Mainstream Weekly

Most recent articles

• Corruption: the Great Political Divide

  23 September 2011

  by V.P. JAIN
  We are corrupt. Corruption is deeply entrenched and it has become institutionalised. ‘Corruption has become endemic to the system and it has to be fought.’ This has become a constant refrain. Then what is the current turmoil about and where is the catch?
  The problem is very simple: It does not affect everybody in the same way. It is creating an asymmetrical society. On the one hand, we have the beneficiaries of the corrupt system, the big business houses, the politicians, (…)

• The Neoliberal Revolution

  23 September 2011, by Anand Teltumbde

  Expectedly, the high-pitched media-supported Anna anshan at the Ramlila Ground has come to an end with Parliament passing a unanimous resolution as dictated by Team Anna. The three conditions—that the lower bureaucracy should be within the Lokpal’s ambit, Lokayuktas in States should be brought in through a Central legislation like the Lokpal’s, and a citizen’s charter detailing the responsibilities of government functionaries and the penalty for non-fulfilment should be instituted—were (…)

• Rural Innovator Struggles For Justice

  23 September 2011, by Bharat Dogra

  A rural scientist, Mangal Singh, has received a patent for an innovation (Mangal Turbine) which can save billions of rupees worth diesel and electricity currently used up for irrigation. Despite the recognition of his work by eminent experts and officials, this scientist has been subjected to relentless harassment by a handful of bureaucrats. A recent evaluation of his work ordered by the Department of Rural Department has indicted these bureaucrats while strongly recommending that Mangal (…)

• Leftwing Militant Radicalism, State and Civil Society

  23 September 2011, by K B Saxena

  The following is a detailed report of a seminar on "Militant Left Radicalism, State and Civil Society: the Centrality of Tribal Land Rights” that was organied by the Council for Social Development, New Delhi in the Capital on December 10-11, 2010. The keynote address of distinguished social anthropologist Prof B.K. Ray Burman was published in Mainstream Annual 2010 (dated December 25, 2010). Since the issues discussed at the seminar are highly topical in the present context, this piece is (…)

• How Deep is the Rot?

  23 September 2011, by Nikhil Chakravartty

  FROM N.C.’S WRITINGS
  Bihar and Uttar Pradesh together have long been regarded as the traditional homeland of the Congress. These two States together constitute an almost overwhelming bloc in Parliament, and all the Prime Ministers of India but one have come from Uttar Pradesh. The Central Ministers from this region easily outnumber those from any other region; inevitably this has been most conspicuous under the Congress than under the Janata Raj.
  It is therefore natural to regard these (…)

• Delhi Bleeds as Terror Strikes Again

  13 September 2011, by SC

  Terror has struck the heart of the Capital—just outside the Delhi High Court. Delhi has bled once again while the custodians of law and order continue to repeat, like an old gramophone record, what they had said time and again after every bomb blast causing countless casualties. The leaders of the government too have used the same language that they employ in such incidents—and that boils down to “we shall not bow to such cowardly acts and definitely bring the perpetrators to book”. But what (…)

• PM’s Productive Dhaka Visit

  13 September 2011

  COMMENTARY
  The first visit of an Indian PM to Bangladesh in 12 years has doubtless been a major success despite the fact that the Teesta water-sharing deal could not be inked (due to the West Bengal CM’s veto—in deference to that State’s interests—on the details worked out in the proposed draft agreement) and the transit issue (which involves overland access for Indian goods across Bangladeshi territory to the landlocked North-Eastern States) still needs to be resolved. In fact what has (…)

• Why We Oppose Biotechnology Regulation Bill

  13 September 2011, by Bharat Dogra

  The Union Government has prepared the Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India Bill, 2001 (BRAI in brief) for the regulation of the biotechnology sector in India. While the need for strong and careful regulation certainly exists keeping in view the serious threats posed to health and environment by the genetically modified (GM) crops, the BRAI can actually increase this threat by paving the way for the rapid spread of GM crops (or their field-trials) and this is the reason why it is being (…)

• Non-violence is Mightier than Violence

  13 September 2011

  by ANAND MUTTUNGAL
  The thirteen-day-long non-violent protest led by Anna Hazare has again proved that non-violence has an upper hand against violence. Non-violence can be understood in two ways: the first is a general philosophy of abstention from violence because of moral or religious principle and the second is the behaviour of people using non-violent action to attain a systematic transformation. The general version of non-violence became a pragmatic approach with the application of (…)

• Electoral Reform — Will The Central Government Redeem Itself?

  13 September 2011, by Rajindar Sachar

  When Anna Hazare gave up his fast, he announced that the next movement is for electoral reform and especially prioritised the right to reject a candidate at the elections and the right to recall a legislator earlier than the end of his term.
  The Central Government is seeking to project itself as responsive to public opinion. Here then is an opportunity to do so. I say this because the public demand for effectuating the right to reject vote or more clearly “None of the Above” (NOTA) is (…)