There are no breaking news at the moment
Introduction by Edward Curtin Today India, a country of nearly 1.4 billion people, nearly a fifth of the world’s population, is a nuclear armed state ruled by leaders who have vociferously rejected the non-violent legacy of Gandhi, the leader of India’s independence movement and the Father of the Nation. When he was assassinated on January 30, 1948, his death sent[Read More…]
After the Ayyapa jatara ended on January 14 with the so called ‘Makara Jyothi’ appearing for the devotees at Sabarimala, Pinarayi Vijayan, the chief minister of the Left front government, emerged a skillful social reformer and good administrator. The Narendra Modi government deployed its Kerala wing to push him against a wall by opposing the implementation of the Supreme Court judgment in 2018 lifting the ban[Read More…]
National Executive Committee Meeting, Nasik (Maharashtra),6 January 2019 Political Resolution The SPI would like to remind the citizens of India that the Indian Constitution is passing through the crisis of a serious threat from the ruling establishment of the country. The present government is not only destroying the basic values of socialism, secularism and democracy embedded in the Constitution, but[Read More…]
Narendra Modi, the present incumbent to the Prime Minister’s chair, had a little break the other day for an award ceremony. Well, little different from the usual award ceremonies — where the Prime Minister presents awards and gives some pep talk, here Modi himself was presented with the ’First-ever Philip Kotler Award’. Perhaps looking at Modi’s much-publicised workaholic nature (if[Read More…]
It is shocking to learn that Jharkhand Government has decided to reduce the number of weekly eggs in school midday meals from three to two. Earlier, the government allotted Rs 4 per egg. With increase in price of eggs, it has revised the allotment to Rs 6 per egg. But instead of increasing the total budget commensurately with the inflation[Read More…]
Harappa! We are all your descendants You shepherded the first civilization You built the first city in the East You domesticated the early animals Goat, sheep, buffalo, dog and donkey. You made the first pot, brick, bronze tools You built the first tank, boat and building. You were God’s Own Man. Brahma came and burnt all your civilization Indra damaged[Read More…]
The election campaigns in North India would have passed uneventful had Yogi Adityanadh not uttered at Alwar, Rajasthan during the last phase in November 20018, the impulsive feeling that Hanuman was only a Dalit forest dweller and servant of Raja Sri Ram. It was the inner[Read More…]
The quota bill providing 10% reservation for the ‘general’ category of people has been passed by the Rajya Sabha yesterday with opposition parties like Congress, Samajwadi Party, AAP and left parties . The AIDMK walked out of the Parliament so had the stand of DMK as Tamilnadu already have 69% quota. The question is whether this act will not be[Read More…]
Mr. Kotha Prabhakar Reddy, Member Parliament, on 8th January 2019, seek a reply from Government of India, Ministry of Scial Justice and Empowerment to the question (No. 4475) on ‘Reservation for Poor’. Mr. Reddy’s question was : (a) whether the Government is exploring the scope of providing reservation for poor candidates from forward communities for education and employment; (b) if[Read More…]
Imagine a pool of 100 candidates. You have 10 vacancies to appoint them. Now tell them that 9 wil be appointed on merit and 1 will be under reservation, but all 100 are eligible to apply for the 1 reserved seat. Conduct a written test and select 10 who scored most. First 9 gets in the merit list and the[Read More…]
By passing the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 in the Lok Sabha the Narendra Modi government at the Center has taken up another step towards the contempt of the Constitution. The Bill provides that six non-Muslim communities – Hindu, Sikh, Christian, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi – of Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan will be granted citizenship of India in the event of religious[Read More…]
Our Akhila Bharata Sahitya Sammelana is an annually occurring lavish ritual literally like a school annual day celebration. This time it’s being observed in Dharwad. The expenditure for these Sammelanas has been increasing by the crores, year after year. It was 8 crores for the Sammelana held in Mysore last year, 7 plus crores for the one before that in[Read More…]
PUCL Maharashtra expresses shock and dismay at reports that the BMC and BEST administration have chosen to invoke draconian provisions of the Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act (MESMA) against striking BEST employees, instead of taking steps to respond to their demands and alleviate their grievances at the earliest. PUCL Maharashtra learns that the BEST administration has issued eviction notices to[Read More…]
Tens of millions of workers throughout India yesterday joined the second day of a 48-hour national protest strike against the hated pro-investor economic “reforms” of the Hindu supremacist Bharatiya Janatha Party (BJP)-led government. While the capitalist media largely tried to black-out the strike, it was supported by broad sections of the working class, both in the so-called formal and informal[Read More…]
( All characters and incidents, referred in this piece are fictional) The rural India, today is governed by the urban technocratic mindset which is not always very helpful and often dangerous. While we often relate under development to the lack of awareness among the rural communities, the truth is the urban awareness on rural lifestyle and culture is negligible and[Read More…]
Over 180 million workers began a two-day general strike across India yesterday in protest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s big business assault on the working class. Tens of thousands of workers defied threats of sacking and pay cut by state governments to join the national walkout. The huge strike, which is continuing today, is a powerful indication of the mass[Read More…]
The entry of two women devotees, Bindu and Kanakadurga, into the sanctum sanctorum of the Sabarimala temple on January 2 led to widespread violence in the state of Kerala. The violence, which erupted during the bandh call issued by the BJP and allied organisations on January 3, saw not just damage of public property but also the loss of a[Read More…]
Anupam Kher’s film ‘Accidental Prime Minister’ has targeted Dr. Manmohan Singh who served for two terms and may be again acceptable for the job if his party regains power. But his tormentor Narendra Modi seems to be out of breath even before his first term is over. Disillusionment with him is so widespread and deep that people of India may[Read More…]
As reported in the media that the BJP led Union Cabinet on Monday 7th Jan 2019 has approved 10 reservations for economically weaker upper castes in the government jobs and education. For giving the reservation, the government has underlined the criterion for deciding economically weaker section, would be based on the size of ‘land holdings’ and the income of the respective[Read More…]
‘Hinduism’s suitability for the modern world lies in many ways in its recognition of non Dogmatism and uncertainty’ Good Hindu Dr. Shashi Tharoor in ‘Why I am Hindu’ pg 287 ‘I am all for women empowerment but the issue is of sanctity. The entry of two women inside the premise of a temple shrine is an unnecessarily deliberate and[Read More…]
10% reservation quota for Upper castes people in the government jobs is ever biggest gimmick of the Modi government after Rs.1.5 million to very citizen of India and 2 crore new jobs per year. Today’s Union Cabinet decision of 10% reservation to Upper castes people and tomorrow a bill-proposal will put up by the Minister in Parliament for bringing constitutional[Read More…]
The decision of the Centre to provide for an additional 10% quota for the economically weaker section among upper caste in jobs and education is a misrepresentation of the idea of representation. Measuring social deprivation by economic standards is a caste-blind approach that usurps the spirit of positive discrimination to the socially and educationally backward caste for decades. The government[Read More…]
To Shri Pinarayi Vijayan Chief Minister of Kerala CC To: President of India, Chief Justice of India, Governor of Kerala Over 200 women’s activists, dalit activists, adivasi activists, human rights groups, social organisations, cultural personalities and well known citizens demand the dismissal of the priests in Sabarimala over violation of constitutional rights and return the shrine to adivasis. Sir, Adv.[Read More…]
“Caste is not a physical object like a wall of bricks or a line of barbed wire which prevents the Hindus from co-mingling and which has, therefore, to be pulled down. Caste is a notion; it is a state of the mind.” When Ambedkar inscribed this line for millions of Dalits of India, he rejected the dictatorial theology and power[Read More…]
