Mainstream Weekly

Most recent articles

• Callous Handling of Refugees and Migrants by India

  24 November 2010

  by Ravi Hemadri
  The recent case of deportation of 47 suspected Bangladeshis from Ahmedabad and the questions the Gujarat High Court asked the State Govern-ment to answer shows the continuing ambiguity in the country with regard to the rights of refugees and transnational migrants. Last year the Gujarat Police arrested 75 persons suspected to be Bangladeshi migrants and deported 47 of them in two batches in November 2009 and January 2010. In a petition filed by the Jansan-gharsh Morcha it (…)

• German link in the European Terror Plot

  24 November 2010

  by Siddharth Ramana
  In late September 2010, the United States issued a travel advisory for its citizens warning against travel to European cities. This occurred in the backdrop of a high terror alert across the European countries of France, Spain, Germany and the United Kingdom; all these countries are known allies of the United States and are battling domestic Islamic radicalisation. This commentary focuses on one aspect of the European terror plot—the role of Germans in global jihad. (…)

• Looking beyond the Summit

  24 November 2010, by Nikhil Chakravartty

  FROM N.C.’S WRITINGS
  Summit meetings are not boxing rings which the public watch to cheer or boo at the players punching at each other. Most of the summits are meant for serious business either to thrash out differences or haggle over a coveted prize.
  Judging by this criterion, the Prime Minister of India’s summit with the President of the USA at Washington (May 19, 1994) could be regarded as useful as they noted in clear terms the points of difference on some of the major issues not so (…)

• India Promotes what the World Shuns

  24 November 2010, by T J S George

  IMPRESSIONS
  So everything went off well. Obamaji was nice, Michelleji was nicer, and the kababs at Rashtrapati Bhavan were nicest. A good time was had by all. Now, what about the fine print?
  We can ignore Obama’s pitch that India must stand up for democracy and human rights in Burma and Iran. We can do a pahle aap number here and wait for the US to first stand up for democracy and human rights in Saudi Arabia. We can also more or less ignore the India-US strategic partnership for “East (…)

• Obama’s Visit to India: Powering the Eagle

  24 November 2010, by Sudhakar Panda

  Obama’s visit, which was initially hailed with a note of caution, created a sense relief, comfort and strengthened friendship with the US after the nation heard him addressing the Indian Parliament. In Mumbai where he landed with his business entourage consisting of CEOs of American MNCs, the President, as expected of him, talked of the US’ business interests in India and at Delhi he addressed some of the vital politico-economic issues ranging from cross- border terrorism from Pakistan to (…)

• Please Don’t Use Mahatma Gandhi’s Name While Promoting Weapons Sales

  24 November 2010, by Bharat Dogra

  Before embarking on his recent (November) trip to India and other Asian countries, President Obama said at a press conference in Washington: “As I plan for my trip later this week to Asia, the whole focus is on how are we going to open up markets so that American businesses can prosper, and we can sell more goods and create more jobs here in the United States. And a whole bunch of corporate executives are going to be joining us so that I can help them open up those markets and allow them to (…)

• The Person behind the Politics

  24 November 2010, by Somnath Chatterjee

  TRIBUTE
  My association with Siddhartha Shankar Ray (1920-2010) goes back about 50-60 years. We were colleagues in court, though he was about a decade ahead when I joined the Bar. We have appeared in many cases both together and against each other. And this was to be repeated even later, as we both entered politics. Even though our parties and politics were mutually opposed, we had a very good personal relationship. In fact, he often told Jyoti Basu (who persuaded me into politics), that he (…)

• Success of the Obama Visit

  16 November 2010, by SC

  From all accounts the first trip to India of the first African American President of the United States, Barack Hussein Obama, has been successful. Not only was Obama’s spellbinding oratory, in full display at the Parliament’s Central Hall (where he addressed the joint session of the two Houses—the high point of the visit), full of substance alongside predictable rhetoric, he positively responded to almost all the concerns articulated by the Indian side vis-à-vis Pakistan and 26/11 (that is, (…)

• Cost of Permanent Membership of UNSC

  16 November 2010

  by K.B.
  For long, India’s political discourse has been dominated by what Pakistan does in the inter-national fora vis-a-vis India. Pakistan has a particularly typical history as far as multilateral organisations are concerned. Most recently, a junior level official of Pakistani origin ended up speaking for UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon on the Kashmir issue embarrassing both the UN and India. Every multilateral forum has been used by Pakistan to highlight issues that mark the soft spots (…)

• Indo-US Joint Statement

  16 November 2010

  DOCUMENTS
  The following are the Joint Statement of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Barack Obama at the end of the summit level Indo-US talks in New Delhi on November 8, 2010, and US President Barack Obama’s address to the Joint Session of both Houses of Parliament on November 8, 2010.
  Reaffirming their nations’ shared values and increasing convergence of interests, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Barack Obama resolved today in New Delhi to expand and strengthen (…)