Mainstream Weekly

Most recent articles

• No Excuse for Fascism

  15 March 2009, by Sangeeta Mall

  Communication
  My congratulations to Spencer A. Leonard for writing such a detailed critique of the Left’s approach to the War on Terror in the Mainstream issue dated February 14, 2009. While the Indian Left political parties have repeatedly shown their tendency to follow an agenda that often seems anti-Indian, notably in their opposition to the nuclear deal with the US, that will allow India to develop its energy agenda in an alternative manner, their reaction to Islamist jihad is (…)

• The Demise of Solzhenitsyn

  15 March 2009, by Sheel Bhadra Kumar

  Solzhenitsyn, the renowned Nobel Prize winning Russian author and thinker, passed away on August 3, 2008 due to cardiac arrest at the ripe age of 89. He led a bitter but illustrious life in the tumultuous phase in the Russian history of the 20th century. Throughout his life, whether in Russia or outside of Russia in exile, he worked till the last minute reflecting his firm determination, devotion and positive attitude towards life. He was a man of indomitable faith in his ideas and ideals on (…)

• India-Pakistan: Need to Tackle Basic Issues

  15 March 2009, by Nikhil Chakravartty

  If at Surajkund, Narasimha Rao has effectively warded off all challenge to his leadership within his own party, it is time for him now to identify the prime issue for the business of governance in the list of priorities facing him. In other words, now that he has consolidated his position as the Congress President, he has to enforce his authority as the Prime Minister.
  There are many areas where this needs to be done, both at home and abroad. There is, however, one item which (…)

• Review Article: Financial Crisis and How to Tackle It

  15 March 2009, by Devdatt P. Dubhashi

  The Subprime Solution by Robert J. Shiller; Princeton University Press; 2008.
  The Origin of Financial Crises by George Cooper; Random House; 2008.
  The Credit Crunch by Graham Turner; Pluto Press; 2008.
  The tsunami of the financial crisis that struck the world in 2008 caught most economists by total surprise, and has now generated a large outpou-ring of analysis of what went wrong. The books under review have three very different takes on it. Roughly speaking, one may characterise them (…)

• Declaration of a Conference on NREGA and Panchayats

  15 March 2009

  The Institute of Social Sciences (ISS) in cooperation with the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Embassy of Sweden (Swedish International Development Agency-SIDA) organised a National Conference on NREGA and Panchayats on October 14-15, 2008 at the Constitution Club, Rafi Marg, New Delhi. More than 1200 Panchayat Presidents and elected local government representatives from 24 States Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, (…)

• Mainstream and Nano Car Project of the Tatas at Singur

  15 March 2009, by D P Sen

  Communication
  “Do not judge me by my actions, do not judge me from man’s point of view. Judge me from God’s—by the hidden purpose behind my actions. ” – Fidel Castro (Mainstream, November 29, 2008)
  The editorial entitled “Moral Victory for Evicted Peasantry” (Mainstream, September 13, 2008) gives unqualified and blind support (and even twists facts to support) the objectives and virulent agitation of the Trinamul Congress under the leadership of its supremo—Mamata Banerjee—for the (…)

• Wanted: A Measure of Statesmanship

  7 March 2009, by SC

  As if the horrendous happenings in Dhaka barely a week ago (wherein the Bangladesh Rifles jawans killed at least 74 persons, including a large number of Army officers heading the BDR, even as the unofficial death toll far exceeds that figure) were not enough, Lahore has been witness to a new kind of terror-strike, the target this time being the game of cricket with the visiting Sri Lankan cricket team members miraculously escaping death since a grenade hurled at the bus they were travelling (…)

• Good Man Muthalik

  7 March 2009, by Badri Raina

  (On the occasion of International Women’s Day)
  Good man Muthalik, patriot—
  He upright, honest man;
  He do not like this dirtiness,
  He clean up all he can.
  One problem he is having, though,
  That require CT Scan:
  The dirtiness he thinks he see
  Is all inside his brain.
  Muthalik, he like Amreeka
  For dollar and internet;
  But for keeping mahila disciplined
  Taliban are his pet.
  Kama Sutra, Khajurahu—
  Very spiritual are;
  Naked sadhu maharaj-jies
  Spread that (…)

• Bangladesh PM and Army Chief’s Exemplary Role in Handling Mutiny and Preserving Democracy

  7 March 2009, by Sumon K. Chakrabarti

  Two decisions taken last week have ensured that Bangladesh’s tryst with democracy continues. One was taken on February 25, within hours of the bloody mutiny by the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) erupting on the streets of Dhaka and leaving more than 70 senior Army officers dead. The country’s new civilian government decided to intervene and politically negotiate with the mutineering BDR soldiers who had taken control of the head-quarters and held senior officers hostage.
  Barely two months (…)

• Centenary of Hind Swaraj

  7 March 2009, by D. Bandyopadhyay

  The Council for Social Development and the India International Centre (IIC), both of New Delhi, jointly sponsored an International Seminar on “Social Development and the Human Civilisation in the 21st Century”, on February 12-14, 2009 at the IIC on the occasion of the centenary of Hind Swaraj. Other collaborating organisations were three well-known Universities of Delhi and some other Universities of Brazil, Peru, the USA and South Africa. It was reported that a couple of delegates from (…)