They are demanding better wages, better employment opportunities, better social security and democratic rights for the workers while opposing price-rise. They have also declared that they are opposing the “pro-corporate, anti-national and anti-people policies” of the BJP Government by Mr. Modi, which have spelled misery for the workers. These demands are just and we support the same along with their[Read More…]
Barely a week into 2019 I am still trying to figure out what exactly is so ‘new’ about this New Year that is upon us. The balance in my bank account has not changed for the better, nor has my weight, nor the cost of living, while the future all around looks depressingly same as a smog-struck Delhi winter day.[Read More…]
Pre-View: When you fail to understand & resolve your own problems, then, those who suffer by your ‘inaction’ will certainly approach others for their resolution. Triple divorce is such a topic that has been over-discussed & talked through in India since decades drawing the attention of the Muslim Personal Law Board (MPLB) & Indian Muslim leaders to find a remedy to stop[Read More…]
India’s Working Class people have a tremendous history of showing their built-up anger and collective bargaining strength time and again through General Strikes. Since the arrival of the disastrous policies of neo-liberalism in 1991, the working class of India have embarked upon a General Strike 17 times. Last time when we struck work in September 2016, an unprecedented 180 million workers took part[Read More…]
If we talk to reductionists who are die hard Hindu upper caste and usually upper caste about the Other that is Muslim they come up with some interesting observations that can be summed up in the amusing and alarming sentence ‘all Muslims are potential terrorists as all terrorists are Muslim.’ This is followed by statements that stem from fear like:[Read More…]
Advancement of technology, more than benefiting masses, is becoming dangerous in the hands of miscreants. Increase of smart – phones and computers have spread the use of social media platforms. Instead of using the platforms for messaging information or decent discussion, it is becoming a medium to spew hatred, upload incidents of human rights violations mostly by perpetrators themselves with[Read More…]
Courtesy ANI, Narendra Modi has clarified his position on both the Triple Talaq Bill as well as the Sabarimalatemple entry movement. Though problematic on its face it’s a remarkable effort in defense of the indefensible. While he classified the former as a tool for ensuring equal rights for Muslim women, he ended up contradicting himself when it came to talking[Read More…]
“It is no doubt ironic that the motor car, superstar of the capitalist system, expects to live rent-free” – WOLFGANG ZUCKERMAN. It is true even very rich motorists all over the world do not like to pay for parking. That is bad enough. What is alarming is that in India this insistence on the right to park free, grab public[Read More…]
Kerala still appears to have been languished in a self-imposed prison of hartals in spite of all efforts to terminate the snowballing menace of social disruption and public nuisance caused by its reckless ‘declaration.’ It was only recently that nearly three dozen trade organisations got together to declare that 2019 would be a ‘hartal-free year.’ However, 2019 began with the[Read More…]
Modi As A Hindu Nationalist PM Modi is the only occupier of a constitutional post in the history of Independent India who declared himself to be a Hindu nationalist. He made this declaration in 2013 in an interview to two Reuters journalists, Ross Colvin and Sruthi Gottipati, on July 12 as CM of Gujarat.[i] Modi glorified his Hindu nationalist identity[Read More…]
In the recent backdrop of the electoral results, finally the hangover of 2014 elections seem diminishing if not ending. Though it would be a hasty statement to predict the national electoral outcomes based on state electoral results as these elections vary in many aspects. But, once again these electoral outcomes brought the importance of alliance and coalition at the forefront[Read More…]
After the historic ‘Women’s Wall’ that challenged Brahmanic Patriarchy two young women entered the Sabarimala temple early morning today. Bindu and Kanaka Durga, both in their early 40s, entered the hilltop shrine around 3.45 am. This is the first entry of women after the Supreme Court ordered the end of a decades-old ban on women of menstrual age entering the[Read More…]
Since the BJP government came into power in 2014, it has initiated and purposed to make legislation on Muslim women mainly around the instant Triple talaq. Just few days back, Bill has been passed in the Lok Sabha where BJP has majority. However, opposition’s parties belonging to the Left, Congress and including Muslims political parties (AIMIM) led by Mr. Asaduddin[Read More…]
About 3-5 million women formed a wall across Kerala to protect to protect Kerala’s renaissance values and for women empowerment. About three million women stood shoulder to shoulder across Kerala and formed 620 KM “wall” from Thiruvananthapuram to the northern district of Kasaragod. They also pledged to protec the renaissance values of Kerala. The wall was organised against the backdrop[Read More…]
While we every other day listen to boastful claims that the country India is developing fast. It has become very difficult for most of us to accept the brute reality that our people die because of hunger. Yes, death due to[Read More…]
West Bengal in its contemporary form is a new territory. One that came into existence at the helm of the midnight hour on August 15,1947. Prior to that, it was simply Bengal. Bengal whose geography was once distorted by Britishers who used the blade of divide and rule to slit it in 1905 into East and West Bengal based on[Read More…]
The Narander Modi led BJP govt passed the Muslim women ( Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017.The reworked bill to make triple talaq or instant divorce among Muslims a punishable offence was passed by Lok Sabha on Thursday, 27th of December 2018. The Triple Talaq Bill states that the offence of pronouncing triple talaq is a cognisable and non-bailable[Read More…]
Editorial of the current issue of Frontier, Kolkata The long battle over. 61 Mott Lane is over. What is not over is the trauma faced by the employees of Frontier in the morning of December 17, 2018. Finally Frontier will have to vacate this place in a week or two. It all started way back in 1985 when Samar Sen[Read More…]
On 6th December, 1992 the news of demolition of 464 years old mosque by Hindu Fanatics, Kar Sevaks, at Ayodhiya UP organised by BJP & VHP through their Rathyatras & speeches, cast a gloom over the entire 180 million Indian Muslim population. It was the forecast of more communal poison & violence in the lap of ever-increasing wave of palengenetic Hindu[Read More…]
It would have been more pertinent and meaningful if this piece had been written by a journalist friend. Actually, I had waited for some time hoping that one or another journalist friend would turn his attention to this subject and write about it. But unfortunately, journalists who would look into the changing face of Delhi metropolis and speak about the[Read More…]
The successive governments have depended heavily on technology to deal with service delivery and leakages and the use of technology has almost become indispensible in the modern day governance approaches. As a result one can observe the mobile apps, websites, MIS data being the popular talking points among the top officials and technology has become a one stop solution to[Read More…]
The dubious performance (failure) of genetically engineered Bt cotton, officially India’s only GM crop, should serve as a warning as the push within the country to adopt GM across a wide range of food crops continues. This article provides an outline of some key reports and papers that have appeared in the last few years on Bt cotton in India. In[Read More…]
Socialist Party, on the occasion of 95th birthday of Justice Rajindar Sachar, founder member of the party, organized a one-day seminar on 22 December 2018, on the topic ‘How to Save Constitutional Institutions and Values?’ in Jalandhar city of Punjab. Citizens from different parts of Punjab reached Jalandhar to pay their homage to Justice Sachar on this occasion. The seminar[Read More…]
If one questions — what do women know about farming and agriculture, the answer will be pretty much everything. Women’s contribution to agriculture all across the world is exemplary. According to United Nation’s Food and Agricultural Organisation, if women had the same access to productive resources as men, they could increase yields on their farms by 20-30%. Nevertheless women continue[Read More…]
Qazi Zainus Sajidin, the city Qazi of Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, has an added responsibility these days. Anyone who listens to his sermons, gets a surprise when nearing the end of his takreer (speech), he underlines the importance of vaccinations and how a timely dose can save the lives of children. Qazisaab is not the only cleric in the region who has[Read More…]
