Mainstream Weekly

Most recent articles

• Socialism and Nehru

  26 May 2018

  by K.N. Raj
  The following is the text of the paper read by the distinguished economist and Director of the Delhi School of Economics at the symposium held in New Delhi to mark the first death anniversary of Jawaharlal Nehru, May 27, 1965. Dr K.N. Raj, who passed away sometime ago, subsequently became the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Delhi.
  Socialism, like democracy means now different things to different people. Almost everyone in India calls himself today a socialist. This (…)

• Nehru and Minorities

  26 May 2018

  by S. Gopal
  The following contribution from Nehru’s biographer and eminent historian, Dr S. Gopal, was published in Mainstream (November 12, 1988). It was based on the Ansari Memorial Lecture which he delivered at the Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi on February 22, 1988. It is being reproduced here because of its relevance in the present scenario.
  When Jawaharlal Nehru came to active politics in the early twenties, he had not yet moved to the personal position of religious agnosticism which (…)

• Secularism and the State: Categorising the Nehru Model

  26 May 2018, by Anil Nauriya

  I. The “Nehru Models”: The Historical Nehru Model and the Posthumous Nehru Model
  In most circles where opinion-making on behalf of minorities takes place, one of the reasons for appreciation of Jawaharlal Nehru’s approach towards the minorities generally is his statement that majority communalism, that is, sectaria-nism, is more dangerous than minority commu-nalism. He said that “the communalism of a majority community must of necessity bear a closer resemblance to nationalism than the (…)

• A Pakistani View on Nehru: What India Owes To Nehru

  26 May 2018

  by Pervez Hoodbhoy
  Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru would never have won a popularity contest in Pakistan quite simply because he did his best to oppose our country’s creation. But nowhere is he reviled more than in India’s current ruling circles and among those whose loyalty they command.
  The accusations against Nehru are often breathtaking: that he was degenerate and dissolute; born in a brothel and eventually died of syphilis; impregnated a Catholic nun; claimed to be a Kashmiri Pandit but (…)

• No 15 Days To Purchase Majority!

  26 May 2018, by T J S George

  IMPRESSIONS
  Here is what the Buddha said about the Karnataka elections:
  “There are many difficulties to overcome in this world. It is hard for a proud man to learn the way of enlightenment. It is hard not to argue about right and wrong. It is hard to find a good method. It is hard to keep the mind pure
  against the instincts of the body. It is hard not to desire beautiful things. It is hard for a strong man not to use his strength to satisfy his desires.”
  The Strong Man heading The (…)

• 

  Karnataka Exposes BJP’s Cynical Pursuit of Power

  20 May 2018

  POLITICAL NOTEBOOK
  What was witnessed in Karnataka after the Assembly poll results were out, exposes the BJP’s cynical pursuit of power—absolute power. It also exposes the BJP’s cynical contempt for constitutional and legal propriety. If it emerges as the single largest party, it would insist that the Governor invite it because it is the single largest party. If it fails and knocks together a post-poll alliance which manages to get the numbers, it insists that the Governor allow it to form (…)

• Karnataka Elections: A Split Verdict has Opened Up a World of Opportunities

  20 May 2018

  by Sandeep Shastri
  May 15 will go down as an important day in the politics of Karnataka. In a day of dramatic political developments, the people of Karnataka watched the many twists and turns with the progress in the counting of votes. At the end of the day, the last scene in the political drama has not yet unfolded. For a third time in Karnataka, the BJP has emerged as the single largest party. Political events that followed the earlier two events were diametrically different. In 2004, (…)

• Analysis of True Public Preference — Why Vote-share Should Get More Attention

  20 May 2018, by Bharat Dogra

  Everyone knows that election results are decided by the number of seats won and so it is understandable that most public attention is focused on this. However, in terms of under-standing actual public preference and choice as well as trends relating to this, it is more important to look at the percentage of votes won by different political parties.
  Depending upon the election system a democracy selects as well as the electoral demography of any region, the percentage of vote-share for any (…)

• Widespread Violence in Panchayat Polls in West Bengal

  20 May 2018, by Barun Das Gupta

  Panchayat elections were held in West Bengal on May 14. The polls saw widespread violence and hooliganism which has took a toll of over two dozen lives. The victims belonged to all the political parties—Trinamul Congress, CPI-M, Congress, BJP and even Independent candidates. Two CPI-M workers were shot dead and a CPI-M worker and his wife were burnt alive after they were locked up in their house and it was then set on fire.
  Given the prevailing situation, the violence was very much (…)

• Marx and Marxism / Journey beyond Marx

  20 May 2018, by Nikhil Chakravartty

  From N.C.’s Writings
  In the light of the ongoing debate on Marx and Marxism that the bicentenary of Karl Marx’s birth (May 5, 1818) has generated, we are reproducing two articles by N.C. on Marx, Marxism and the Indian communist movement in the wake of contemporary developments for the benefit of our readers.
  Marx and Marxism
  A Personal Testament
  The centenary of Karl Marx’s death on March 14 saw impressive tributes to his memory as not only the philosopher who interpreted the world (…)