HT Vs TOI: A comparison of Sunday editions

On Sundays, the edit page gets replaced by columnists' opinions. The page is named 'All that matters' in Times of India and 'Reflections' in Hindustan Times. Here I am putting my impressions. Everybody has personal likes and dislikes but I am entited to my views. You write yours in comment section. I will later post m thoughts on Sunday Magazines (supplements) also.

Hindustan Times

Why can't I figure out what Indrajit Hazra writes? He gives me a complex. If he writes well, I should like it. I don't know anybody say it to me that he writes great. But then he keeps appearing on HT Sunday page that has four columns including the highly-readable Vir Sanghvi.

He tries to appear funny, isn't it? That's what the photo suggests. Whatever. My problem is that I don't enjoy the column and on Sunday I am in the mood to read and any column that goes above my head, is a waste. Come down to our level, Sir.

Coming to Vir again. The other day I felt Vir was also getting slightly out of touch. He wrote that Indians don't know much about Pakistan now and are less interested in its politics compared to past. I would like to humbly point out that Indians know much about Pakistan and Pak politics than ever thanks to the overdose of Channels and the coverage in papers. In the past there was never this much Pakistan in our homes.

You say that it was Punjabis who shared the same culture. Of course, that generation must be having the interest. But only Punjabis then knew so much about Pakistan, not the rest of us. But know Pakistan is thrust into us through our eyeballs, throat and nose.

We know it much more than we did in the past. But he is the best writer in India, undoubtedly, one whose articles you read in a single sitting and you don't need a dictionary to understand him.

Karan Thapar! Never tires of his Pertie. Still, some find him readable, others don't. I think if he should write only when he is in mood and not to just continue the column every week, he will certainly be a hit. Else, he keeps enlightening about the English and ways of the Britons, when he doesnt' have much to say.

Times of India

Times of India is getting quite Right these days. We have Swapan Das Gupta, the journo who writes from an altogether different perspective. Why doesn't he start wearing a Saffron robe as well.

Sometimes you get to see our old Lady, Shobha De. She may be repetitive but not biased. Swaminathan Anklesariya Aiyar tried hard to tell us last week how Gujarat riots were bad and disgusting but still...(I hope you understand). If Mani Shankar Aiyer is the extreme secularist, Anklesaria Aiyar has to defend Modi. Shan't he, even if he has to go back to Sikh riots again and again to put Congress in bad light.

Week after week we have to celebrate NRI success with Gurcharan Das and the desktop journalist Chidanand Rajghatta, who does write beautifully at times. The lesser said of Jug Suraiya, the better it is. He himself claims to be the columnist who is least read. Bachi Karkaria sometimes goes overboard with her rhymestry and tukbandi.

But don't Times people have any replacement. Are we so short of good writers?

Indian Express

After they changed the look of Sunday paper, its Sunday opinion page has lost its charm. Coomi Kapoor may give you a gossip or two. Tavleen Singh is rarely the same person she once was. Sudheendra Kulkarni is sometimes sensible but I think now he has run out of ideas.