The spring of hope has arrived at last. The Bharatiya Janata Party and its powerful propaganda machine had pitched this as a contest between Rahul Gandhi and Narendra Modi — Namdar versus Kamdar (the entitled one vs someone who has worked his way up). And the voters have spoken what they think of the performance of Kamdar! The Indians have[Read More…]
In rural Andhra Pradesh, there is a proverb that is reportedly used by rapists against their victims, “Allow me to rape you — or I’ll cut my own organ [presumably, the penis].” The saying reflects deep-seated misogyny and chauvinistic tendencies. The threat of self-immolation now emerging from Thiruvananthapuram against the Supreme Court order that allowed women of all age groups[Read More…]
Much has been discussed in main stream media about the BJP’s war cry of Congress Mukt Bharat, the popular slogan that itself occupies the position of nothing more than a footnote in the BJP’s larger imagination of a Hindu Rashtra. However, the same vigor is missing when it comes to discussing riddance from BJP & RSS’ politics of hate. The[Read More…]
Dr BR Ambedkar was right in saying that capitalism and brahmanism are the two evils the workers of the country had to deal with. By the passage of time, it has been converted to neo-liberalism and Hindutva. As education became a constitutionally guaranteed right, the Hindutva brigade had to become friends with the neo-liberalism to stop the students from marginalised[Read More…]
Mumbai | 17th Dec: Last night, the people, who were protesting at Azad Maidan against their failed rehabilitation at #MumbaisToxicHell Mahul, were forced by the police to leave the ground. As there was no substitute Mahul residents had to be spent the night at platform no. 18 of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. Since thousands of people were asked to adjust[Read More…]
Congress leader Sajjan Kumar has been found guilty and has been sentenced to life in jail for his role in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots by the Delhi High Court, which cancelled an earlier court order acquitting him. Sajjan Kumar, 73, was convicted in the killing of five members of a family in Raj Nagar in Delhi. He has been asked[Read More…]
After the recent reverses BJP suffered in the assembly elections, many scions of so-called liberal media have got busy theorizing the loss as anti-incumbency. Arguments are repeatedly being made across liberal platforms that people in the three states BJP lost power, voted on local issues and against their respective state government. It appears a full-fledged campaign has been initiated, and to[Read More…]
A recent inglorious defeat of Modi/Shah combine in three Indian states: Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and victory of Rahul Gandhi, once labeled immature, part-time politicians by the BJP/RSS, shows that no leader or government can befool the intelligent Indian voters for a long time. Insulating day and night Gandhi family from the public platforms by Modi/RSS/VHP/Bajrang Dal made sick[Read More…]
Every one of our policy makers of government, quasi government and private or other sectors in India says proudly about sustainable development or they plan towards achievement of sustainability of the particular programme. But their desired expectation is theoretically a mouthful word. It is perhaps a political demand, and it is only a politically correct concept because practice tells different[Read More…]
Gandhi’s vision of the ideal society was that of a non-violent and democratic social order in which there would be a just balance between individual freedom and social responsibility. He had a very high regard for the place of ideals in human life. Without ideals, he said, life could have no meaning because there would be no goals towards which[Read More…]
My previous essay in this series of Essays for Our Times addressed to India got three hundred shares on fb. This surprising fact has made me keep quiet for a long time, wondering what to write next. It was on “why I am an Indian.” Meanwhile, while I go on reifying the definitions of nation, India and what it means[Read More…]
First the Bhartiya Janata Party led government in Delhi was very enthusiastic about conducting the National Register of Citizens exercise in Assam on the premise that this process will identify all the illegal migrants from Bangladesh who entered Assam after 24 March, 1971, the date of creation on Bangladesh, who could then be sent back to Bangladesh. The assumption was[Read More…]
The recent defeat of the right-wing Hindu nationalist Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) in three important assembly elections in India has refreshed hopes for the ouster of Hindu supremacists from power next year. The ruling BJP suffered humiliating defeat in the provincial elections held in the states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. The party was in power in these[Read More…]
In a crucial election to five assemblies in what is billed as a semi final before the 2019 general elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ultra Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party drew a blank. It lost massively in Chattisgarh, a state where it held power for four consecutive terms. The Chief Minister Raman Singh was defeated in his constituency too. In[Read More…]
Beneficiaries given documents by the CM while launching the scheme are yet to receive land Unkept promises during polls is nothing new for the Indian public. But implementation of land reforms which have been at the fulcrum of a promise to socio-economic justice since the end of the Raj refuses to die down. No wonder, the issue found its echo[Read More…]
Adopted by an assembly representing the farmers of India on the occasion of the historic Kisan Mukti March organised by the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee Delhi, 30 November 2018 WE, THE FARMERS OF INDIA, The producers of primary agricultural commodities; Including Women, Dalit, Nomadic and Adivasi farmers; Landowners, Tenants, Sharecroppers, Agricultural Labourers and Plantation Workers; Fishworkers, Milk Producers,[Read More…]
Rrecently a video of a police officer from Maharashtra, Bhagyashree Navtake had gone viral wherein she is seen bragging about how she files false cases against Dalits and tortures them and Muslims. It represents a crude but true picture of social prejudices in India’s police force. After all our police men come from the society, hence the police organisation is the true[Read More…]
Bhadrachalam: A dawn of the new state of Telangana doesn’t seem to have done justice to the tribal cause. Activists aver the situation has only worsened. The State governments ‘Haritha Haram’ scheme to bring more areas under green cover seems to have affected them directly. The tribal activists aver the laws like the Forest Rights Act 2005 which was brought[Read More…]
The Socialist Party believes that the Modi government has brought the issue of AgustaWestland chopper deal as a rebuttal of the Rafale aircraft deal, and not to fight corruption. The BJP leaders, including the PM, have explicitly stated that extradition of James Christian Michel will pose a serious crisis for the Congress and its Gandhi-Nehru family. People should understand that[Read More…]
“It is a curious people. With them, all life seems to be sacred except human life.” – Mark Twain on Indians A single quote sometimes remains the sole memory of a leader. Giriraj Kishor, VHP leader, can be considered a classic example to demonstrate this who had rather (in)famously said “Cow is considered more sacred than human beings in Puranas[Read More…]
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 6, 2018. in a short video posted on his personal Twitter handle to mark the 62nd death anniversary of Ambedkar, said the “mantra of sabka saath, sabka vikas has been inspired by the late leader”. He said Ambedkar pitched for equality before law, equality in opportunities and equality in rights. The prime minister said[Read More…]
“It may be pronounce that they will not construct a temple at the disputed site because this issue had have assisted BJP to polarise people for electoral purpose” Demolition of the Babri Mosque in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992 by mob is considered as[Read More…]
My tentative thoughts on the likely political scenario unravelling itself. Today is the BLACK DAY when the saffron forces consisting of RSS/BJP/Shiv Sena/ VHP /Bajrang Dal etc. demolished the Babri Masjid in December 1992 with the complicity of the State. It is clear as daylight what the saffron forces are conspiring to accomplish now and in future. They are hysterically[Read More…]
