Mainstream Weekly

Most recent articles

• CWG, Kashmir and Ayodhya Verdict

  6 October 2010, by SC

  While hectic last-minute finishing touches are being given to the Commonwealth Games, all set for a gale opening in the Capital on October 3, and even at this stage an ever-vigilant media is bringing out detailed accounts of deficiencies and poor preparations in different areas, notably at the Games Village, the controversy over who—Prince Charles or President Pratibha Patil—would actually inaugurate the event his hit the headlines in a big way. According to latest reports, however, the (…)

• Economic Ideology of the Congress: Empowering the Poor

  6 October 2010, by Arjun Sengupta

  [(TRIBUTE
  Dr Arjun Sengupta, 73, whom C. Rangarajan, the Chairman of the PM’s Economic Advisory Council, described as a “career bureaucrat” having a “good understanding of social problems” and “deeply touched and involved in finding solutions for people at the bottom of the population pile”, passed away at New Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences on September 26 evening after stoically fighting cancer for quite sometime. What was most remarkable was that he never spoke about the (…)

• Was President Ahmadinejad Wrong at the UN?

  6 October 2010, by Shyam Chand

  Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad provoked the Americans when he said at the UN General Assembly that “some segments within the US Government orchestrated the attack to reverse the declining American economy and its grip on the Middle East in order also to save the Zionist regime. The majority of the American people as well as other nations and politicians agree with this view.” His speech provoked the US delegation to walk out. Delegations from 27 EU nations, Australia, Canada and Costa (…)

• The Great Betrayal

  6 October 2010, by Nikhil Chakravartty

  FROM N.C.’S WRITINGS October 2 this year marks Mahatma Gandhi’s one hundred and fortyfirst birth anniversary. On this occasion we are reproducing N.C.’s following editorial that appeared in Mainstream (October 5, 1968) and publishing a few relevant articles.
  Indraprastha Bhawan has become a symbol—and not merely because lathi-happy policemen were let loose on meek, unarmed and law-abiding clerks and officials, including many women. Police excesses have not been unknown in the years of (…)

• Partyless Democracy: Remembering Mahatma Gandhi and JP

  6 October 2010, by Shree Shankar Sharan

  A seminar on partyless democracy at Allahabad has put me wise to the growing disenchantment with party governments, party elections and party regimentation of MPs and MLAs that deals a blow at genuine people-led and controlled democracy.
  The alienation and disenchantment with the parliamentary or presidential forms of governments, both party based, is not confined to young democracies like ours. Its most vociferous expression has appeared in the oldest democracies of the UK and USA. What (…)

• Mahatma Gandhi and Modern Civilisation

  6 October 2010, by Upasana Pandey

  In his own way, Gandhi had been a critic of modern civilisation. He criticised almost each and every aspect of modern civilisation. Whether it was the machine, profession of doctors lawyers or various political structures like State/Parliament, Gandhi could never confirm his appreciation of these signifiers of modernity. This shows that to some extent for Gandhi everything was wrong with modern civilisation. However, interestingly Gandhi’s life was highly influenced by these modern (…)

• The Conspiracy of Silence

  6 October 2010, by Nirmalya Biswas

  Irom Sharmila Chanu will be completing ten years of her continuous fast, an exceptionally courageous feat in our country and the world, on November 4, 2010, that is, precisely a month from now. We are thus publishing the following article on Gandhi Jayanti as Sharmila is silently upholding the legacy of the Mahatma in the true Gandhian spirit shunning the glare of limelight.
  Prologue
  I was then young in the early 1970s when I first heard the song “Blowin’ in the Wind” of Bob Dylan. The (…)

• Post Master’s Office for FDI in Retail

  6 October 2010, by Kamal Nayan Kabra

  Just a few weeks ago, the Economist (London) flashed a story highly critical of the GoI and its leaders for their lacklustre performance. Among the major steps it advocated for putting the governance process back on rails were a slew of measures to complete the agenda of what is misleadingly described as reforms. Among them a star place was assigned to the permission to global retail majors to invade the Indian retail market space. This, as is well known, is a segment occupied still largely (…)

• Legal Regulation of Nuclear Power

  6 October 2010

  by Lathika Nath
  Nuclear generated electric power meets the energy demands of many countries around the world. This is a reliable source of energy without any release of greenhouse gases, smoke or emissions. In a developing country like ours, it will significantly impact on the quality and comfort of life and bring about significant changes. In the years ahead nuclear energy for civilian purposes will meet our growing energy demands.
  India’s stand on non-proliferation was an important (…)

• Understanding the Emerging Contours of Indian Politics

  6 October 2010, by Ajay K. Mehra

  BOOK REVIEW
  Rise of the Plebeians? The Changing Face of Indian Legislative Assemblies by Christophe Jaffrelot and Sanjay Kumar (eds.); Routledge India, New Delhi; 2009; pages 494; Rs 895.
  Electoral Politics in Indian States: Lok Sabha Elections in 2004 and Beyond by Sandeep Shastri, K.C. Suri and Yogendra Yadav (eds.); OUP, New Delhi; 2009; pages 453; Rs 795.
  These two volumes published nine months from each other in 2009, the first just before the fifteenth general elections got (…)