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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 dead one owes nothing but the truth.” – Voltaire (Lettres sur OEdipe) Obituaries arepourng in after the death of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who is being paid respects to by all leaders across the national political spectrum . He is being hailed as a charismatic prime minister, a great orator, a ruler [Read More…]
India’s new social justice system through lynch mob that’s making hay while sun shines, has resonance in Bihar as well. This time their target was a helpless woman who was stripped and paraded naked on the streets of Arrah town. The most conspicuous part of this justice system was the mood of the lynch mob that was captured in their[Read More…]
The floods in Kerala has wreaked havoc on the entire state and plunged the state into an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. With over 243 people dead since August 8,2018 , and above 725000 people living 5645 relief camps, and thousands of houses destroyed or rendered unfit for habitation, the impact on the lives and livelihoods of the affected families is going[Read More…]
Naomi Klein coined the term ‘Disaster Capitalism’. After the devastating flood of Kerala the fascist BJP and their parent organisation RSS are coining a new term, ‘Disaster Fascism’. It’s nothing new to them. This is a tried and tested method for them. Awaaz – South Asia Watch Ltd in a report pointed out in a report, titled ”In Bad Faith?[Read More…]
The 15th Finance Commission is about to write its recommendations in India. The Chairman NK Singh is the same man who wrote a report on the functioning of the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act 2003 (FRBMA2003) on January 19th 2017, in which he found it reasonable to repeat that State and Central Governments should stick to the Act and[Read More…]
The present government has opened almost all areas – from education to defense- for intervention by foreign capital. The loot of the country’s resources and labor is closely associated with this decision of the government. The ministers of the ruling party often make a variety of anti-constitutional announcements that includes declaration about changing the very Constitution. Education is being commercialised[Read More…]
Floods are a common occurrence in India as imbalance in climate every year causes lot of variation in rainfall geographically. But the floods in Kerala have not only caused havoc on unprecedented scale, but also politics has taken the upper hand over humanitarian aid to the victims. While the state needs more than 2,000 crore for relief and rehabilitation, the[Read More…]
Co-Written by Snehil Kunwar Singh & Bhaskar Kumar In what comes as a significant step towards free and transparent democracy, a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court (SC) comprising CJI Dipak Misra and Justices A.M. Khanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud has quashed the circulars of the Election Commission of India (ECI) introducing NOTA in elections to the Rajya Sabha. In fact,[Read More…]
It is procedurally and morally wrong for India government to block international assistance to Kerala from friendly countries and UN. This is a step that belies the faith of ordinary citizen on India’s federal polity. 350 dead, 1m displaced, $20B in damages – Kerala floods is a high order calamity which wiped away livelihood of millions and has thrown state[Read More…]
The flood disaster that struck the entire state of Kerala following the unprecedented monsoon has raised many questions of survival-in-crisis transcending the traditional paradigm of security. For many years, the coastal States of India—from Gujarat to West Bengal covering more than 7500 kilometers of coastline—have been facing several threats from the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean.[Read More…]
The Kerala State Government is absolutely right to disregard FRBMA limits and raise its own funds for reconstruction. (1) We should further bring out how a new Government at the centre next year can then monetise the fiscal deficit not only of Kerala but of all States, akin to a debt jubilee. (2) This is the way in other words[Read More…]
Wake Up India: Essays for Our Times- Chapter 2 This whole second book of mine is of course on voting out the BJP in 2019 and giving the Congress the next chance because that is how democracy should work and a large nation like India should have at least four major national parties and give them turns so that they[Read More…]
Kerala is under unprecedented crisis after massive monsoon rains hit the state compelling all the dams to open their gates resulting in one of the biggest humanitarian crisis after independence. Over 400 persons are reported killed while nearly 4 lakh people have been displaced. The final figure of those who are dead or untraced may rise once the situation[Read More…]
Natural calamities like flood cause severe loss of life and property. This loss of life not only includes loss of human but the loss of animal’s life also. Recently, Kerala has struck with huge problem of flood in which more thousands of animals have been affected and many have been died. During calamities like flood, drought, radioactive explosions, etc. saving[Read More…]
It is an unprecedented calamity that has struck now Kerala. The magnitude was not predicted and naturally neither individual nor the collective could be expected to take matching steps. Clean drinking water is a serious problem in this situation. I suggest the following and it may be given due consideration: A layered approach may be adopted Chlorine tablets as a[Read More…]
The beginning of monsoon session of Parliament has read like a cliffhanger, with usual heavy punches and counter punches thrown in by Opposition vis-a vis- the government. The high voltage drama of the 27th no confidence motion brought in by the TDP supported by the congress party, though without any seriousness or consequences was enough for scoring many political brownie’s[Read More…]
Poverty is humanity’s cruellest affliction and India is home to the largest absolute number of poor people on the planet. People who are trapped in a cycle of poverty can’t often realise their lives can be changed for the better through their own efforts. Once they understand that, it’s like a light getting turned on. For serving the poor and[Read More…]
I am making a few suggestions in the wake of monumental tragedy caused by floods in Kerala. Apart from whatever the administration is doing to contain epidemic of water borne diseases, stress should be on two very simple steps: The Kerala government could announce and initiate on a war footing ‘Operation Chlorine Tablet’ The Kerala government could announce and initiate[Read More…]
Kerala is reeling under the worst ever floods in its history. Since this is state that has a long sea coast and many rivers the unprecedented flooding has damaged the whole economy of the State. Hundreds of people died, thousands of cattle died. Several thousands of people are trapped in the inaccessible flood waters. When I enquired from friends living[Read More…]
The south Indian State of Kerala has been going through a calamity of unimaginable proportions following the unexpected turn in monsoon rains which played havoc with the state’s life and livelihood. Floods and landslides were unprecedented. Displacement too witnessed massive rescue operations and relocation. Nearly a million people are directly affected. It may take several months and years to restore[Read More…]
Political Resolution -Socialist Party (India) National Executive Committee Meeting, Delhi 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 its leaders are also openly declaring that they are working in the[Read More…]
The current floods in Kerala are unprecedented and clearly a national disaster. In the midst of this disaster, there is fear for the structural safety of the Mullaperiyar dam on the Periyar river. Madras Engineers Colonel John Pennycuick commenced construction of this 173-ft high dam in 1887, and it was commissioned in 1895. This gravity dam was considered an engineering[Read More…]