Raising the slogan for justice, the students of Punjabi Department unite against the blatantly dishonest, anti-student administration! Today, the Punjabi department of Delhi University has presented before us an example of how the administration can turn its back on its students.Days after giving assurances to fulfil the demands raised by students who united against an apathetic administration determined to have[Read More…]
Violence has always been a tool of oppression, suppression and subordination. Though every form of violence is illegal according to the law of the land, dominant social forces (upper castes/classes) often justifies employing certain forms of violence as they believe that they are essential to keep the supposedly holy and sacred religious, social and cultural systems and customs alive[Read More…]
India is going through a phase of unparalleled hatred to one another according to their religion, caste, culture, linguistic affiliation etc. It need not be that way. We are all human beings with common origins. It’s history that divided us. We can break these human made barriers if we accept that we are one family. Hundreds of thousands of Indians[Read More…]
Third of the three interviews by Subhasis and Arijit from the cradle of the revolutionary uprising, which dispel many distorted analyses on Naxalbari Aneek, an independent, radical Baanglaa monthly from Kolkata, India, in its 53rd years of publication, interviewed three leaders of the Naxalbari Uprising. The leaders with working class background were organizing armed struggle of the poor-landless peasantry[Read More…]
Around 100,000 farmers from across the country converged and marched to the parliament of India in New Delhi demanding a special session to discuss their problems. They were stopped near Parliament Street Police station in the national capital, where their leaders addressed the protesters. The farmers, who have been camping at the Ramlila ground since Thursday, began their march to[Read More…]
BJP government has been destroying each and every institutions of this union brick by brick ever since they entered into the office. Cultural institutions and Educational institutions such as Pune Film Institute, Indian Council of Historical Research, Indian Institute of Advanced Study at Shimla, Indian Council of Historical Research etc, bureaucratic institutions, Economic institutions, nothing has been left out in[Read More…]
At the time when we are facing difficult political situation and even when the people of the country seems to have made up their mind to defeat the sectarian communal forces, the political parties seems to be still calculating their petty interests and not focusing on joining hand to defeat the forces against our constitution and civility. Not that they[Read More…]
“Are we under oath to help in the concealment of details of those who thrive on fraud despite the knowledge that 3 lakh farmers committed suicide across the country as they could not repay small amounts of loans? Not only the Constitution but also my conscience is the guiding factor and basis for my order in this case,” the Information[Read More…]
The language of political discourse is the biggest casualty after the Sangh Parivar inspired government came power in India. The C grade rhetoric and to convert everything into a street fight of tu tu main main is the art that one can learn in the Sangh. The daily dose of jumlas and distorted versions of history is another art they[Read More…]
They call it ‘dharm-sansad’ but why should we need it when we have the ‘sansad’ elected by the people. But dharmsansad actually is the brahmanical monopoly over us. It is meant to maintain it because politically elected ‘sansad’ has given representation to diverse sections of our society. Political elected sansad discuss, debate and decide but the dharmsansad has no faith[Read More…]
RSS PRESENTS MOST LETHAL INTERNAL THREAT TO DEMOCRATIC-SECULAR INDIAN POLITY The history is replete with instances when the democratic polities have been destroyed not by the foreign enemies but inimical forces from within, camouflaged as saviours. Germany’s take-over by the Nazi Party led by Hitler and Italy by the Fascist Party led by Mussolini are the living examples of this[Read More…]
The CPIO, Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), stated that as RTI application was not filed before the PMO, first and second appeals were also not filed before it, the order of CIC directing the PMO to provide action related information on former RBI Governor is not tenable. “…No notice or other documents relating to this case have been received in the[Read More…]
A large number of people in all 157 villages of 33 Gram Panchayat of Narasingpurblock in Cuttack district are continuously suffering from Chronic Kidney Diseases (CKD). The patients are also continuously dying because of lack of proper treatment.The government of Odisha has closed its eyes from this epidemic like situation. On 17t – 18th November, 2017 a seven-members’team of Ganatantrik[Read More…]
What people communicate is a matter of choice. But what can be more revealing are the issues they choose to avoid. There are certain prominent pro-GMO activists who describe themselves as ‘science communicators’. They hit out at those who question their views or who have valid criticisms of GM technology and then play the role of persecuted victim, believing that,[Read More…]
The note-ban was a foolish attempt to tackle the black economy and a policy-induced self goal by the Narendra Modi government. The response to its fall-out is more authoritarianism. Demonetisation is like a bad dream etched in our memories. Weddings were postponed and medical treatment was curtailed for lack of money. Long queues formed outside banks. Small businesses closed due[Read More…]
While living in the world of information technology, today the ‘connectivity’ is what really matters. People of all age groups, gender, caste, religion and regions have access to global connectivity through internet available in their handsets and computers. This is comparatively a new phenomenon as a decade ago; neither connectivity nor hardware availability was in common reach, however with the[Read More…]
At least two more persons died of starvation in Jharkhand in the last 25 days. This takes the total number of hunger deaths in the state to 17, since September 2017. The most recent victim is 45-year old Kaleshwar Soren who died of hunger and destitution on 11 November in Mahuatanr village of Jama block of Dumka district. A fact[Read More…]
The Panchayats of 17 districts of Jharkhand have not received 14th Finance Commission grants just as yet. Despite getting 6.4 billion from the finance commission, the state government could not provide funds to the panchayats, as the money has not been released as yet by the Treasury. While the Gram Panchayats were suppose to utilize this money for various basic[Read More…]
Shashi Tharoor, in an article published in The Print on 10th November, has made some arguments against the appropriateness of the Supreme Court verdict on Sabarimala. In making his case, he criticises the firm position of the Left-led state government on the issue and calls it misplaced. It may be recalled that on 3rd October, the prominent Congress leader had welcomed the judgment and said that “every time[Read More…]
A significant share of popular sentiment is anti-activism today. Many people hardly trust activists. In fact they loath them, abuse them on social media and often make fun of their tragedy by sharing jokes around. Not just activists, movements for justice are mocked at and believed to be undesirable. The ruling establishment not only cashes in on such sentiment but[Read More…]
Bertrand Russell wrote “Why I am not a Christian.” Kancha Ilaiah wrote “Why I am not a Hindu.” Shashi Tharoor wrote “Why I am a Hindu.” Shashi Tharoor thinks his book will appease Hindus. Kancha Ilaiah has had his book banned in universities but that will not stop its truths from spreading. I would like to explain why I am[Read More…]
Brouhaha among communities following SC’s hat-trick judgements raises eyebrows, seeks some answers. Major General Mrinal Suman’s comment on Supreme Court of India has triggered the debate on the judicial domain of higher judiciary. Mrinal Suman comments,”If judiciary wants to govern the country, let it seek the people’s mandate.” He argues: The higher judiciary is not mandated to govern the country.[Read More…]
As India is celebrating the National Press Day on 16 November, time ripened for acknowledging the contributions made by everyone for the growth of print media along with the watchdog & mentor (Press Council of India). Since its inception & functioning, the press council continues symbolizing a free and responsible press in the largest democracy of the globe. It would[Read More…]
Foreword: For many decades now, all over the world, identity politics has become a major cause of social conflict. Masses of common people have been forming themselves into racial, ethnic, religious and linguistic identity groups, and, from time to time, they have been fighting against each other, often by violent means, for power and a higher share of the given[Read More…]
