Mainstream Weekly

Hu Jintao spells out China's New Approach to India

SC — 2007-04-24T19:54:00Z

Chinese President Hu Jintao's visit to India this week marks a new step towards enhancing bilateral Sino-Indian cooperation in diverse fields.
Ever since Rajiv Gandhi's historic visit to China at the end of 1988 and P.V. Narasimha Rao's highly successful 1993 China sojourn, Sino-Indian relations have slowly but steadily not only improved but recorded substantive growth in real terms in the economic sphere. No doubt irritants in our ties do remain on various fronts, capped by the (…)

- November 25, 2006

India Social Forum: Another World or Yet Another Event?

Charu Gupta, Mukul Sharma — 2007-04-24T19:52:00Z

The India Social Forum (ISF), held on November 9-13, 2006 in Delhi, was a crucial intersection in the past five years' journey of the World Social Forum (WSF) in India. After the Asia Social Forum at Hyderabad in 2003 and the World Social Forum at Mumbai in 2004, the ISF at Delhi denoted a national chapter, where there was extensive participation—of about 50,000 people, more than 1000 organisations and networks, with around 400 programmes, and many rallies and marches—signifying a (…)

- November 25, 2006

Use of Madrasas in the Light of Sachar Committee Report

Chaturanan Mishra — 2007-04-24T19:51:00Z

The forces of Hindutva are constantly preaching that Muslims are being appeased by the government and secular parties. Had it been so the condition of Muslims would not have been as wretched as the Justice Rajindar Sachar Committee has found. According to the Sachar Committee report, 94.9 per cent rural BPL Muslim families do not get free ration, only 3.2 per cent get subsidised loan and just 1.9 per cent benefit from the government's subsidised food programme. As many as 62.2 per cent do (…)

- November 25, 2006

Electoral Verdict in the USA

Kamala Prasad — 2007-04-24T19:49:00Z

The result of the mid-term election to the two Houses of the US Congress merits analysis around the world for its impact within the US and globally. After all, US policies and politics have influence on countries around the world in economic, strategic and political relations. Despite the prediction of Republican Party losses, it was difficult to guess that the Republican defeat will be so comprehensive. The Democratic Party has captured majority in both the Houses. What is more, its (…)

- November 25, 2006

Meaning of Nobel Prize to Phelps

Girish Mishra — 2007-04-24T19:47:00Z

The phenomenon of open or involuntary unemployment came up with the rise of modern industrial capitalism. This was because labour power became a commodity, that is, a subject of sale and purchase. People uprooted from land had no other means of production except their capacity to work. They had, of course, freedom to go wherever they liked and to work or not to work. The freedom not to work meant the decision to starve. The owners of the means of production as well as people with only their (…)

- November 25, 2006

Perception and Reality in the Making of Foreign Policy

P N Haksar — 2007-04-24T19:45:00Z

When I was thinking about this theme, I suddenly realised that I have perhaps unwittingly led myself into great difficulties. Words like “perception” and “reality” are extremely contentious. Around these words—“perception” and “reality”—have been woven great philosophical traditions, both in the Western and in the Eastern system of thought. In fact, in the Eastern system of thought, there is an obsession with the question, What is Reality? And the Western system of thought is full of (…)

- November 25, 2006

Reservation and Affirmative Action : The JNU Model

Aswini K Ray — 2007-04-24T19:42:00Z

The latest version of India's periodic political encounter between “social justice” and “equal opportunity” around the policy of Reservation has been in some ways rewarding. For a start, despite the involvement of large sections of youth, and sharply polarised, the exercise has been more democratic in its street version than such encounters regularly enacted by the elected legislators in their Houses. Besides, to the discerning eye, the discourse has spawned a set of implicit democratic (…)

- November 25, 2006

What Undid Pramod Mahajan?

K S Duggal — 2007-04-24T19:40:00Z

I suppose it can now be told. It is no more too close to the tragic happening to be termed bad manners or sheer paparazzi.
Pramod Mahajan (PM) had in his person the makings of a Prime Minister as indicated in his initials, duly noticed by the media. A midnight-freedom child, at 57 he was youthful, attractive to look at, with a gift of the gab carrying conviction in a fast-developing society like ours. Above all, he was imbued with scientific temper, and spoke in the idiom of the (…)

- November 25, 2006

‘Karmayogi' Golwalkar Guruji - Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You

Subhash Gatade — 2007-04-24T19:39:00Z

True or false! • The RSS had participated in the freedom struggle? • The Congress had demanded help from the RSS for Gandhi's protection? • Godse had never been a member of the RSS?
Well, for laypersons like you and me, who have the ‘misfortune' of attending any normal school, the answers to these queries would be in the negative. But if you happen to see the yet-to-be- released film/docu-feature titled ‘Karmayogi' you would be enlightened with a different set of answers. (…)

- November 25, 2006

Citizens' Chargesheet On West Bengal Government's Development Policies

2007-04-24T19:36:00Z

A Citizens' Convention held on November 3, 2006, at Yuba Kendra, Kolkata, has resolved to submit a Citizens' Chargesheet against the violation of laws and rights committed by the West Bengal Government, pertaining to its developmental policies related to agriculture and industry. The list of charges given below has been placed, discussed, finalised and accepted at the Citizens' Convention. The Convention has also decided to send this resolution to the concerned authorities for their (…)

- November 25, 2006