When 12 boys and their coach were trapped in a Thailand cave, the international community rose up as one. Thai Navy Seal took up the lead in rescuing the kids. Several international agencies sent in their experts to support the rescue operations. Tesla chief Elon Musk took his mini-submarine to the rescue operation’s command centre. It was all over news[Read More…]
Kerala has seen the worst and devastating flood in it’s past 100 years. All the 14 districts have been affected by the heavy rain, flood and land slide. 3,14,391 people are living in 2094 relief camps. The people of Kerala are trying hard to survive and help and rescue as many as they can with the rescue mission teams and[Read More…]
It is really sad that the former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee has passed away after a prolonged illness. I express my deepest condolences for the departed soul. I have all my sympathy to the relatives and friends of the former Prime Minister. I wish and pray that his soul may rest in peace. For some reasons I cannot ignore[Read More…]
Kerala floods will turn into a calamity of unimaginable proportions if help is not forthcoming warned Saji Cheiyan MLA, law maker from Chengannur of Pathanamthitta district. He warned that at least ten thousand people will die from starvation if more rescue teams and supplies are not deployed in the area by tomorrow morning. He said that at least 50,000 food[Read More…]
Headlines that 356 serving army personnel have taken the unprecedented initiative of petitioning the Supreme Court of India (SCI) against “persection” is extremely worrying, to put it mildly. This comes after the Supreme Court directed the CBI SIT to file chargesheets against army personnel allegedly involved in extra-judicial killings in Manipur. No right-thinking officer would support a soldier (here[Read More…]
Prime Minister Narandra Modi’s 72 Independence day speech from the ramparts of the historic Red Fort was a damp squib affair. It was just a talk the talk with no meaningful take away. Millions of Indians were expecting that he will come up with pointed achievements that have been made under his rule. However, the high sounding words of[Read More…]
Atal Bihari Vajpayee is no more. He lived a complete life and was inactive for nearly a decade. The end came around 505 pm in the evening though speculations had been in the rife for the last two days. He was known to be a great speaker as most of his speeches which were laced with wits and humors but[Read More…]
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s constant efforts to undermine Democracy and instate himself as an absolute leader Four years ago when Narendra Modi became the prime minister of India, he entered the parliament with unprecedented pomp and show. The propaganda that worked day and night prior to him becoming the Prime Minister, concentrated on the portrayal of economic development of Gujarat[Read More…]
After Amit Shah reiterating his position on the need for simultaneous elections, it was Chief Election Commissioner OP Rawat’s turn to voice his opinion on the same. He said at most eight states can vote with Lok Sabha, given our logistical issues and emphasised as to how it is possible if all the parties agree to it. It is[Read More…]
The death toll brought on by floods, landslides and bridge collapses in India’s monsoon-hit state of Kerala has jumped to 94. More than 1.5 lakh people are lodged in relief camps across the state. The airport at Kochi, the busiest in Kerala, will remain closed till Saturday due to heavy rains and resultant flooding. The runway and the parking area[Read More…]
August 15, 1947 was a historical day in the eventful history of India. India got independence after a long and heroic struggle against the British colonial masters. India’s independence was also a milestone in the ongoing anti-imperialist liberation struggles world-over. In India all those who dreamt of an independent India and survived to see it happen were jubilant and despite[Read More…]
National Alliance of Peoples’ Movements has planned a Samvidhan Samman Yatra – a nationwide tour to restore and protect the core values of our Constitution and democracy. The Yatra shall commence on 2nd October 2018 from Dandi, Gujarat the place where Gandhi led his famous salt march in 1930. It will travel through various States in the country holding meetings,[Read More…]
The Khasis from Meghalaya are one of the well known tribes from North-east India. The hills of Meghalaya are inhabited by the Khasi, Jaintia and Garo tribes. The Khasi mostly inhabit the east and west Khasi hills, Ri Bhoi and Jaintia hills. They are considered to be unique as they are one of the few tribes which follow matrilineal system[Read More…]
Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student Umar Khalid was shot at by an unidentified man outside Constitution Club of India in New Delhi on Monday afternoon. Umar Khalid managed to escape unhurt. Khalid was at the venue to attend an event titled ‘Khauff Se Azaadi’, organised by an organisation named ‘United Against Hate’. Talking to reporters after being attacked, Khalid said,[Read More…]
The denigration of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first PM of India and a prominent leader of the anti-colonial freedom struggle by the Hindutva gang is endless. After Gandhi, he continues to be the punching bag of the Hindutva no holds barred attacks crossing all civilized norms. In fact, the Hindu nationalists who assassinated Gandhi (January 30, 1948) also discussed whether Nehru[Read More…]
‘ Beware of false knowledge : it is more dangerous than ignorance’ George Bernard Shaw Even before official announcement of dates of elections in states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh or elections to the lok sabha, campaigns, rallies and advertising have already started. Politicians are already beginning to woo voters. Parties have begun to promote fake news and disseminate[Read More…]
The Maldives has asked India to withdraw its military choppers and personnel posted in the island as the Indo-Maldives agreement has expired in June 2018. The Maldives’ ambassador in India, Ahmed Mohamed, told Reuters that two military helicopters provided by India were mainly used for medical evacuations but were no longer required as the islands had built up enough resources[Read More…]
Official Policy Of Class Collaboration But in Telangana there was a different, revolutionary line There are several aspects of Quit India Movement (QIM) noteworthy like: It was a movement that was full of contradictions: No party was united or consistent on that, neither Congress nor Communists nor others. No party could own it up or disown it in an unqualified manner.[Read More…]
The ruling dispensation in India is facing a crisis of low growth, protests by major sections of the population – farmers, youth and traders – and criticism about non fulfillment of the many promises it has made. It has announced many policies but not only is their implementation tardy, many of them are a continuation of the past policies under[Read More…]
15th August is the most cherished date in the Indian calendar .it was on this momentous day, more than seven decades back, that we were born an independent and free country .Mahatma Gandhi’s luminous leadership finally made the British Quit India in 1947. It is certainly an occasion for celebration. More than that, it is a point in a nation’s[Read More…]
As IIT Bombay students, we are proud that this institution has now stepped in its Diamond Jubilee year and has occupied a prominent place among the other well-known institutes of learning in this world. However, invitation of Mr. Narendra Modi, the prime minister of India, as a guest of honour in the convocation of this year, has raised some concerns[Read More…]
India’s success story as the fastest growing economy of the world coexists with’ an insular, selfish, and antidemocratic elite in an unequal society, where “predatory forms of capitalism”, supported and promoted by the State prevail driving the poor to the wall. Recent corruption scandals in the mining and the telecom sector only serves to highlight the fact that crony capitalism and rent seeking are the main drivers of the GDP growth not innovation or entrepreneurial dynamism.
