Wonderful catching up with dear friends and legal luminaries, Justice Kannan and Supreme Court Senior Advocate Raju Ramachandran, at a colloquium at the Asian College of Journalism in Chennai today!

It was a pleasure to attend the German Unity Day celebrations in Chennai today – a wonderful event celebrating unity, freedom, & friendship while reaffirming the enduring bonds between Germany and India. Pictured with me is my friend, Mr Michael Hasper, Consul General of Germany.

Reconnecting with my friend Vijayakumar Reddy at his Chennai residence after a long time was a truly wonderful experience. Our conversation covered a wide range of subjects from current politics to the deeper question of the oneness of God that runs through all religions.

I argue in The Hindu that subjugation of women cannot be challenged through reformist rhetoric alone. It requires the Muslim laity to question clerical authority, and political leaders to stop lending legitimacy to regressive clerical institutions through high-profile visits.

Spent a wonderful, long evening with my friend Habib Hussain today after quite a while. We spent hours talking through the weight of the world – from the US-Iran war to honouring the memory and tragic loss of our visionary friend Irshad Mecca.

Democracy requires debate, not abuse!