Mainstream Weekly

Most recent articles

• Nuances of Change in the Indian Judicial Paradigm

  3 December 2007, by Amna Mirza

  BOOK REVIEW
  Indian Judiciary and Politics: The Changing Landscape edited by B.D. Dua, M.P. Singh, Rekha Saxena; published by Manohar Publishers and Distributors, New Delhi; price: Rs 1195.
  The judiciary has become an over-arching public institution in the Indian political domain since the post-Emergency phase. The space vacated by the inefficiency, gigantic corruption, maladministration, lack of political will of the executive and legislature is being taken over by the judiciary. From (…)

• Perils of Judicial Policy-making

  3 December 2007, by Vijay Kumar

  The controversy over the last Chief Justice of India, Justice Y.K. Sabharwal, allowing his sons to allegedly further their business prospects by abusing official position has brought to the fore the issue of judiciary indulging in the exercise of policy formulation and thereby trenching upon the executive and legislative domain by negating the very concept of separation of power. I do not wish to go into the correctness or otherwise of the allegation against Justice Y.K. Sabharwal and (…)

• Global Oil Politics

  3 December 2007, by Rajaram Panda

  The UPA Government of Manmohan Singh is under tremendous pressure to raise the domestic oil prices in view of the rise in global prices. The Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, Montek Singh Alhuwalia, has already made it clear in no uncertain terms that postponing the increase in the retail oil prices does not make any economic sense. He further argues that the longer the government postpones any such decision in view of the forthcoming elections to some Indian States and continues (…)

• ’Grapes-are-sour’ Syndrome

  3 December 2007, by Chandra Sen

  Russia is going to polls this Sunday, December 2: the elections to the State Duma, the powerful Lower House of the Russian parliament, are due on that day. Just before these elections the country’s President, Vladimir Putin, has come under severe attack from the West primarily the US, with Washington and its allies launching an anti-Putin tirade based on the time-worn arguments dished out by the fractured pro-West Opposition within Russia. The principal criticism against Putin is that he is (…)

• Badge of Shame

  28 November 2007, by SC

  Parliament has discussed the Nandigram issue indepth and the role of the CPM hoodlums—constituting the harmad vahini—who launched the attack on the villagefolk has come under close scrutiny. This is doubtless welcome as it has exposed and brought into focus the misgovernance and maladministration of those at the helm of affairs in the State of West Bengal. Union Minister of I&B and Parliamentary Affairs Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi needs to be complimented for his objective presentation of the (…)

• Blood On Their Hands

  28 November 2007, by Praful Bidwai

  West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s rationalisation of the violent “recapture” of Nandigram by CPM cadres as mere “retaliation” against their opponents, who were paid back “in the same coin”, is one of the most brazen defences by an Indian leader of the state’s abdication of its fundamental responsibility to protect the life and limb of all its citizens. What Nandigram witnessed was a CPM campaign of armed violence to regain control of two of the area’s three blocks, which (…)

• Nuclear Deal, The Left Parties and Priorities for People

  28 November 2007, by K Saradamoni

  The media in general has made the question of the Indian government’s ‘nuclear deal ‘ with the United States of America into an affair between the Congress and the left parties., or to be precise a few leaders in select left parties. Both the print and the electronic media report what they understand as happening between the two sides. This does not mean that there are not people who understand the intricasies of the deal. Even in the limited number of dailies and journals I see, (…)

• Some Reflections on Gulf War

  28 November 2007, by P N Haksar

  On the occasion of the ninth death anniversary of Parmeshwar Narain Haksar (September 4, 1913-November 27, 1998), the eminent administrator and diplomat, we reproduce the following piece that was published in Mainstream (May 11, 1991).
  In one of his books, the perceptive British historian, Sir Louis Namier, observed that arguments, howsoever cogently presented by the weak and supported by facts, are apt to cause annoyance and are likely to be dismissed as mere quibbles. We are intensely (…)

• West Bengal : A Case of Costly Arrogance

  28 November 2007, by Nikhil Chakravartty

  January 7, 1993, was like any other day in the humdrum life of an overcrowded city tinged with a glow of the Bengali’s undying faith in life. That’s Calcutta. And yet by the time evening descended on the picturesque newly built bridge over the river, one got a glimpse—just a glimpse—of the malady that sometimes afflicts the most reputed among politicians in this day and age. One suddenly realises how fragile our political order is, thanks to the callousness of politicians claiming to be (…)

• Has the Left taken one Right Turn too many?

  28 November 2007, by D. Bandyopadhyay

  There is a lingering belief among quite a few in West Bengal that there is something of “Leftism” still left here. That the pro-poor radicalism that the “Left” once had, had been reduced to ashes due to the malignant heat of authority and pelf being in power for the last three decades in this State, escaped notice of many a non-discerning onlooker.
  One MP of the ruling party openly and proudly proclaimed in a public meeting in the presence of the Chief Minister of the State that he had (…)