India celebrates its independence from Britain on 15 August. However, the system of British colonial dominance has been replaced by a new hegemony based on the systemic rule of transnational capital, enforced by global institutions like the World Bank and WTO. At the same time, global agribusiness corporations are stepping into the boots of the former East India Company. The[Read More…]
A friend forwarded a test by politicalcompass.org on WhatsApp the other day. It was a very interesting test, which plotted an individual’s social and economic leanings. I was very intrigued by it, and I forwarded the same to my various WhatsApp groups requesting people to share their responses. The results were very fascinating. Most people fell into the same quadrant[Read More…]
The prime minister quoted in the parliament “the decision of neem-coated urea has helped the farmers of India”no doubt without any statistical or general explanation. This was not the first time Mr. Prime Minister quoted something without documentary evidences either from governmental side, think-tank or civil society side. Let alone from the farmer’s side, who is the last one to[Read More…]
Quit India Movement [QIM] also known as ‘August Kranti’ (August Revolution) was a nation-wide Civil Disobedience Movement for which a call was given on August 7, 1942 by the Bombay session of the All-India Congress Committee. It was to begin on August 9 as per Gandhi’s call to Do or Die in his Quit India speech delivered in Mumbai at[Read More…]
Among the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) set up by UN to be achieved by 2030, quality education stands at the number four positions from the top. That means ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promotes lifelong learning opportunities for all is a top priority of SDGs worldwide. UN states that education is a right. It empowers individuals to[Read More…]
There are several aspects of Quit India Movement noteworthy like: It was a movement that was full of contradictions: No party was united or consistent on that, neither Congress nor Communists nor others. No party could own it up or disown it in an unqualified manner. Because, among other things, every party had differences at the top, the bottom and[Read More…]
It was Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri, when he was India’s prime minister, who coined the slogan “Jai Jawan! Jai Kisan!”, in the realistic understanding that the Jawan provides national external security (since then he has also been providing internal security due to failure of governance) and the Kisan provides the nation with food security. Were Shastri alive today, it seems[Read More…]
Brijesh Thakur is the man accused of sexually abusing 34 out of 44 young women in his care as sex slaves, and terrorising 11 others to flee from another care home run by him. Aman Sharma in the Economic Times on August 1 2018 sums up the fascist reality of rape in India in his article about this man,[Read More…]
The GST is not bigger than the policy changes introduced in 1991 and hence not the biggest reform. It is not yielding more revenue to enable governments to spend more on services for the poor. Further, by damaging the unorganised sectors, it has set back output and employment in the economy rather than leading to a higher growth rate. These[Read More…]
Co-Written By Ashish Kumar Singh and Praloy Majumder A study done by Korn Ferry said that India is projected to have a skilled labour surplus of 245 million workers by 2030, mainly on the back of “vast supply of working age citizens”, even as most of the developed and developing economies are expected to grapple with talent crunch at that[Read More…]
A few days ago Countercurrents.org published a petition by Avaaz. Its first few lines read this way, In a few days, India will delete as many as 7 million Muslims in Assam State from its master list of “citizens” because they speak the wrong language and worship the wrong God. Husbands, wives, and children could be torn apart and left[Read More…]
They call it National Register of Citizen (NRC) but it is basically an attempt to take away the citizenship of the people on the basis of your religion. In pure political terms BJP wanted to polarise the north east through its vicious anti Muslim agenda and were finding ways to make permanent presence in the states of north east. The[Read More…]
Such mass-scale profiling has been done officially only in Germany of the Jews by Adolf Hitler’s Nazi regime. Now, 40 lakh people in Assam have found themselves trapped in a twilight zone As many as 40 lakh people have been dropped from the “final” list of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam. Finally, 2.9 crore people have found[Read More…]
I welcome Dr Prem Singh’s article: The era of `teaching lessons’ as a timely intervention in the current debate over how to resist the goons of the Sangh Parivar, particularly in the context of their recent attack on Swami Agnivesh. I however find a few problems with his position and the implications flowing from it. First, he seems to be upset [Read More…]
Wake Up India: Essays for Our Times – Part 2 – Chapter 2 If we draw a line with three cardinal points in it of extreme left and extreme right and centre to represent the political situation in India at the extreme right is BJP with its backers like RSS, VHP, Bajrang Dal and other Hindu ultra right organisations and[Read More…]
It is a well known fact that India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has scant respect for democratic processes. He rarely attends the parliament. He has spent more days abroad than in the parliament. In the last four years he has made several times more public speeches than he gave in the parliament. He has never addressed a press conference as[Read More…]
This month marks the first anniversary of Indians Abroad for Pluralist India (IAPI). Formed in Surrey, BC on July 8, 2017, IAPI was created in response to the growing attacks on religious minorities in India. Ever since the right wing Hindu nationalist Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in India in 2014, violence against minorities has grown in the[Read More…]
India is the country of people belonging to varied regions, religions, sects, communities, castes; etc.From the past times till date, the multiculturalism and plural ethos of this country has set a strong precedent to the world about this land of diversity. This country is the country of its natives, be it hindus ,muslims,sikhs,christians,parsis,buddhists,etc.No one can escape its identity at the[Read More…]
Respected AIMPLB members, Be it the women rallies taken out by AIMPLB (All India Muslim Personal Law Board) throughout the country abruptly stopped, the sudden ” Deen Bachao, Desh bachao” rally in Patna, the announcement of Darul Qazas or the conduct of the board-member, Mr.Aijaz Qasmi, you have been quite in the news, for all the wrong reasons. The old[Read More…]
