Mainstream Weekly

Most recent articles

• Restart the Dialogue Process: No Alternative to Normalising the Situation - PIPFPD’s Call to Leaderships in India, Pakistan

  9 October 2016

  The Pakistan-India Forum for Peace and Democracy (PIPFPD) notes with concern the escalation of jingoism both in the use of language as well as actions by India and Pakistan in recent times. The announcement of ‘surgical’ strike by the Indian Army across the border inside the territory of Pakistan Administered Kashmir in which it claims to have killed 35 ‘militants’, is an unacceptable action in gross violation of established international law and the objectives of the United Nations. Though (…)

• India’s ‘Surgical Strikes’ Remain an Enigma

  9 October 2016, by M K Bhadrakumar

  The Indian journalists must be compulsorily made to read the parting speech by Helen Boaden, Director of the BBC Radio, as she resigned from her position last weekend, on how the scramble for ‘breaking news’ is degrading and destroying what used to be a wonderful profession. She valiantly makes a case for ‘slow news’. (Independent)
  At issue here is the Indian media coverage of our “surgical strikes” across the Line of Control at Pakistan on September 29. India has been whipped into frenzy (…)

• Modi Remodelling the Politics of Ultranationalism

  9 October 2016

  by Arun Srivastava
  India’s surgical operation in Pakistan occupied Kashmir has boosted the personal image of the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, as a strong ruler; but it has nonetheless provided the politically correct ambience to the BJP to refurbish its nationalist image and instil a new sense of nationalism in the people of India.
  Modi, whose political initiatives and actions during the two years of his stay as the Prime Minister, have come under public scrutiny in recent months and (…)

• Corruption in the Contractor Raj

  9 October 2016

  by K. Narayana
  Ever since the NDA Government of the RSS Parivar or the RSS family rule came to power with absolute numbers in 2014, tricks have been played to show that they are above corruption. The media houses, mostly of the corporate bodies or the ones that depend upon their ads, keep on telling us that there is no corruption in the Modi Government and everything is transparent. Yes, it is transparent for the select few business houses and their nominees in the bureaucracy who prepare (…)

• Resurrecting Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya who Died a Mysterious Death

  9 October 2016

  by Shamsul Islam
  PM Modi, a senior seasoned swayamsevak of the RSS who describes himself as a ‘Hindu nationalist’, misses no opportunity to denigrate the minorities of India, specially the Muslims. The latest was when on September 25, 2016, while addressing a national level BJP conclave at Kozhikode, Kerala, he did not forget to share his belief with his captive audience about Muslims being ‘other’ or ‘different from us’ borrowing directly from the RSS archives. For him, Muslims were not (…)

• A Bill sans Will and Wit

  9 October 2016

  by Joydeep Biswas
  The Citizenship (Amendment Bill), 2016, now before the Joint Committee of the two Houses for a thorough examination, contrary to popular perception, does not guarantee citizenship to the religious minorities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. It only seeks to convert the ‘illegal migrants’ to ‘legal migrants’.
  The Union Home Minister introduced the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 in the Lok Sabha during the recently concluded monsoon session further to amend (…)

• India’s Clarion Call at the Margarita NAM Summit!

  9 October 2016

  by Sudhanshu Tripathi
  The Non-Aligned Movement, while holding fast the true spirit of the doctrine of non-alignment, must act as the vanguard of all principal international debates on political, strategic and socio-economic issues and must also suitably modernise itself to remain relevant in the world.
  Introduction
  The 17th Summit of the Non-Aligned countries of the Third World, spreading over the continents of Asia, Africa and Latin America, was held at the Margarita island in (…)

• Why NAM is Needed

  9 October 2016

  by Vivek Kumar Srivastava
  The 17th Non-Aligned Movement(NAM) summit in Venezuela’s Margarita Island proved to be a lacklustre affair which it had never witnessed in its so impactful history. About 12 heads of states attended from the 120-member group, which was quite less than the participation at the Iran summit, a signal that the movement is on the decline.
  The Indian PM was requested by Venezuela to participate as India was a founder-member of the movement but India rejected the (…)

• Pressure Counter Pressure / The Twilight Hour

  9 October 2016, by Nikhil Chakravartty

  From N.C.’s Writings
  Pressure Counter Pressure
  Behind the angry protests and almost interminable complaints of Cease Fire violations, there is a feeling in New Delhi about the overall situation with regard to Pakistan which, though not vocal, is significant.
  It is geneally conceded here that a full-scale war between India and Pakistan is practically ruled out for the present. The theory that the cessation of hostilities provided by the Security Council Resolution is being utilised as a (…)

• Paradise Lost

  9 October 2016, by Badri Raina

  Is this now a paradise lost To an ancient contention? A clanging of frozen wills Where all is lost and nothing won? Relentless crones in safe enclaves Send nubile angels to war Against an uncaring distant state That seems light years a far. Spots of blood on haunted streets Invite the lurking vulture; Windows barred in dread and shame Protect a beleaguered culture. Faces pelleted with holes Are stoic in hopeless time; Flesh and bone come apart But spirits scream a defiant (…)