Mainstream Weekly

Most recent articles

• When Shall The Twain Part?

  17 July 2016

  by l.k. sharma
  Britain is Britain and the Continent is Continent. Proven again by Britain’s decision to leave the European Union. It is more than the Channel that divides the two plots of land.
  The flood of immigrants and loss of sovereignty were important considerations for those who voted to “Leave”. Their decision was made easier by the residual hereditary antipathy, cultural differences and differing geopolitical conside-rations.
  Britain and the European Union had entered a (…)

• Neoliberalism: Its Reality Exposed

  17 July 2016, by S G Vombatkere

  by S.G. Vombatkere
  Neoliberalism is free-market fundamentalism. The central dogma of neoliberalism is economic growth, achieved by:
  • increasing competition through deregulation (watering-down of social, welfare, health, labour and environmental laws), and opening domestic markets to foreign competition; and
  • severely limiting the role of the state by privatisation of state assets and liberalisation of economic policies, simultaneously increasing corporate influence and involvement in (…)

• Enlightenment In Education

  17 July 2016, by Sandeep Pandey

  Rita Kanaujia, a widowed domestic help who lives in a slum in Chembur, Mumbai, desires to have her son admitted to the Junior Kindergarten class at Lokmanya Tilak High School in Tilak Nagar. Two of her daughters are already studying in Classes III and IV here. The school wanted her to make a payment of Rs 19,500, which she was incapable of after the death of her husband due to cancer in 2014. She moved the court. Due to the court’s intervention the school gave a concession but still insisted (…)

• History and Legacy of International Working Men’s Association After 150 Years

  17 July 2016

  by Marcello Musto
  On September 28, 1864, St. Martin’s Hall, in the heart of London, was packed to overflowing with some two thousand workers. They had come to attend a meeting called by English trade union leaders and a small group of companions from the Continent. This meeting gave birth to the prototype of all the main organisations of the workers’ movement: the International Working Men’s Association. Quickly, the International aroused passions all over Europe. It made class solidarity (…)

• Bloodbath at Dhaka

  17 July 2016, by Kuldip Nayar

  The killing of dozens of people by terrorists at Dhaka is not an aberration, but the product of a committed mind that has been brainwashed by fanaticism. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is quite right when she says that this is not Islam, yet the Muslims all over must introspect why their co-religionists are striking all over and at regular intervals. Dhaka’s Information Minister Hasanul Haq has blamed Pakistan for the attack. This may well be true, but there has to be evidence. Otherwise, the (…)

• Where Do We Go From Here?

  17 July 2016, by Nikhil Chakravartty

  From N.C.’s Writings
  It is almost platitudinous to say that this nation has reached the crossroads. In a sense, one reaches the crossroads with every new situation. But more than in the ordinary sense, there is no denying the fact that India today has definitely reached the point which demands clear answer to the question: Where do we go from here?
  Whatever might have been the immediate motivation behind the imposition of National Emergency, it may safely be stated that the first phase (…)

• The Black Day

  17 July 2016

  by Samit Kar
  In his recent address in the ‘Man ki baat’ aired through the public broadcasting system all over the country, Narendra Modi described June 26 as the Dark Day in the history of India. This year, this day happened to be the 41st anniversary of the day of the declaration of the Emergency by Indira Gandhi in 1975. The Finance Minister, Arun Jaitley, twitted on this day to remind the countrymen how Indira Gandhi on the alibi to restore public order had tried to continue her stint (…)

• Rising Attacks to Silence Journalists

  17 July 2016

  MEDIA
  By Mohd. Afsar
  The muder of journalist Rajdeo Ranjan at Siwan—the most recent one in a series of attacks on journalists in recent times, is an alarming sign of danger on freedom to report in India. As per the latest report released by the worldwide known organisation ‘Reporters Without Borders’, India is among the top three most dangerous countries for journalists. It has named India as “Asia’s deadliest country for media personnel, ahead of both Pakistan and Afghanistan”.
  Recent (…)

• FDI Liberalisation and RBI Governor’s Exit at What Cost?

  17 July 2016, by Arun Kumar

  The PMO has stated that the Indian economy is now the most open since FDI inflow has been liberalised further and restrictions in certain sectors have been reduced. The Opposition has linked the move to Dr Rajan’s announcement that he would not seek a second term as the RBI Governor. It is not that he has resigned. They argue that anticipating negative reaction in the markets, the government had to announce concessions to counter it. The two items of news are certainly connected as signals (…)

• Reforming the Direct Tax Reforms in India

  17 July 2016, by Kavaljit Singh

  On April 29, 2016, India’s Income Tax Department released tax statistics after a gap of almost 16 years. Till 2000, the Tax Department used to publish All India Income Tax Statistics but the publication was discontinued for some unknown reason. No explanations were given by the authorities for the discontinuation of this publication despite numerous demands made for its release by Indian economists and researchers.
  According to media reports, the government released this data after French (…)