The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) under the Ministry of Power has prepared an electricity generation plan for the period 2017-2027, and also has invited feedback on its draft. Such a generation plan prepared by CEA can be seen as crucial in the context of overall development of the power sector in the country because the same is intended to be[Read More…]
Forward I as part of the fact-finding team and being associated with its day-to-day work – from field work to preparation of the report – can say with confirmity that Assam is sitting on the tip of a volcano that can erupt if the injustices meted out to Bangla-speaking Muslims and Hindus on the basis of language and religion in[Read More…]
I recall an incident, when a young girl was kidnapped from an upper middle-class colony in South Delhi. Police were immediately deployed at the scene and within a matter of a few days, the girl was rescued and restored to her parents. News of this case stirred up the fears of residents and consequently the Resident’s Welfare Association, in a[Read More…]
When terrorists attack, the media splashes news quickly and continue to discuss at length. The politicians try to use the news for boosting their political career. But deaths due to cleaning drainage holes or potholes on roads are rarely discussed by either media or politicians. Rise in numbers The deaths due to bad roads, speed breakers, potholes, in 2015 was[Read More…]
Co-Written by Snehil Kunwar Singh & Bhaskar Kumar Recently, the Government of India has decided to allow lateral entry for the post of joint secretaries of various ministries thus opening the doors to the private sector. The constitutional validity of the notification providing for lateral entry is challenged by an ex-IAS officer through a PIL in the Supreme Court on[Read More…]
The Right to Information (Amendment) Bill 2018 attempts to dilute the independence of Central and State Information Commissioners (ICs) besides giving undue powers to the government of the day to appoint Commissioners with uncertain term and salary. The Bill intends to defeat very purpose of RTI Act 2005 besides an affront to federalism enshrined as basic feature of Indian Constitution.[Read More…]
My dog Charlie is long gone. But Charlie, who was a brown “Great indian Mongrel”, was wise in the ways of the world. He taught me a lesson in public policy I will never forget. Corruption is India’s favorite conversation topic. We love discussing it and bemoaning its all pervasiveness. We are experts at it and have all experienced it[Read More…]
According to Indian Ministry of Home Affairs, between 2014 and March, 2018, 45 people were killed in mob lynchings across nine states in India. In the latest example, a group of villagers beat to death 28-year-old Akbar Khan in Rajasthan’s Alwar district, an incident that came to light just five days after the Supreme Court urged the Center to frame a[Read More…]
On July 20th, 2018, Sh Narendra Modi led NDA government defeated No Confidence Motion moved by Sh Srinivas Kesineni of TDP which also enjoyed support of other opposition parties by margin of 199 votes. While nobody had doubts over NDA government’s ability to win the motion, debate provided a much welcome healthy discourse in the Indian political discussions among plethora[Read More…]
The thugs policing our cultural fraternity have struck again. In response to the violent threats against his family, Malayalam writer S Hareesh has now withdrawn his novel Meesa (Moustache) being serialised by Mathrubhumi, stating that he will publish it when “the climate is congenial”. Meesa is the first novel written by Hareesh, winner of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi award for[Read More…]
Although the recent attack on social activist Swami Agnivesh is being widely and strongly condemned, there are many people who, citing some earlier incidents involving Swami ji, perceive the attack as an inevitable and normal culmination. This is definitely most unfortunate. Those who do not agree with his earlier or present views and actions were, and are, absolutely free and[Read More…]
As the Lok Sabha debates the No confidence motion against the Modi government thousands of farmers from across the country marched from Mandi House to Parliament Street. The foot march was organized by All India Kisan Sangarsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC), which is an alliance of more than 201 farmers organizations across the country, formed in late June 2017. The main[Read More…]
A Muslim man was beaten to death in Rajasthan on Friday night by villagers who accused him of cow smuggling. The police have identified the man as 28-year-old Akbar Khan. Villagers in Ramgarh saw two men with cows and attacked them, according to the police. The two were beaten up and one of them died on the spot. “Akbar Khan,[Read More…]
On July 8, 2018 An eminent economist opined in Times of India that the Central government made a mistake by enhancing the MSP of paddy crops because it goes against international competition and the laws of demand-supply. It further says that European Economic Community once made the same mistake by enhancing crop prices, for which it later had to pay[Read More…]
The penchant of development agencies for high-yielding cows has never abated. Whenever relief measures are planned for drought-affected families in villages, free quality cows are considered an important element in the official relief `packages’ or self –help schemes. I have seen in my career that whenever a drought ravages a village, the crossed Holstein and Jersey s cows arrive in[Read More…]
There is spate of lynching incidents reported from different parts of India. Many of them are attributed to fake news that is discovered much after the damage is done. The Supreme Court of India has become agog to such frightening reality and had ordered the Centre and the States government to take immediate steps to stop the dissemination of misinformation[Read More…]
2018 Nagaland State Assembly elections witnessed meteoric rise of BJP on the political platform in the state of Nagaland which set the wheel of discussions in motion regarding elections and the unsettling emergence of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state politics of Nagaland on social media and other relevant platforms which have been overwhelming; as this is a phenomenon[Read More…]
The well planned digging of the footpath by supporters of Raj Thackeray outside Mantralaya shows the deeply anti-people nature of a section of the political class. Simply because the attack was not directed against human beings does not make it less sinister than recent lynchings and the assault on Swami Agnivesh. Thackeray loves expensive and fast cars and a good[Read More…]
There is news about the Tata Nano plant at Sanand rolling out just one or two cars in the past week. It is, hence, likely that the factory is shut down and in the event it could be a record; a record in the sense that what began with lots of talk of a story of success in the larger[Read More…]
Angela Ferrao is an independent editorial cartoonist.