Unveiling the statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on October 31 in Narmada district’s Kevadiya Colony, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “Every decision is being taken to ensure that the fruits of development reach the most vulnerable, without any corruption or favouritism, just as Patel would have wanted it”. Why is it then that the Sarpanches of 22 Gram Panchayats wrote[Read More…]
Former Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur Professor Guru Das Agrawal, who became an ascetic in 2011 at the age of 79 years and came to be known as Swami Gyan Swaroop Sanand, died on 11 October, 2018 on the 112th day of his fast, demanding a law for conservation of river Ganga, at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh.[Read More…]
What’s with this obsession of powerful men with grand monuments? The biggest, largest and tallest…the more insecure a leader, the more grandiloquent is his vision of his legacy. Perhaps Freud could explain the psychological causes behind these magnificent obsessions and preoccupation with size. So Egypt’s pyramids had been more than mere last abodes of pharaohs and other members of the[Read More…]
Co-Written by Kumar sanjay and Debmalya Nandy A lecture was organized on the fifth schedule of Indian Constitution, on Saturday in the Aryabhatta Auditorium of RU by the Welfare Department of Jharkhand Government. While addressing the program, the Governor Draupadi Murmu had said that currently ,there is no separate tribal Ministry in the state and had further added that she[Read More…]
Appropriation of Political icon is not a new phenomenon. It has been in the political arena of India since long, but politics of appropriation and co-option got new height in last four year rule of the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP). Over the last four years of BJP’s rule, they have been trying to co-opt those political icons whose legacy[Read More…]
There has been much debate of increasing revenues by ‘increasing tax net’ so that more people can be brought under tax bracket. As the debate on levying taxes has been going on for quite some time, it may be important to discuss who are actually paying taxes and who are responsible for ‘ running major part of the economy’. Figures[Read More…]
In Act 3, scene 4, Macbeth causes chaos at a celebratory banquet at his castle when he suddenly starts to behave very oddly. Everything starts quite normally. The guests are greeted and they all sit down ready for the meal. One man is absent: Macbeth’s old friend, Banquo. The reason why he is absent is very simple – Macbeth has[Read More…]
The MNREGA Sahayata Kendras of Jharkhand have been working on strengthening the demand side of the grievance redress mechanism since their inception. The idea of a sahayata kendra led community driven grievance management and monitoring system is very recent but the experiences have been very rich and significant .The grievance redress policies and provisions as proposed in the MGNREGA ACT[Read More…]
It is obvious that Ram Mandir is of no use for solving pressing problems like unemployment or unremunerative prices for agricultural produce faced by a thousand million persons born in Hindu families. Secondly, those occupying high seats of power know it full well that our Constitution does not permit the State to construct a building for religious purposes[Read More…]
In Delhi authorities seem to have at least some understanding of the need for promoting public transport and to discourage private cars. This seems to be sorely lacking in Mumbai. Air pollution is now so bad in Delhi that the chief of the Environment Pollution Control Authority, senior administrator, Bhure Lal, warned that from November 1 the authority may have[Read More…]
The victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh massacre were remembered at a justice rally held in Surrey on Sunday, November 4. Organized by Indians Abroad for Pluralist India (IAPI) at Holland Park, the rally was well attended by South Asian activists who came together to denounce the pogrom aided and abetted by the Indian state following the assassination of then-Indian Prime[Read More…]
inssan abhee tak zinda hae, zinda hone per sharminda hae! Human beings are still alive, they are ashamed to be alive! [Shahid Nadeem’s couplet on silence of civil society against communal violence] For last 30 years, on every anniversary of 1984 massacre of Sikhs, this author has been reminding the Nation how Indian State and judiciary did not bother to[Read More…]
The Nair community is one of the first communities in Kerala to get educated and attain middle class status. Nairs started getting western education in the 19th century itself and got appointed to clerical positions in Malabar. In Travancore it took a little while longer post the Malayali memorial (1891). Educated Nairs agitated against Marumakkathayam and started getting into civil[Read More…]
Multiple Power Project along the coastline, rapid urbanization, industrial pollution driving away fish population from the coasts in Andhra Pradesh; Sagarmala and Industrial Corridor responsible for the devastation Amravati, Andhra Pradesh: On 25th day of Samvidhan Samman Yatra, activists reached Amravati, the capital city of Andhra Pradesh. On the way to first village, Kiran Kumar Vissa from Rythu Swaraj Vedika[Read More…]
The Karnataka Forest Department has decided to put together a ‘Vision Document-2030’ that would outline the governing principles of its efforts for the next several years. While the initiative itself is laudable –and unprecedented amongst our country’s states- the process in which it is being undertaken has caused serious alarm amongst concerned sections of the public. On 30th of October,[Read More…]
BJP President Amit Shah was in Kannur on October 27. It was to declare war by BJP ruling at the Centre. The war cry is : bhakti vs communist government. The battle field is Kannur, supposedly the Left bastion, and the place CPM’s Kerala Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan hails from. The latest ally BJP roped in was SNDP. The language[Read More…]
Narmada District, Gujarat: Around 90 activists from around Gujarat are reported to have been arrested by Narmada district police in Rajpipla and other places. A whole Government -the executive, administration, regular police, Reserve Police Force, Home Guards- from across the State has descended on Kevadia for the 31st October ‘tamasha’ being conducted in the name of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Sardar[Read More…]
It feels nice when we say that the Constitution believes in equality. But it feels insulting and oppressive to the same extent, when the political policies grant an unequal bill named NRC, just to oppress the Bengali community of Assam. The barrier of language has been there between the Assamese and the Bengali community from decades and never did the[Read More…]
Land Reforms are a forgotten subjects for the political parties and the policy makers. It is ironical that the ‘biggest’ democracy of the world does not give the issue of land reforms a priority. Even the political parties have paid merely lip services. The social movements that we have seen during the past few years were actually against the transnational[Read More…]
(Our Mothers sacrificed their modesty to ransom Kangla from the clutches of Indian Army) Kangla is a small area, less than one sq. km, in the heart of Imphal city, the capital of Manipur in North East India. Kangla is an important historical place that includes everything that took place in the history of Manipur. The history includes the[Read More…]
With over 800 million people, rural India is arguably the most interesting and complex place on the planet. And yet it is also one of the most neglected in terms of both investment and media coverage. Veteran journalist and founder of the People’s Archive of Rural India P. Sainath argues that the majority of Indians do not count to the nation’s[Read More…]
Members of the Delhi University’s Academic Council have protested the university’s decision to remove Kancha Illaiah Shepherd’s books from the curricullum, saying, “The Standing Committee on Academic Affairs carries no brief on the privilege of determining the academic value of his works. By branding him ‘anti-Hindu’, it conflates the philosophical critique of Brahminical Hinduism with the abuse of faith.” In[Read More…]
Whatever happened and is happening within the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), is reminiscent of the conspiracies hatched in the middle ages or in a gang war. Due to its politicization, CBI has undergone tough times earlier too. The story as to how the Congress government used it for its political motives is clearly described in B. R. Lal’s book[Read More…]
Govt. failed the People’s Struggle for Telangana, People of Mehboobnagar and Vemulaghat Revealed Worsening Situations in Telangana More than 1.5 lakh acres of Land for Development Projects and Corporates, Where as mere 13,500 acres of Land for Landless in the State Unprecedented Betrayal by KCR Govt.; Landless, Cultivators, Adivasis, Workers, De-notified Tribes Communities are Worst Affected Vemulghat Standing Strong Against[Read More…]
