2024 3

hindustantimes

Karan Thapar

Heed those WhatsApp warnings on fraudsters

WhatsApp messages often warn us to guard against door-to-door salesmen and to never share our credit card pin code with people claiming to be from...

10.08.2024 3

hindustantimes

Karan Thapar

The Gymkhana Club’s ungentlemanly move

In a move that is bizarre and insulting to its members, the club has decided members must deposit money for dining, etc in advance. They must have a...

03.08.2024 2

hindustantimes

Karan Thapar

Glimpses of British summertime cheer

A glimpse of a sunny summer day in Britain, with London warmer than Delhi, ice cream in the park, and the joy of a British countryside pub.

27.07.2024 3

hindustantimes

Karan Thapar

'Budget is Nondescript; Steps to Generate Jobs Barely Scratch the Surface': Pronab Sen

In what the government could view as a searing critique of the budget, one of India’s most renowned economic commentators has called the budget “...

27.07.2024 2

The Wire

Karan Thapar