There is more to external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj’s apparently graceful response to the Twitter trolling she has faced over her ministry’s issuance of a passport to an inter-faith couple than meets the eye. Swaraj has been the target of offensive tweets for helping Tanvi Seth, wife of Mohammad Anas Siddiqui, get her passport after an officer allegedly harassed her for not changing her name to a Muslim[Read More…]
A reference to ‘Hindu Pakistan’ by Shashi Tharoor, in a speech, sparked off another controversy across the media and political circles. The BJP seized the occasion to launch a rabble-rousing diatribe against Tharoor and the Congress. According to Tharoor, “If they (BJP) are able to win a repeat of their current strength in the Lok Sabha, then frankly our democratic[Read More…]
A new scheme of greater autonomy to educational institutions has been announced. Depending on their NAAC scores, institutions will be slotted in category I, II and lower. There will be less autonomy as the rank declines. Those in the highest category will have the freedom to start new courses, hire foreign faculty and pay higher emoluments to faculty, So, some[Read More…]
Char is a word that attracts instant attraction in Assamese mainstream life for all wrong reasons. They are river islands of the Brahmaputra populated by mostly Muslims of East Bengali descent for more than a century. The islands are overpopulated and devoid of all basic amenities of modern life. The inhabitants of Chars are dubbed as ‘foreigners’ or ‘Bangladeshis’ by[Read More…]
Rumour of child snatchers spread via WhatsApp has taken another life in Bidar district of Karnataka. A 32-year-old Google software engineer was beaten to death and three others, including a Qatari national, critically injured by a mob which suspected they were a group of “child lifters”. WhatsApp rumours warning villagers of child lifters has taken more than a dozen lives[Read More…]
Chapter 2 – Poverty and Class analysis with reference to 2014-2018 BJP rule (Part I) Why I have returned to write a sequel to the earlier book is basically to refute the claim that four years of BJP rule has made a difference to India, that things have become better. My first chapter that pointed out that atrocities against Dalits[Read More…]
Co-Written By- Praloy Majumder and Ashish Kumar Singh Around 12 million Indians joining the labour force every year. With millions of young people joining the labour market every month, the question everyone has is if there will be enough jobs for them. Few are asking who creates jobs. Entrepreneurship and job creation is directly proportional one does not need to[Read More…]
Sagarika Ghosh congratulated poet Javed Akhtar and Shabana Azmi for being the voices of progressive democratic liberal Muslims, (without trying to be Sarkari tokens for Hindu Rashtra), lighting the path for Indian Muslims and adding as if an afterthought, in fact for all citizens. Someone countered; Javed Akhtar and Shabana Azmi can’t be taken as representative Muslims for they have[Read More…]
Rahul Gandhi paid a visit to his constituency Amethi a few days ago. Rae Bareli-Amethi have become synonymous to India National Congress (INC). Every time one utters their name in front of people who have not been there, their eyes start glittering with a hypothetical boon these two places might have got because of INC’s long rule and because of[Read More…]
A runner which gets the Medal even before participating in the race With a hazardous stick which threatens of dire consequences And a gift box of political donations which lures those in power Eager to establish hegemony over educational landscape for ever Aiming to monopolize every sphere of social and economic life For shaping the minds that serve the powers[Read More…]
India is under siege from international capital. It is on course not only to be permanently beholden to US state-corporate interests but is heading towards environmental catastrophe much faster than many may think. According to the World Bank’s lending report, based on data compiled up to 2015, India was easily the largest recipient of its loans in the history of the institution. Unsurprisingly,[Read More…]
The perfect bureaucrat everywhere is the man who manages to make no decisions and escape all responsibility -Brooks Atkinson The Indian Civil Service represents the crème de la crème of the country’s university graduates who form the backbone of the country’s administration. Today, there are about 5,000 IAS officers who comprise this privileged club. The civil service has a hallowed past and[Read More…]
In spite of the fact that there are a number of justifications for privatisation of education, commercial consideration underpins all its good objects of imparting quality education, of course, with the availability of adequate basic facilities of premises, toilets, infrastructure, libraries, drinking water dispensers-purifiers, computers, libraries & hostels: the facilities invariably unfound in government run educational institutions primarily for lack[Read More…]
The RSS inspired trolls abusing and threatening with rape to the daughter of a woman political leader on social media is reflective of the how much we have drowned in these four years. Our Prime Minister who opens his mouth on any international event of ‘terrorism’ or a bus accident in Jhumritallaiya but rarely spoken against these threats of violence[Read More…]
With the release of the report titled ‘The most dangerous countries for Women – 2018’ by Thomson Reuters foundation which ranks India as the most unsafe country in the world, the defenders of national pride are out to argue the flaws of the report. The report was based on an expert opinion of about 548 persons which included aid and[Read More…]
If the Modi Government’s first year of its rule was marked by the burial of an important institution of national importance—the Planning Commission of India—with the launching of the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog), its last year in office is likely to witness another interment of a Statutory body of national importance—the University Grants Commission (UGC)—with the notification[Read More…]
Around a hundred film actors, directors, technicians, writers and activist have signed a statement condemning the decision of Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) to reinstate the Malayalm movie star Dileep who is an accused in the adduction and molestation of a fellow actress. They extended their solidarity and support to the actress and demanded that an atmosphere should be[Read More…]
Wake Up, India: Essays for Our Times – Part 2. Chapter 1 – Dalits in the Spotlight during 2014- 18 BJP Rule. On 17, January 2016, Rohith Vemula died. His suicide letter became the cause of a widespread anger that again highlighted or brought to the forefront the issue of whether Dalits are treated justly or unjustly in India and[Read More…]
I Before discussing the complex subject of opposition unity, it would be appropriate to look at some obvious facts. Firstly, there exists no opposition to the neo-liberal policies that has prevailed for the past three decades in the country – none at the level of mainstream political parties, none at the level of intellectuals and ‘thinking’ class. Therefore, the[Read More…]
An internal Emergency was imposed on the country by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on June 25-26, 1975, and it lasted for 19 months. This period is considered as ”dark times’ for Indian democratic polity. Indira Gandhi claimed that due to Jaiprakash Narayan’s call to the armed forces to disobey the ‘illegal’ orders of Congress rulers had created a situation[Read More…]
Dear Prime Minister YOU NEED TO ANSWER! As the date of election is closing by- your performance and ability to serve this country will be under much-scrutiny. You cannot accept public scrutiny- even though your bhaktas call them ‘anti-national’ or your hyper active cyber cell attack on your critiques. I am starting from your parliamentary constituency and my home town-[Read More…]
The president of India has appointed Narendra Modi as the country’s 14th prime minister on the strength of his election as the leader of the BJP parliamentary group following the BJP’s electoral victory. The acceptance of the people’s verdict always comes with the expectations that the government that follows will pursue a set of policies and programmes that will provide[Read More…]