An ashram in Kerala, founded by a preacher who supported the Supreme Court verdict allowing the entry of women of menstruating age to Sabarimala temple, was attacked by unidentified persons yesterday. Two cars and a scooter belonging to Swami Sandeepananda Giri’s School of Bhagavad Gita on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram were set on fire at around 2:30 am. The attackers[Read More…]
The web portal, countercurrents.org, has been awarded this year’s Solidarity Media Award initiated by Solidarity Youth Movement. Countercurrents.org received this special award for its courageous interventions in upholding Human Rights and Citizen’s Rights’. Countercurrents editor Binu Mathew will receive the award on October 31 at Press Club Hall, Thiruvananthapuram from veteran journalist Thomas Jacob. The award carries 10,000 rupees and[Read More…]
Delhi University has proposed removing three books by political scientist Kancha Ilaiah from its curriculum citing their “controversial content” and “vitriolic nature towards Hinduism”. The three books –Why I Am Not a Hindu: A Sudra critique of Hindutva philosophy, culture and political economy, Post-Hindu India: A Discourse in Dalit-Bahujan Socio-Spiritual and Scientific Revolution and God as Political Philosopher: Buddha’s Challenge to Brahmanism – are currently taught[Read More…]
The pillar of a society that ensures the all round development of its members is ” EDUCATION ” . It enlightens the mind from darkness towards the path of right ideology, right concept and also right decisive action. Education has been framing the minds which is the integral instrument to make true person . In old days, the relationship between[Read More…]
Days after facing intense farmers’ protests over multiple issues at Delhi-UP border the Union Cabinet on October 03, announced the increase in MSP of all six Rabi crops. The procurement for these crops will begin around Loksabha polls next year. The government notification claims that this will give “… a boost to farmers’ income”. And, this farmer friendly initiative will[Read More…]
Now that the Modi government has done more than four years and we still do not know as yet whether Modi will succeed in his plan to succeed himself as Prime Minister following the 2019 general election, it is time to draw a balance sheet of India’s ‘Modified’ foreign policy with its emphasis on a “56-inch chest”. Prime Minister Narendra[Read More…]
Bhatkal, Karnataka: The Samvidhan Samman Yatra travelled through the magnificent Konkan Coast and witnessed the large-scale ecological devastation in the name of so-called economic Development. It was clearly evident that how Madhav Gadgil has rightly alerted the Government long ago through his report on Western Ghats. The pristine beauty of western ghats is being destroyed by widening of roads and[Read More…]
Co-Written by Snehil Kunwar Singh & Bhaskar Kumar A good name is better than precious ointment … (Proverbs 22:1 and Ecclesiastes 7:1 – The Holy Bible) Indigenous cartography existed in various forms in pre-colonial Africa. Unfortunately, the indigenous cartographic heritage of the continent suffered a major setback during the period of imperialism and colonialism. A foremost threat to the traditional[Read More…]
The Ministry of Rural Development is restricting MNREGA from attaining it’s full potential and at the same time dictating it’s implementation by not honoring local knowledge and decision making. As per the ACT, the Gram Sabha has the sole power and responsibilities for the planning of the schemes under MNREGA and The Gram Panchayats will be responsible for identification of[Read More…]
Are public colleges/universities being left to die at the cost of private universities in the US? A cursory glance at the case study of Yale University, which also includes other Ivy League universities – namely, Cornell, Harvard, Princeton, Brown etc. – done by a young scholar serves as an eye-opener Describing how Yale ‘..[s]its on a mountain of money, and yet receives[Read More…]
‘ Sujalam suphalam bharat desh mein Roti mehengi kyon rey bhai’ (In the country of Bharat where there is plenty of water and resources Why is roti very costly?) From ‘Bharat apna Mahan Bhumi’ Performed by Revolutionary Cultural Front , the song originally written by poet and singer Gaddar is translated into Hindi by revolutionary poet/ singer Villas Ghogre[Read More…]
The train accident at Amritsar at the time of burning of effigy of Ravana on Dusshera is painful and it is difficult to fathom the pain, horror, trauma of victims and associated ones. Politics of blaming each other has started and everyone is trying to save its pachyderm from the attacks of people who have no option except to voice[Read More…]
Can there be more shame that the apex court’s order is being openly violated. The mob which has gathered denying women’s entry to Sabarimala temple is just following the ‘historical’ truth that ‘religion’ can’t change. Despite court order, the devotees wont allow as it is the only thing where they dictate things. There is a campaign in the country. Women[Read More…]
Centre for Educational Research & Training (CERT) -a wing of Students Islamic Organization- on Tuesday revealed that the Muslim student ratio in higher education was mere 4.9% in 2016-17. It also revealed that a vast section of Muslim populace still remained illiterate due to lack of facilities for primary and secondary education even in MCDs where Multi Sectoral Development Programme[Read More…]
The common man/woman knows India is struggling over simple issues. We need clean air and no pollution, we have water problems, we all need food, shelter and clothing as well as proper jobs, good education, good medical care and leisure, families, old age care, care for the disabled etc., plus electricity, good travel facilites, technology like the internet and phones,[Read More…]
Women are forging ahead in many new sectors which were hitherto considered male bastions. Adding to their achievements, the visually impaired and blind women are being trained in detection of breast cancer. In a unique initiative, the women in Delhi are being trained to detect breast cancer by medical tactile examination. According to a report in Hindustan Times ([Read More…]
Guwahati: Alternative digital media may be growing in India, but the conventional and mainstream medium including newspapers still has a future in the populous country. India today emerges as a land of millions of smart phone & internet connected computer users, but there is a sizable population which lacks access to the new medium and continues to depend on print[Read More…]
When EVMs were introduced to the Indian electoral system, it was generally welcomed by all. We were told that these machines will reduce the election expenses and would help in serving environment as we no longer have to be dependent on paper. In addition, we were told that it will end in curbing the loot of ballot boxes. These features[Read More…]
Activists, friends and families of arrested under UAPA and Bhima Koregaon speak out at People’s Convention in Mumbai Mumbai, October 13: On a hot October Friday evening, over 500 people attended the People’s Convention against Undeclared Emergency in the Dadar Matunga Cultural Centre, where speakers spoke against the imposition of the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and demanded the release[Read More…]
On Thursday, Facebook removed some of the most popular oppositional pages and accounts on the world’s largest social media network in a massive and unconstitutional assault on the freedom of expression. With no public notice or accounting, over 800 pages and accounts have been summarily removed from the Internet. The removed pages include Police the Police, with a following of[Read More…]
It seems to me there can only be two kinds of people on earth, those who hold to untruth and those who hold to truth and the latter will always find themsevels outnumbered by the former. Let us take the idea of language, state, nation, race, class, gender and religion or caste in India and in other places except for[Read More…]
India need to respond urgently to the agrarian question and engage with the communities, people and movements working for Comprehensive Land Reforms. It is long over due and in the absence of it, we can not build peace and strengthen democracy. India, unlike others, is a caste ridden feudal society. After the independence we promised to our people that we[Read More…]
Do organizations say what they intend to do? Not necessarily. This came out clearly from the three long lectures by RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat. The event was supposed to be a dialogue, but the maximum of dialogue one could see was his answering few questions at the end of lectures. This normal practice of answering the questions was underlined strongly,[Read More…]
