Mainstream Weekly

Most recent articles

• Will Bangladesh go in the Iranian Way? | Bhabani Shankar Nayak

  11 August 2024

  The successful 1979 Iranian working-class struggle against the monarchical dictatorship was eventually snatched away from people and hijacked by reactionary religious forces, with the covert support of imperialist and colonial powers led by the CIA. The progressive character of the Iranian people’s struggle for freedom and justice gradually faded, giving way to the rise of reactionary ruling elites who concealed their power in the name of religion and nationalism. This political and economic (…)

• Did the WFI contribute to deprive Phogat of Olympic Gold? | Faraz Ahmad

  11 August 2024, by Faraz Ahmad

  Neeraj Chopra’s Silver medal in the Javelin throw in Paris Olympics raised our spirits a little and India winning a medal, even a Bronze consoled us somewhat. But the heartbreak of Vinesh Phogat our best bet for a Gold has failed to lift our spirits enough to actually stand up and say Hurrah!
  Phogat reached the final of the women’s 50 kg. category defeating defending Olympic champion Yui Susaki of Japan, former European champion Oksana Livach of Ukraine and reigning Pan American Games (…)

• On Violent Political Transition in Bangladesh | Arup Kumar Sen

  11 August 2024, by Arup Kumar Sen

  On August 5, 2024, the prime minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, fled to India in the wake of ongoing student protests and massive state violence unleashed on the protesting students. Despite the tragic loss of at least 300 lives, a curfew, and the deployment of the military, the student protests and resistance persisted under the leadership of the ‘Students Against Discrimination’ collective. What triggered the student protests is a complex question. Fixing higher quotas for the (…)

• Amidst the present turmoil in Bangladesh, A time to recall the most tragic events of 1975 | Bharat Dogra

  11 August 2024, by Bharat Dogra

  Amidst the ongoing turmoil in Bangladesh, it is important to remember the extremely important and at the same time extremely tragic events in Bangladesh in 1975.
  When Banglabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rehman , the first President of Bangladesh, also called the Father of the Nation and revered by millions as such, was assassinated on August 15, 1975 as a part of the wider efforts to overthrow his popular government, there were several aspects of this murder most foul which had shocked the world. (…)

• Impact of the Controversial Changes in NCERT Textbooks | Tamanna Yadav

  11 August 2024

  Parents and students can review the new textbooks featuring these gender-neutral images on the official Kerala General Education Department website. The textbooks are part of the curriculum for various grades, with specific emphasis on Class 3 materials.
  WHILE GENDER-NEUTRAL picture depictions in Kerala’s school textbooks – which challenge norms of patriarchy – are widely appreciated, beyond the State board, students in schools in Kerala and across the country, affiliated to the Central (…)

• The Shrimp Crisis:How U.S. Policy is Sinking Kerala’s Fishermen While Andhra Thrives | Santosh Mathew

  11 August 2024

  Kerala’s tranquil backwaters and sprawling coastline have long supported a thriving shrimp industry. However, the United States’ stringent restrictions on shrimp imports, aimed at conserving sea turtles, have cast a dark shadow over the traditional fishermen and shrimp industry in Kerala. While aquaculture-dominated regions like Andhra Pradesh are faring better, Kerala’s sea-based shrimp fishers are bearing the brunt of this policy. India exports approximately ₹67,000 crore worth of fish (…)

• Should We Ready for the Dirge of Demise? | Amarendra Kishore

  11 August 2024, by Amarendra Kishore

  Amidst hullabaloo of carbon plantation, research reveals that single-species carbon plantations threaten native flora and fauna, while delivering negligible benefits.
  Ecologists caution that monoculture tree-planting initiatives pose a significant threat to tropical biodiversity, offering only marginal climate benefits. They emphasize that ecosystems such as the Amazon and Congo Basin are being reduced to mere carbon repositories, neglecting their intrinsic ecological value. Amidst the (…)

• Bangladesh’s next leaders face a daunting task | Shahab Enam Khan

  11 August 2024

  The country faces prospects of continuing political and social unrest as well as economic meltdown.
  A day after massive and unrelenting public protests forced Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to quit and flee to India, an interim government, that is expected to steer the country out of a Himalayan-size mess, is slowly taking shape in Dhaka.
  While Nobel laureate and Bangladesh’s veteran economist Mohammad Yunus has agreed to head the interim regime, the names of the advisors who (…)

• Allies Assemble: Uniting for LGBTQIA+ Rights | Disha

  11 August 2024, by Disha

  Abstract
  In LGBTQIA+ advocacy, allyship is essential for promoting human rights and inclusivity. An ally is someone who actively supports LGBTQIA+ community, leveraging their privilege to amplify LGBTQIA+ voices and foster understanding. Effective allyship requires empathy, continuous education, and genuine engagement, transcending mere self-designation. Research highlights that supportive allies can enhance job satisfaction and productivity among LGBTQIA+ individuals. In India, (…)

• Wayanad and the Development Paradigm: Tragedy of Our Time | Muzaffar Assadi

  11 August 2024, by Muzaffar Assadi

  The catastrophe of the Wayanad incident is not just related to the flash flood or the intense rain that the area experienced; rather, it is the tragedy of a development paradigm that the State has implemented over time. Waynad, once dominated by the tribal people, has undergone a capitalist transition, the commodification of environmentally sensitive places, and unrestricted resource exploitation are just a few of the factors that have made Waynad one of the best examples of human-caused (…)