The cult of 56 inches does not symbolize courage or strength, it portrays toxic masculinity. And toxic masculinity is not normal.It must be resisted. When Simon de Beauvoir[1] wrote about becoming women’ she was referring to the notion of social construction of a person as a woman. Similarly, masculinity is also related to the notion of becoming aman’ in a[Read More…]
Killing people on suspicion of possession or trading of beef continues unabated in India. In yet another case related to suspicion on cow slaughter, the Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh (U.P) police thrashed a meat trader Mohammad Salim Qureshi alias Munna so badly that he succumbed to injuries on Thursday after spending eight days in AIIMS. In a written complaint to[Read More…]
This is not the story of a man who once sold tea and later ‘sold’ dreams to a people and managed to reach top echleons of power in the biggest democracy in the world. This is not the story of this man and his rise from the margins of a organisation which is called the biggest cultural organisation in the[Read More…]
Over the past ten months, at least 12 persons have succumbed to hunger in Jharkhand. Instead of taking action against functionaries whose lapses have led to these deaths and measures to improve the situation of food security in the state, Jharkhand government has denied hunger as the cause of any of these deaths and absolved itself of any blame. Instead,[Read More…]
The Credibility of India’s top institutions has lately suffered affecting governance and democracy in the country. Its strong indication came in the form of the impeachment motion against the chief justice of India which was rejected by the Vice president and was subsequently challenged in the highest Court. When the case challenging legality of the vice president’s action came before[Read More…]
A Muslim man was lynched to death following a rumour of cow slaughter in a village in Pilkhua near Hapur district of western UP. The man named Kashim died in the hospital in the course of treatment. The condition of the other person is also serious. A trivial feud, where men were reportedly driving out stray cows from fields, aggravated into[Read More…]
The prominent journalist and editor, Shujaat Bukhari was leaving work when he and his two bodyguards were shot and killed. Suffice to say newspapers are the lifeblood of democracy and Indian administered Kashmir under the decades-long grip of a half-million strong security force has a questionable claim. Yet brave journalists, unafraid, write and sometimes pay the consequences. Following Mr. Bukhari’s[Read More…]
I have never liked the rhetorical politics of Arvind Kejriwal. In fact the seed that they sow in 2011 resulted in the fascist take over of this country. Kejriwal wanted the country to become a gram panchayat at the Ramleela maidan and decisions were taken on the voice vote. All the power elite of the upper caste suddenly turned revolutionary.[Read More…]
In order to make sense of the issue on the table, let us first try to arrange the events in (rough) chronological order. I. Here’s a news report carried by the ToI, June 6 web edition, which informs: <<Human rights activist Rona Jacob Wilson was arrested from South Delhi early on Wednesday [i.e. June 6 2018] in connection with the[Read More…]
“..I am afraid I have no faith in astrology and certainly I should not like to fix up national programmes in accordance with the dictates of astrologers…” Jawaharlal Nehru (In a letter to Rajendra Prasad, who had objected to January 26, 1950 as the date for inaugurating the republic on astrological grounds. Page 77, Volume 2, Jawaharlal Nehru, A Biography, OUP,[Read More…]
In 1947 India was divided by the foreign rulers by playing a game of divide and rule to which the religious fundamentalists fell prey. India and Pakistan since then have a checkered history and uneasy relationship sometimes climaxing in wars and violent conflagrations. While the governments prefer to maintain adversarial relationship, which now sustains certain vested interests on both sides,[Read More…]
Two Muslim men were lynched on suspicion of stealing cattle in Jharkhand’s Godda district on Wednesday morning. Residents of Dullu village caught hold of the two victims – Sirabuddin Ansari (35) and Murtaza Ansari (30) – and accused them of stealing 13 buffaloes from one Munshi Murmu on Tuesday night. “Villagers claim that that they found the missing buffaloes in[Read More…]
India is home to one-fifth of the world’s population which includes a third of the world’s poor and one-eighth of the world’s elderly. Most of them spend their whole lives as informal workers and have no retirement security other than the hope that their children will care for them in their old age. This arrangement worked well as long as[Read More…]
A critique of RSS needs to go beyond the current pattern. The contemporary liberal and left critique has been primarily targeted at their core concept of Hindutva. It is argued that Hindutva as an idea goes against the basic ethos of secularism, pluralism and ideals of the constitution. Commentaries and critics point as to how it is anti-Dalit, anti-minority and[Read More…]
The union government’s proposal of lateral entry of persons from “private sector companies, consultancy firms and international or multinational organisations”, as Joint Secretary (JS) is to “bring[ing] in fresh ideas and new approaches to governance and also to augment manpower”. [“Private sector employees can now apply for top government posts“; <https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/government-notifies-10-positions-for-lateral-entry-as-joint-secretaries/articleshow/64527221.cms>; Economic Times, June 10, 2018]. This would be unexceptionable[Read More…]
Mr. T. Sakhrie, one of the first Naga intellectuals, a philosopher and a great Naga-nationalist leader of his era who sacrificed his life for the freedom and rights of Nagas stood true till his last breath to his ideologies and convictions which reflect in his quote that further produced verbatim. He said, “Truly we are a peculiar people.[Read More…]
Former president Pranab Mukherjee gave a speech in the RSS meeting on Thursday the 7th of June in Nagpur. Now, let me clarify that this is not a speech on the speech but in fact an article on the speech/ opinions flung around, before and after the speech. When it was announced that Mukherjee had accepted the invite from the[Read More…]
11th of June, 2018 should be considered as the darkest day in the constitutional history of India. It is the day when BJP government through the Department of Personnel and Training opened up the doors to the prestigious ‘higher’ civil services of India to the private sector through lateral entry scheme. Central Government through its nation-wide advertisement has call for[Read More…]
The cruel lynching of two innocent and budding youth in Kacharigaon village under Dokmoka police station of Assam’s Karbi Anglong district is the harsh reminder of the state in which we are living today. In last couple of years India’s public spaces have turned into squares of mediaeval Europe in which people were publicly executed for ‘heresy’, ‘witchcraft’, for petty[Read More…]
In an era of profound distortion of news and storytelling, the most pertinent question that is being asked is; ‘what is News now’? Notwithstanding the debatable facts, the fact remains that we are witnessing new trends and upheavals in the media industry particularly transformative issues in the business of news. Today we are facing an increasing focus on the intersection[Read More…]
India’s eager quest for economic dynamism has been severely stifled by chronic corruption. The country needs to urgently modernize its institutions and end the culture of rent seeking and cutting corners if it is to allow the economic wheels to roll seamlessly. Corruption is both anti-national and anti-poor because the resources meant for poverty alleviation schemes get siphoned off by[Read More…]
BJP’s chain of defeat which started with Gorakhpur and Phoolpur in Uttar Pradesh bye elections has extended to defeat in Kairana and Noorpur. It has broken the invincibility myth of Modi and Amit Shah. If the opposition parties succeed in joining hands to get rid of unprecedented danger to basic democratic values, institutions, society, culture and civilization created during[Read More…]