1 Civil life in India, especially during the last two decades, has been afflicted by the twin war cry of patriotism (rashtrabhakti) and treason (rashtradroh). The three pillars of the Indian democracy – the legislative, the executive and the judiciary, including the fourth pillar – the press, the education and research institutions as well as independent and committed intellectuals of[Read More…]
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the exemplary National Health Service of Britain which is important for us in India because NHS gives the right to good health and treatment to citizens. No society can call itself civilized if a sick person is denied medical aid because of lack of means , declared Aneurin Bevan, Britain’s health minister from[Read More…]
When the pen is dangerous for the nation, why has egg become a lethal weapon in the state of Manipur? Over 89 students and 6 professors of Manipur Universities were picked up at midnight on 10 September 2018 after an FIR lodged by the Pro Vice-Chancellor Yugendro. On the streets in Manipur and in social media, the news is[Read More…]
The police violence on farmers yesterday at the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border need to be condemned unconditionally. It is deeply disturbing that Delhi Police is claiming that no prior permission was taken by the farmer’s associations to enter the Delhi. The farmers had started their March from Hardwar several days ago which was much to the knowledge of the Uttar Pradesh[Read More…]
Dandi, Gujarat | October 02, 2018: NAPM begins the nationwide Samvidhan Samman Yatra today from Dandi, Gujarat against the increased mob violence, hate crimes, casteist attacks, natural resource loot, and consistent attack on constitutional values. People from various people’s movements joined the yatra in Dandi where Prafulla Samantara (Lok Shakti Abhiyaan, Odisha), Suhas Kolhekar (NAPM, Maharashtra), B. R. Patil (Karnataka),[Read More…]
Police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse a farmers march led by Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) on the outskirts of Delhi. Many farmers were injured. The protesting farmers are coming to the capital with several demands including farm loan-waiver, friendly crop insurance and support for small and marginal farmers and to implement recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission. The[Read More…]
Come october the ‘cleanliness fever’ grips our polity. Mahathma’s birthday is now swatchtha abhiyan day. Mahatma is now the mascot for swatch bharat initiative. His spectacles now adorn municipal bins and government hoardings of clean and pure drive. Government mandated cleaniliness drive takes on fevered and frenzied pitch on 2nd October . Circulars will be sent out to all central[Read More…]
For some time Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is generally viewed by Muslims with skepticism because of its stridently anti-Muslim politics, has suddenly started projecting itself as savior of Muslim women and systematically raising the issue of “gender justice and gender equity” among them. The Union Cabinet on September 19 approved an ordinance criminalizing the practice of triple Talaq (divorce)[Read More…]
(CNS): While reaffirming their commitment to end TB by 2030, the draft Political Declaration in the fight against tuberculosis by governments at the first UN High-Level Meeting on TB (#UNHLM to #endTB) acknowledges that “TB, including its drug-resistant forms, is a critical challenge and the leading infectious disease cause of death, the most common form of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) globally.”[Read More…]
Wake Up India: Essays for Our Time – 2 We know that all the people who say that India is not a nation but divided are not speaking anything wise. To divide Indians on the basis of religion or caste or language against language or languages or region against region or regions on the basis of class or gender or[Read More…]
The other day I was driving down from Hyderabad to Guntur and Vijayawada on some personal errand. The stretch between Nalgonda and Piduguralla on the NAM express way is relatively free of heavy traffic. As I was cruising along at a steady speed my mind relaxed and eyes wandered taking in all that was moving past. As I drove in[Read More…]
More than six years after the first legal challenge to the Unique Identification project were filed in court, today the Supreme Court ruled on the constitutional validity of the Aadhaar project. While four judges wrote upholding the validity of the Aadhaar project, one judge ruled that the Aadhaar project is unconstitutional and the database must be deleted. The Aadhaar Act[Read More…]
Supreme Court Judgement on Aadhaar was expected on these lines too though the dissenting judgement of Justice D Y Chandrchud will definitely go down in the history of modern India a valiant stand of judiciary and will be quoted more than the majority judgement in future, by the legal experts, judges, activists and other who believe in freedom of human[Read More…]
India’s Aadhar card ,World’s largest biometric database, was declared constitutional by Supreme Court of India, in a 4-1 verdict on 27 petitions that challenged the constitutional validity of the Aadhaar card. Although the court cleared the use of Aadhaar for access to welfare schemes, struck down attempts to make it mandatory for bank accounts, mobile phone connections and school admissions.[Read More…]
” War alone brings up to their highest tension all human energies and imposes the stamp of nobility upon the peoples who have the courage to make it”. Benito Mussolini (Italian Politician) There are number of instances when the present ruling party promoted ‘ nationalism’ through various programs. It is leaving no stone unturned to express its patriotic intent and[Read More…]
Mr. Modi announced reportedly the world’s largest health care scheme by any Govt. on the Independence Day and launched the schemeformally on birth day of RSS founder Deendayal. PM Jan Arogya Yojana ( PM – JAY , another self-obsessive acronym) i.e. September 25. The highlights of the scheme are like – Rs. 5 lakh medical insurance for each family covering[Read More…]
With the statement of former French President Francois Hollende, the truth has come to the fore again that in the Rafale Aircraft deal, the Indian government has played a direct role in favoring industrialist Anil Ambani’s company Reliance Defense Ltd. an offshoot partner of Dassault Aviation of France. It is a bitter fact even for the BJP as a political party that[Read More…]
In a historic development in Catholic Church in India, Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal has been arrested allegedly for raping a nun. He was arrested after a three day long drilling by Kerala police in Kochi. In an unprecedented protest nuns came out on the street demanding the arrest of the Bishop. The arrest comes after a two week long protest[Read More…]
It is appropriate and necessary to scrutinize the response of the Central Government in a non-partisan and fearless manner as required in a democracy. When the 2001 Bhuj earthquake occurred, Prime Minister AB Vajpayee issued an appeal for contributions in money and kind addressed to ” Dear Brothers and Sisters” giving a list of officials to be contacted along with[Read More…]
Mohalla Clinics are primary health centres in the state of New Delhi in India, that offer a basic package of essential health services including medicines, diagnostics, and consultation free of cost.Mohalla in Hindi means neighborhood or community. These clinics serve as the first point of contact for the population, offer timely services, and reduce the load of referrals to secondary[Read More…]
Women are not dying because of diseases we cannot treat…They are dying because societies have yet to make the decision that their lives are worth saving – Mahmoud Fathalla, Chair of the WHO Advisory Committee on Health Research Inclusive growth is now perhaps the strongest buzzword in development discourse. We have all been talking about growth without understanding that development[Read More…]
This is in response to the article: “People are free & fast with their accusations” by Hardeep S Puri published in Hindustan Times dated 13 .09.2018. Let me make the readers acquainted who is Mr. Hardeep S Puri, an IFS of 1974 batch and currently Union Minister of State with independent charge in the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs[Read More…]
It is only a coincidence that this piece is being written on the day of protests against petrol and diesel prices , but that draws attention to the domestic impact of foreign policy. It is being argued that India could have handled the US sanctions on Iran in a smarter way. The three countries form a geopolitical triangle ,different from[Read More…]
“Social exclusion, malnutrition and degradation in quality education are the major challenges and break the speed of development process. Grassroots level development needs inclusion of all the stakeholders like civil society organizations, policy makers, government officials, academia and community based organizations, said Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog, Government of India during the OdishaVikash Conclave 2018 held in Bhubaneswar[Read More…]
