Mainstream Weekly

Most recent articles

• Union Budget 2015-16: In Pursuit of the PM’s ’Make in India’ Vision

  14 March 2015

  by S.S. Sangwan
  The Central Budget 2015-16 appears to be focused on the Make-in-India and Skill-India vision of the Prime Minister rather than a balanced approach to appease all sections of the society.
  The make-in-India initiative was launched by the Prime Minister on September 25, 2014 at a workshop of the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion. It focuses on creation of employment and skill enhancement through 25 manufacturing sectors like automobiles, IT, pharmaceuticals, (…)

• Letter to NDTV by Women Activists and Others

  14 March 2015

  The following is a letter addressed to Dr Prannoy Roy, Co-founder and Executive Co-Chairperson, NDTV by several women lawyers, activists and others on the Nirbhaya rape film by the BBC, “India’s Daughter”.
  Dear Dr Prannoy Roy,
  On receiving a letter from Ms Indira Jaising and others, on March 3, 2015, which raised legal and ethical objections with respect to the telecast byNDTV of LesleeUdwin’s film “India’s Daughter”, a DVD of the said film was sent by you to Ms Jaising. Indira Jaising (…)

• Should White Women Make Documentaries about Rape in India?

  14 March 2015

  by Bina Shah
  I am puzzled.
  Five prominent Indian feminists including Urvashi Batalia wrote a letter to NDTV explaining why they objected to the BBC documentary, ‘India’s Daughter’, and explaining why they believed it should not be shown.
  On the one hand this could be an attempt by these women to reassert control over the Indian conversation about rape and women’s rights, feeling that British film-maker Leslee Udwin has taken it away from them with this film. That’s understandable, from (…)

• Editors Guild of India decries Ban on the Documentary ’India’s Daughter’

  14 March 2015

  The Government of India’s move in banning the telecast of the BBC documentary ‘India’s Daughter’ depicting the aftermath of the brutal gang rape and murder of Nirbhaya is wholly unwarranted, based as it is on a misunder-standing of the power and the message behind it. The documentary portrays the courage, sensitivity and liberal outlook of a family traumatised by the brutality inflicted on the daughter, the continuing shameful attitudes towards women among the convict as well as the educated (…)

• Tribute to Ninan Koshy

  14 March 2015

  TRIBUTE
  Dr Ninan Koshy (February 1, 1934-March 4, 2015) was a noted political thinker, foreign affairs expert, theologian and social analyst. He was born in 1934 in Thiruvalla. A former Director of the World Commission of the Churches on International Affairs, he was an LDF candidate from Mavelikkara constituency (Kerala) in the 1999 general elections. He was also well known as a political commentator, social activist, author and orator. He served on a committee to draft Kerala’s policy on (…)

• Neo-bondage in the Age of ’Make in India’ and Shramev Jayate

  14 March 2015

  by Dustin Robertson
  ‘Make in India’ is a spirited slogan and initiative coined by India’s new Prime Minister that aims to “Facilitate investment. Foster innovation. Enhance skill development. Protect intellectual property. And build best-in-class manufacturing infrastructure.”1 At the same time, Prime Minister Modi has said that labour issues should be seen through the eyes of the (shramik) worker. However, when one considers the actions and labour reforms proposed, the sincerity of the (…)

• Ray of Sunshine

  14 March 2015, by Nikhil Chakravartty

  From N.C.’s Writings
  The following ‘Political Notebook’ by N.C. was written twenty years ago and appeared in Mainstream (March 4, 1995). It is being reproduced here against the backdrop of a two-day seminar in New Delhi (March 4-5, 2015) “Understanding Pakistan” (to mark the twentieth anniversary of the Pakistan-India Peoples’ Forum for Peace and Democracy) that was attended by a large number of Pakistani scholars and peace activists working for restoring and strengthening Indo-Pak amity. (…)

• PDP-BJP Alliance, Targeting Mother Teresa

  14 March 2015, by Humra Quraishi

  MUSINGS
  There’s a sense of disbelief-cum-outrage at the PDP-BJP merger for government formation in J&K. Nah, not just a marriage of convenience but I would label it to be a mismatched marriage that wouldn’t last long. Perhaps, the PDP has dug its own grave! Though there are hundreds of unmarked graves in the Valley but this one will be well marked. With this merger, the PDP has taken one of those U-turns that the masses will find difficult to digest. No amount of explanations or those (…)

• Change the People

  14 March 2015

  by L.K. Sharma
  In a message to the tax evaders, a frightening voice says: “We know it all! Every single transaction of yours! You can hide nothing!” Meanwhile, [‘Indians are getting more materialistic... Indian crowd celebrate newly elected politicians in Nagaon, 2013’. Diganta Talukdar/Demotix. All rights reserved.]
  In a democracy called India, the people changed the government. The new government wants to change the people! Dissatisfied with their behaviour and conduct, it wants the (…)

• It Is No ‘Treason’, Mr Sachar

  14 March 2015

  COMMUNICATION
  The veteran jurist and former Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, Mr Rajindar Sachar, has taken undue offence to the watermark of the Preamble to the Consitution in an advertisement appearing without the words “secular” and “socialist". These words were inserted in 1976 Amendment to the Constitution while the ad was issued on the occasion of the 66th anniversary of India’ s Republic when these words did not form part of the Preamble. He dubs the action as “treason". This (…)