Most recently,the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill has been the talk of every nook and corner of the state with people from all walks of life joining the bandwagon and raising voices against the ill-fated bill.The state has witnessed severe protest over the past few weeks and protesting slogans even beat the deep blowing horns and revving engines of lumbering trucks on[Read More…]
It is said that the India is a cradle of civilization that has been following the ‘SANATANA’ Dharma that teaches the principles of Equality and Brotherhood. Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam- ‘The Entire Earth is my Family” has been the celebrated Sanskrit verse that most of the Indians have been taught in the school. “Saare Jaha se Acha, Hindostan Hamara” has been proudly[Read More…]
Indian farmers are on a 10-day long nationwide strike demanding fair prices for their produce and implementation of the Swaminathan Commission recommendations and farm loan waivers among other things. They are throwing vegetables and pouring milk on the road the farmers are letting out their grievances. The farmers are also preventing the movement of their produce to cities. This has[Read More…]
By 2050, if current policies continue, India could have numerous mega-cities with up to 30-40 million inhabitants and just two to three hundred million people (perhaps 15-20% of the population) left in an emptied-out countryside. Given current trends in the job market, it could mean tens of millions of city-based rural migrants without much work: victims of the ill thought out policies we currently see[Read More…]
The election results in Kairana bye elections comes as a welcome development. The ideological investment made into the constituency to create a myth of the Hindu exodus due to criminal Muslim activities did not pay the electoral dividends. This is despite the Modi, Adityanath and Amit Shah Combine at the helm of campaigning and all out efforts to polarise. Neither[Read More…]
The Kannada saying “murthi chikkadaadaru keerthi doddadu” (meaning that even if the physical form is diminutive, the virtue is great), applies to Lal Bahadur Shastri who, as prime minister, led India with remarkable initiative and verve in the 1965 war against Pakistan. It was he who coined the slogan “Jai Jawan Jai Kisan”, in the full understanding that the Jawan[Read More…]
After the massive protest on 1st May (Labor Day) for “equal pay for equal work” now Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) contractual staff facing new problem, if they will not collect target amount in a day from the duty they will be punished and also will give the fine. Chandra Prakash is a bus conductor, on 16 may, he just earn[Read More…]
Kairana results have signalled to the mighty that the public can wash them out in the 2019 elections. For the first time, RSS spokes person was speaking that government’s come and go but we must protect institutions. He was defending election commission but how come the Sangh Parivar now saying this. Why is Pranab Mukherjee invited. Why did the Sangh[Read More…]
India, a complex, beautiful and enchanting land, a melting pot of innumerable cultures, religions, ethnicities and traditions. India, a society deeply rooted in tolerance, compassion and forbearance. India, a land where the legends of Akbar’s justice, Shahjahan’s love, Prithvi Raj’s valor, Chanakya’s wisdom, live in every household. India, a land which gave birth to the concept of ahinsa, a land[Read More…]
The current Government came to power with the slogans of ‘Ache Din’ and ‘Sabka saath, Sabka vikas’ in which promises of better days and an inclusive model of development was promised. Lot of public relations exercises through advertisements, interviews in government favouring news channels tried to project its ‘development’ orientation. In reality, the travel made thus far shows a different[Read More…]
After Raigad, Jaitapur (Maharashtra), Kalinganagar, Niyamgiri, Gandhamardhan, Dhinkia and Khandadhar (Odisha), Nandigram, Singur (West Bengal), Dandakaranya, Raipur (Chhatishgarh), Jharkhand’s Saranda, MP’s Singrouli, Kovvada, Sompeta (Andhra Pradesh) and Koodankulam and Neduvasal (Tamil Nadu), the recent unfortunate events at the copper smelter plant of Sterlite Industries at Tuticorin bring out the basic issue back to the table. Can the state agencies and[Read More…]
The world’s investment leader, Warren Buffett, once said, “It’s only when the tide goes out that you realise who has been swimming naked”. When the banking system hit the rocks and the tide turned, the naked were caught disrobed. Similarly, sometimes it takes a pitch-black economy to reveal who and what in the financial firmament really shines. It is only[Read More…]
In what could be a bombshell in Indian journalism Cobrapost, an investigative news portal on Friday May 25 posted ‘sting’ videos to show executives of media houses discussing lucrative offers to promote communal content and criticise Opposition leaders In more than 30 videos posted Cobrapost showed virtually all major media outlets falling over each other to accept lucrative offers to[Read More…]
The mystery of the police firing in Tuticorin (Thoothukudi) has deepened with the emergence of a video in which snipers are seen shooting from atop a vehiccle at the crowd. 12 protesters died in the shooting on Tuesday ,May 22, 2018. They were on a protest march demanding the closure of Sterlite Copper, a Vedanta group copper smelter unit in[Read More…]
With the resignation of the BJP’s BS Yeddyurappa as Chief Minister just before a trust vote Karnataka’s political cliffhanger might have ended, at least for time being, but the power and role of Governor in the formation of a government in the eventof a fractured verdict willcontinue to be debated for some time to come. The validity of the[Read More…]
This reflective piece is the second within a week. It comes out of anguish and a search for political relevance in times such as this. It also comes as a response to queries from friends overseas. Theatre of the Absurd: The 19th of May 2018 was the culmination of a Theatre of the Absurdin Karnataka, performed at the VidhanaSoudha in[Read More…]
In a recent case at Uttarakhand High Court at the end of April 2018 a person accused under the Indian Penal Code of cheating, of being party to a criminal conspiracy, of wrongfully confining a person, of receiving and detaining against his will a person as a slave, and also of rendering his services for purposes of transplantation and[Read More…]
UDALGURI,Assam ,May 21: The Adivasi community of state whose fate remains locked decades after the Britshers left them in tea gardens of state are plagued with innumerous socio-economic hardships. In the ‘labour lines’ of tea gardens, in Udalguri of Assam merriment begins as soon as the sun goes down. There is not much by way of entertainment so ‘making merry’[Read More…]
It was yet another dark day for people living on the bloody line dividing Jammu and Kashmir. On Friday, fire-spewing mortar guns that have been thunderously roaring like man eaters for past seventy years devoured ten more human beingsand wounded dozens critically- perhaps disabled for life. Four civilians including a husband and wife and a Border Security Soldier where killed[Read More…]
UDALGURI,Assam,May 20: Though the Britishers left the nation, and India attained independence, one community whose fate remained locked and unchanged decades after decades, are the Adivasi community brought for working in tea gardens of Assam.They continue to remain under the grip of deprivation, humiliation and exploitation by the tea garden companies, their authority members and even the government.Besides numerous socio-political,[Read More…]
A Muslim man accused of killing a cow was beaten to death by a mob in central India, police said Sunday, the latest vigilante murder over the animal considered sacred by Hindus. Siraj Khan, a 45-year-old tailor, was attacked in the Satna district of Madhya Pradesh state early Friday and died at the scene, local police official Arvind Tiwari told[Read More…]
Today further decline of democracy in India was prevented when Mr. Yeddyurappa the BJP CM in Karnataka resigned even not facing the trust vote due to lack of sufficient support. Mr. B S Yeddyurappa was administered oath of Chief Minister ship two days back when Governor invited him to form the government rejecting the claim of JD-S and Congress which[Read More…]
Despite the spectacular strides made in economic growth and having a technological boom, India still continues to struggle to attain freedom from hunger. It is bearing witness to a triple burden of malnutrition—the coexistence of undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, and overnutrition. According to the Economic Survey (2017-18), child and maternal malnutrition posed the most challenging health risk of our times. India[Read More…]