PM Modi at the BJP’s national executive meet coined a new slogan setting the tone of the campaign for Assembly polls and 2019 Lok Sabha elections; displaying his party’s eagerness for a redecorated narrative. Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered the valedictory speech to conclude the two-day national executive meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party in New Delhi on Sunday. PM[Read More…]
In the recently concluded World Hindu Congress (WHC) in Chicago, Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu stated that “the only country that accepts all religions is India”. He also said, “Even though we have so much strength, we never attacked anyone in history.” In 2015, love jihad and gharwapsi episodes have been topped by the lynching of a Muslim in Dadri over[Read More…]
We representative of political parties, academics, Social activist and social movements, media representatives and concern citizens of the state met here at IIA Bhavan in Lucknowon 12th September, 2018, for the Uttar Pradesh State Conference organized by Campaign for electoral reforms in India (CERI) Uttar Pradesh state chapter,and have unanimously adopted the following resolutions. 1-We are deeply concerned for the[Read More…]
The matter of purchase of Rafale fighter aircrafts from France has consistently remained within the realm of suspicion. There are allegations that this deal is the largest defense scam so far in India. The Rs 64-crore Bofors gun scam does not stand anywhere in comparison to the Rs 1000 crore rupees scam of Rafale deal. This is becoming gradually evident[Read More…]
Debates on vegetarian diet have increased in recent years and many analysts are coming forward to defend it as healthy diet over non vegetarian food. While everyone has a right to choose food s/he likes, some brahminical fanatics are forcing people to stop eating the food containing non- vegetarian diet. It may be worthwhile to think of the causes behind[Read More…]
Indian democracy is in grave danger. First it was all about lynchings of muslims and dalits and killing of some selective activists but now the tide of intolerance and bigotry has entered the houses of all, including the urban intellectual class, labellled by present regime as “Urban Naxals”, which has derived widespread condemnation. No one is being spared now. Those[Read More…]
India’s gross domestic product (GDP) has grown at a robust 8.2% in the first quarter of the current financial year, according to recently released official data. This is the highest in the last two years which has seen two shocks to the economy in the form of demonetisation and GST. The spurt in growth is due to a sharp increase in the[Read More…]
India`s agriculture sector is under deep threat. Farmers are observed protesting almost in every state of the country struggling for their genuine demands of Minimum Support Price (MSP). The farmers are being compelled to sell almost all their produce at prices much below MSP and the Modi Government is a mute spectator. The poor farmers are committing suicide. On the[Read More…]
Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) admininstrators have stopped the screening of the students’ documentary film Hora directed by Harishankar Nachimuthu raising security concerns after receiving threats from ABVP. The film mainly revolves around Kabir Kala Manch. This is what we have always been afraid of! Most of our earlier GBMs during strike was about how the new appointments,[Read More…]
In an unprecedented display of working-class unity, more than one lakh workers, employees, farmers and agricultural labourers from all over India marched today on the streets of Delhi, united in protest against the callous indifference of the incumbent BJP government to the demands of the common people and its subservience to corporate interests. The ‘Mazdoor Kisan Sangharsh Rally’ has been[Read More…]
There is a nation-wide scare about a plot to kill our beloved prime minister Narendra Modi-ji by Maoists. Thanks to the ever alert police force of Maharashtra – and aided by our even more alert national investigative agencies – the conspirators have been apprehended before they could carry out their plot. But it is a matter of grave concern [Read More…]
The summary The new educational policy and proposed reforms like CBCS, RUSA, Central Universities’ Act are steps towards conformity of the WTO demands commoditization, liberalization and privatization of education on the so-called developing countries and the least developed countries. It is to be noted that the WTO representing the interests of the imperialist global capital, has included education in GATTS[Read More…]
In a strong setback to the backers of right wing ideology, the Law Commission of India has said that a uniform civil code “is neither necessary nor desirable at this stage” in the country.. the Commission said secularism cannot contradict the plurality prevalent in the country. The Commission, led by former Supreme Court judge Justice B.S. Chauhan, said “cultural diversity[Read More…]
Chapter 2 – Poverty and Class analysis with reference to 2014-2018 BJP rule (I Part on Water) Coming to water next – an issue so pressing that all governments should suspend themselves and concentrate on solving this if they are to make any sense in India for the 2019 election. “A few numbers from the World Bank highlight the plight[Read More…]
I know well in advance that the followers of Baba Ramdev would not like this piece of writing. I also know that there would be a strong criticism and disapproval by the Babas loyalists. People will blame me as if I am writing like a party man. I am a political man. Rather I am a common man who is[Read More…]
The new data on GDP have raised a political storm, with the back series for GDP growth since 1993-94 becoming available. Its importance lies in the fact that in 2015, a new series was announced which showed India’s GDP growing faster than the earlier series had shown. This was politically advantageous to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government which came to[Read More…]
Hyderabad: Prof Sridhar Madabhushi, (Central Information Commissioner) on August 24, Thursday, launched YouRTI.in, a website on quick process of RTI requests. The website in both English and Telugu languages is an initiative of Young RTI activists based in the city who have come up with the idea to help general public file RTI. While launching the website at Press Club,[Read More…]
The incumbent occupying the seat of the Prime Minister of India may live under the delusion that the aforementioned equation – a product of his politics – is at par with Einstein’s E = mc2and which lets him erroneously experience a eureka moment in the Archimedean spirit. Nevertheless Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam is a Sanskrit phrase found in Hindu texts such as the Maha-Upanishad which means the[Read More…]
The communist-ruled Indian state of Kerala, hit by the most severe rains and floods in nearly a century, has had to overcome not just nature’s fury but also the active hostility of the central government in Delhi led by the far-right Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Even in normal years, Kerala receives an annual average of 2,924.33 millimetres of rainfall, the[Read More…]
Last week, the government stated that states and union territories have been paid Rs 52,077 crore since July 2017 to compensate them for the shortfall in their tax revenue. After the last goods and services tax (GST) council meeting in July, it was reported that several states and union territories have reported shortfall in revenue of up to 43%. Given this background, should the[Read More…]
Punjab’s Congress government trading a dangerous path again trying to ‘beat’ BJP in using religion as a pretext. Why Mr Amrinder Singh feel that any critique to religion is sacrilege and the person need to be punished for life? While, I can understand that in multicultural societies we need to be very careful. As administrator we must be above our[Read More…]
The news (1) today that the State Government of Karnataka has been betrayed by public sector banks who initially agreed to buy zero interest bonds from the State Government and then backed down, should be protested up and down the State on the streets and on the highways. The Indian Express reports that all nationalised banks refused to accept[Read More…]
Natural calamities such as floods, droughts, cyclones etc happens all over the world according to the severity in weather conditions. Every year the number of forcefully displaced population due to these natural calamities may mount up to millions, and sometimes they sprout into international attention. The latest addition to this group are the flood victims in India, from the southern[Read More…]
“One owes respect to the living; but to the