Mainstream Weekly

Most recent articles

• In My Own Voice: Kashmiriyat

  17 March 2019, by Sagari Chhabra

  This article, carried in www.newsclick.in some days ago, is being reproduced here, with due acknowledgement, for the benefit of our readers.
  ‘Mere samne waali khidki mein Ek chand ka tukra rehta hai; Afsos yeh hai, ki vo hamse, Kuch ukhda ukhda rehta hai.’
  (In the window across, stays a piece of the moon, but what is sad is that it remains a bit alienated from me.)
  I was greeted by this song from the Hindi film, Padosan, as I walked into the well-known human rights activist Asma (…)

• Let’s Not Seek Vengeance

  17 March 2019

  Oh, forty-plus martyred soldiers, I know not Any of you, even if you are my fellow citizens. To tell you the truth, I hate soldiers, As I hate wars for which soldiers are meant. I hate patriotism that warrants wars; I hate seeing our neighbour as our enemy; I hate talking retaliation for your deaths; I hate seeking vengeance for your killings.
  And yet, my heart bleeds when I think of you. You laid down your lives for the Nation; and I hate the existence of Nations that transform Citizens (…)

• 

  Democracy in Danger

  11 March 2019, by SC

  EDITORIAL
  As we go to press news has come of a terror strike in Jammu. An explosive plannted under a bus in a crowded bus terminal in the city led to injury to 30 persons following the explosion in the bus with one of the injured succumbing to his injuries. With the arrest of a 17-year-old after the blast it has now been ascertained that this was the handiwork of the Hizbul Mujahideen. Several residents in the city have declared that in spite of this incident they will not allow terrorism (…)

• War is No Solution: It only Causes Loss of Near and Dear Ones

  11 March 2019

  by Purusottam Bhattacharya
  The terror attack carried out by the Pakistani outfit, Jaish-e-Mohammed, on the CRPF convoy on the Jammu-Srinagar highway at Pulwama in south Kashmir on February 14 is unprecedented. Forty CRPF jawans lost their lives. It is said that the Pulwama incident has taken the largest toll of lives of all the terrorist attacks made in Kashmir for the last 30 years. This attack has again highlighted the total failure of the Modi Government’s Kashmir and Pakistan policy. (…)

• Seminar on Madness

  11 March 2019, by Badri Raina

  Madness is a topic much discussed From ancient times to ours; Now a crime, now disease, Now an affliction of lovers.
  Sane men keep safe distance From unaccounted laughter, Wishing to know what it is That the laughter may be after.
  Madness mocks the day’s routine, Upsetting useful work; Often just under a civil skin, Waiting to go berserk.
  So when just one goes mad the family Attempts a private cure; But when there are more the state appoints Professional counsellor.
  But when madness (…)

• Defence and Personality Cult

  11 March 2019, by Nikhil Chakravartty

  From N.C.’s Writings
  In the wake of the possibility of another Indo-Pak war breaking out shortly and the rise in jingoistic outbursts in the electronic media in particular, it is instructive to note what N.C. had written in his ‘New Delhi Skyline’ in this journal following the 1965 Indo-Pak war. We are thus reproducing the New Delhi Skyline by N.C. written on November 16, 1965 that appeared in Mainstream (November 20, 1965).
  The many facets of the Shastri Raj provide a fascinating study (…)

• Vande Mataram

  11 March 2019

  When I was shaped into words with ink on paper, my creator though had a colour, a religion by birth, I had neither.
  I spread far and wide, catching the eyes, entering the hearts of countless masses, resounding into the corners of a whole nation enslaved, its body tattooed, soul scarred.
  I inspired them, transformed their passive dream into a fiery articulation. I led them through the burning summer, the dead of winter, the fury of dark, stormy night of their long march, keeping aflame (…)

• Lynched by Goons, Again

  11 March 2019, by Humra Quraishi

  MUSINGS
  If the warlords are over with the war-cries, blatantly whipping up sentiments to further their dangerous political ploys, then it’s about time they look at the rising numbers of those getting lynched by the goon-brigades in the different States of the country. Uncontrolled and unleashed, these Right-wing goons are striking terror to such an extent that either they should be sent to the borders to take on the ‘enemy’, or else booked under any of the existing terror laws.
  The (…)

• Eighth March this year on a Different Note

  11 March 2019, by Gargi Chakravartty

  Eighth March is a day for women across the world—not merely a day for celebration as is generally considered in the corporate sector, but a day to express solidarity with all the toiling and grassroots women, a day to protest against the discrimination and exploitation of women, a day to campaign for their rights for employment, livelihood, forest rights of adivasi women and, most importantly, for their security. However, this year in an ambience of violence, conflict, terrorism and (…)

• Pollution Threatens Villages, Saryu River

  11 March 2019

  COMMUNICATION
  Several villages in the Kesarganj block of Bahraich district (Uttar Pradesh) and nearby areas are seriously threatened by effluents released in a nullah by a sugar factory. Villagers said that this nullah later merges into the Saryu river which flows towards Ayodhya and is considered a very sacred river.
  The affected villages include Jhoparva, Itauwan, Lalpur, Jalalpur, Semripur, Parsonda and several other villages as well.
  Villagers said that several of their farm and (…)