Sanitation is the key to proper hygiene, which is essential for a health and safety of the public. India’s record, especially when it comes to sanitation, has been abysmal so far. According to the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund Joint Monitoring Report (2017), more than half of the open defecation that occurs anywhere in the world[Read More…]
Despite all the tall claims of development by authorities in India, the data from Government bodies shows that there are little, if any, improvements in tackling alarmingly high levels of malnutrition. Add to this the worrisome fact of a sharp increase in the indebtedness of households and the situation becomes even bleaker. The data from the National Family Health Survey[Read More…]
‘Why call comedians to comedy shows in TV, when these BJP leaders can put up a far better show?’ That is one of the social media trolls which have been doing the rounds about BJP leaders in Kerala whose histrionics on primetime TV news debates have spawned an avalanche of memes and trolls. Satire-happy social media users attest that[Read More…]
BJP has almost sealed victory in Karnataka state assembly election, giving a thumping beating to the Congress party. With the vitory in Karnataka the right wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has found a foothold in South India. Vidya Bhushan Rawat analyses the reasons for the BJP victory and what lies ahead for India As a nation these are defining moments.[Read More…]
The recently launched Ayushman Bharat, also known as the National Health Protection Scheme (or even Modicare in popular parlance!) has two objectives — first, creating a network of health and wellness centers to bring all-inclusive primary healthcare close to the community, and secondly, providing insurance cover to 40 per cent of India’s population, that is most deprived, for secondary and[Read More…]
No other fascist organization, in the present world, can beat Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in demagogy, double-speak and unabashed use of conspiracies. A leading Indian English daily, in the aftermath of 2002 genocide of Muslims in Gujarat, candidly wrote that in case of the RSS, what George Orwell termed as “doublespeak” would be an understatement.[i] It stands true always in[Read More…]
Mohammad Gulzar (48), a resident of Nai Basti, Jamia Nagar, was a small time horse cart rider, until a few months ago. He earned enough to feed his family. But a rare disease to his horse Glanders affected his livelihood badly. After wandering for days in search of work, he now works as a laborer, hardly managing to garner two[Read More…]
Why are the people of so rightly called third world countries still falling in tarp of deceitful, shrewd,and criminal, politicians, sold-out, hate-mongering, unethical media houses and journalists? Common people understand, and experience, both in theory and in practice, that most of the politicians irrespective of their party affiliations are demagogues, merciless looters, potential murderers, and rapists with no real[Read More…]
Co-Wriiten by Ila Kazmi & Arpita Singh Days after a devastating fire broke out in an illegal shoe factory – which killed 4 workers among two minors- in Raj Park Sultanpuri, nothing has changed on the ground as unauthorized factories in the residential area continue to operate. One can find dilapidated buildings from where these illegal small-scale factories operate, raising questions[Read More…]
Privatisation of many sectors has become a routine affair. Construction of roads, supply of electricity, means of transportation, etc have been handed over to contractors, firms, private individuals for maintaining and development. Recently, there has been a proposal to hand over ‘ Red Fort’ to Dalmia Bharat to upkeep and improve facilities as part of ‘ Adopt a Heritage ‘[Read More…]
On coming 10 May is the 161th anniversary of 1857 – the country’s First War of Independence. 10th May 1857 is the day when the brave Indian soldiers first raised the war-cry for independence against the British regime. To secure freedom for the country by breaking the chains of slavery, on 10th May the soldiers started from Meerut, reaching Delhi[Read More…]
Recent unrest broke out at Aligarh Muslim University is nothing but the sheer display of impunity granted to right-wing vigilante groups by none other than ruling dispensation of BJP/RSS, both in the state of Uttar Pradesh and at the centre. Since the advent of this government, the activities of vigilante Hindutva outfits like Hindu Yuva Vahini and likens have been[Read More…]
Interacting with media during a tour of Lingayat and Dalit mutts in central Karnataka, Amit Shah, the national President of BJP began making allegations against the current Siddaramaiah government. “ Recently, a Supreme Court judge said if ever there was a competition for the most corrupt government, then Yeddyurappa government will get number one..” shocking Yedurappa who was seated near[Read More…]
Now that the Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu has dismissed the proposal submitted by some seventy -odd Opposition legislators to impeach Supreme Court Chief Justice Dipak Misra, the debate over the issue has to be extended beyond the legalese of the arguments in which our eminent jurists had been indulging all these months, into the arena of commonsense arguments where[Read More…]
A group of over 100 journalists and other professionals related to online media today wrote to the Information & Broadcasting minister Smriti Irani to express their concerns over the ministry’s proposal to extend traditional broadcasting rules and restrictions to the Internet. The journalists include both veterans of the industry like Raghav Bahl, MK Venu, Madhu Trehan, Nalini Singh, Paranjoy Guha[Read More…]
The CAG’s reporttabled in Delhi Legislative Assembly on April 3 has thrown a volley of harsh questions at the ruling AamAdmi Party. The report has highlighted the stark corruption prevalent in the National Capital’s public distribution system (PDS). PDS has been grappling with innumerable problems including faulty Adhaar linkages and failure in verification of biometric data. The National Food[Read More…]
JOHAR TISS/ ADIVASI STUDENTS’ FORUM’S (ASF) STATEMENT TATA INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES 67th Day of STRIKE Our Struggle Continues… The results for the various M.A. programs at Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) for 2018-2020 batch was declared yesterday (27th April 2018), and with it the institute has made it very clear to discontinue its policy of adjusting the Hostel[Read More…]
Modi’s biggest contribution to India is teaching it to hate. It seems to be finally dawning on the people that “Modistan” is the same as “Rogistan”. As the BJP wins election after election to now rule 21 states in India, victory galas and revelry should swamp party cadres. Instead, what have the BJP and its Sangh ideologues ushered in? The[Read More…]
Potentially a game changing digital technology, the use of crypto-currencies like Bitcoin as a viable alternative to the national currencies like Dollar or Rupee, has largely been seen by countries across the world –with India being no exception- as a danger to the existing government-centralized economic system. With contention over use of crypto-currencies as a medium of exchange, Finance Minister[Read More…]
Forgetting the relationship between education and society and ignoring the required engagement between thinker theorists and innovators on one side and society on the other, the governments, legislators and people hypnotized by the neoliberal economy have came to an understanding that commericialisation/marketisation of education from first grade to PhD is the best way forward not for any appreciable societal transformations[Read More…]
Some self-styled Indian patriots settled in UK have launched a petition seeking action against those who tore the Indian national flag recently. The incident happened during protests against visiting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The protests were mainly organized by groups representing religious minorities in India that feel threatened under the right wing Hindu nationalist Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) government[Read More…]