Mainstream Weekly

Most recent articles

• Follies of the Republic

  19 February 2009, by Meher Engineer

  Communication
  Subhas Borker describes the most alarming of the many disorders of the Indian Republic (“Rapid Inclusive Growth: The Only Way Forward”, Mainstream, January 23-29, 2009) well. He uses the language of psychology to draw parallels between the disorders and psychological states like Schizophrenia and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Thanks to him. Thanks, also, to those who signed the admirable plea for media restraint in South Asia (DOCUMENT, ibid.). More on that after a few (…)

• Enforcing Cultural Values: Attack in a Mangalore pub

  19 February 2009, by S G Vombatkere

  The recent televised attack by persons alleged to be members of the Sri Ram Sene on young women inside a pub in Mangalore has created widespread public outrage. Even though a spokesperson of the Sri Ram Sene on NDTV has confused viewers regarding the identity of the attackers, what is very clear is that they oppose what they call “pub culture”. There is a wide gulf between the right of any person to disapprove of the morals, values or behaviour of others, and the use of force to demonstrate (…)

• Trying Times

  11 February 2009, by SC

  While tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad do not show any perceptible signs of abating with the latter still in a denial mode mainly on the question of the Mumbai terror strike last November having been planned and executed from Pakistani soil, the attack by the Sri Ram Sene activists on women at a pub in Mangalore on the ground that their presence there was against “Indian culture” has once again exposed the Hindutva brigade’s intention of imposing its “cultural” agenda on the polity (…)

• In the Wake of the Mumbai Bloodbath

  11 February 2009, by Mansoor Ali

  Who were behind the terrorist onslaught in Mumbai last November? This question has lately acquired critical significance among defence analysts and security experts in the aftermath of the Mumbai bloodbath which has far-reaching implications.
  The main suspects behind the terror strike are the Al-Qaeda and Lashkar-e-Taiba. But then weren’t the Al-Qaeda and the Taliban, whose brainchild is the Lashkar, the handiwork of Washington and its agencies to fight the Soviets in Afghanistan in the (…)

• A Tribute to Former President Ramaswami Venkataraman

  11 February 2009, by SC

  Former President Ramaswami Venkataraman, 98, who occupied the Rashtrapati Bhavan as the country’s eighth head of state from 1987 to 1992 and indeed presided over the transition from one-party rule to coalitions at the Centre, passed away at the Army’s Research and Referral Hospital in the Capital at 2.30 pm on January 27, 2008 following multiple organ failure. He is survived by his wife Janaki and three daughters. A distinguished public figure of national repute, he enhanced India’s image by (…)

• Making Panchayat Raj Work

  11 February 2009, by R Venkataraman

  Decentralisation is the Key
  In the ancient City States of Greece, the people directly used to participate in the governance of their territory. In modern nation-states, such participation is obviously impossible and representatives directly elected by the people undertake the responsibilities of government. India from time immemorial has had a genius for finding via media solutions to every problem. Thus ancient India combined the principle of direct democracy with the authority of the (…)

• Clarity of Thought and Rich Experience in Public Life

  11 February 2009, by R K Bhatnagar

  The eighth President of India, R. Ventataraman (1987-92), breathed his last on January 27, 2009. He was 98, having been born on December 4, 1910. After retirement from the high office 15 years ago, he led a retired life with his wife and three daughters in the Capital. Except for minor ageing problems, the always smiling R.V., as he was affectionately known, was in excellent health. All his faculties were working exceedingly well despite advancing years. According to his physician, Padma (…)

• Upholding Objectivity beyond the Culture of Sycophancy

  11 February 2009, by Nikhil Chakravartty

  We as a nation have taken pride in the fact that in political life, a liberal and tolerant approach has become the hall-mark of Indian democracy. While differences have always cropped up in our national movement involving the giants among its leadership, there was by and large adherence to the principle of live and let live.
  In our young days, we in Bengal looked upto Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das as our leader, and yet when he and Motilal Nehru differed from Gandhiji and formed the Swaraj (…)

• Collapse of the Make-believe World

  11 February 2009, by Girish Mishra

  It is an old tendency of human beings to delude themselves and think that the impending dangers could be warded off. Thus they live undisturbed in a make-believe world. Jawaharlal Nehru, in one of his books, has written that when a foreign invader came to raid the famous Somnath temple in Gujarat and loot its treasures, the priests told the devotees to have faith in God and pray, not fight, so that the deity would himself appear and destroy the enemy and his army. Despite prayers for days, (…)

• No Dirge for George W. Bush

  11 February 2009, by B N Arora

  By the time this small piece happens to see the light, George W. Bush would have moved to his multi-million dwelling after laying down office. When an eminent person or a person holding high office/position retires or demits office, we normally eulogise him. This writer, however, acknowledges a sense of guilt in painting Bush in a rather bad light.
  Few tears would have been shed when the great George W. Bush (hereafter referred to as Bush Jr) laid down office as he was considered the most (…)