Mainstream Weekly

Most recent articles

• Egypt: Pharaoh al-Sisi Sits Tight

  15 September 2013, by M K Bhadrakumar

  The highly opportunistic stance taken by the “big powers” who are veto-holding permanent members of the United Nations Security Council has prevented that august body from articulating an outright condemnation of the brutality with which the Egyptian military massacred more than 1000 civilians in Cairo on August 21.
  This must be counted as one of the most shameful moments that the UN Security Council has been put through in its sad history of over six decades. The fault lies entirely at (…)

• On Communal Eruption in Western UP

  15 September 2013, by Humra Quraishi

  MUSINGS
  I was born in Uttar Pradesh and spent my childhood and those carefree teenaged years in that State. I have travelled to those remote villages and locales because my father, an engineer by profession, would be particular that the family—amma and my siblings and I—tagged along travelling in that open jeep or in our Baby Hindustan car. And during those long summer vacations my maternal grandfather would take out his Dodge from the garage … my cousins and I sitting stuffed (…)

• Narmada Jal Satyagraha Merits Wide Support

  15 September 2013, by Bharat Dogra

  COMMUNICATION
  Due to the highly unjust policies of the authorities relating to the Indira Sagar Dam Project (ISDP), the displaced and adversely affected people have been forced to start jal satyagraha from September 1. These peaceful protestors standing in deep water are demanding justice but the authorities arrested several of them including leading activist Chittaroopa Palit and 75 other satyagrahis.
  The ISDP involves truly massive displacement. This largest reservoir in India (second (…)

• Twists and Turns

  8 September 2013, by SC

  EDITORIAL
  As the West Asian crisis takes a new turn with strong indications that President Obama may launch strikes on Syria after securing the green signal from the US Congress, the fallout of such an eventuality has been invoked by the PM to urge the BJP leaders to end their animosity towards the government and allow Parliament to pass key pending Bills. The BJP leaders appear to have responded positively to the PM’s suggestion as is evident from their attitude to the pension Bill—after (…)

• No War! Hands off Syria!

  8 September 2013, by A B Bardhan

  The threat of imminent war hangs over the entire Middle East. This is bound to have unforeseen consequences in many parts of the world. The US President, Barack Obama, has announced that he is willing to order a solo armed intervention in Syria. Meanwhile the US will strive for a ”coalition of the willing”.
  The French and British had raced to announce an attack. But the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, was stopped in his track by the House of Commons, which roundly rejected his war- (…)

• Obama Dips Toe in Syrian Rubicon

  8 September 2013, by M K Bhadrakumar

  For the first time through the two-year old Syrian conflict, the United States has mentioned the holy cow—“boots on the ground’’. The Secretary of State, John Kerry, has pleaded that the US Congress should approve the use of American ground troops although the Obama Administration may not intend to take recourse to such action.
  This is a hugely significant turning-point in the fast-developing scenario of US military intervention in Syria. There was added poignancy that Kerry was speaking (…)

• Remembering P.N. Haksar on his Birth Centenary

  8 September 2013, by SC

  P.N. Haksar’s birth centenary fell on September 4 this year. It was marked by a meeting at the Auditorium of New Delhi’s Nehru Memorial Musuem and Libary on the same day, organised by the Director of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library and Haksar’s elder daughter, Nandita. When Haksar passed away in the Capital on November 27, 1998, it was written in this journal’s December 5, 1998 issue:
  “Parmeshwar Narain Haksar (September 4, 1913-November 27, 1998), eminent administrator and (…)

• The Making of an Indian

  8 September 2013, by P N Haksar

  In the citation which the Vice-Chancellor has just read out, some flattering things have been said about me. I was rather pleased hearing it all. At the same time doubts began assailing me. I asked myself: What led the University of Kashmir to honour me? Was it because by accident of birth I am classified as a Kashmiri Pandit? But there are many such Pandits. And there are quite a few who are, if anything, more distinguished than I am. So being a Kashmiri Pandit could not be the real (…)

• On the 100th Birth Anniversary of Parmeshwar Narain Haksar

  8 September 2013, by Nandita Haksar

  I have always thought of Parmeshwar Narain Haksar as Papa; a father I loved deeply and whose views influenced me in many ways even though we spent so much time arguing and disagreeing on many basic tenets of his Nehruvian beliefs.
  We had arguments about the feasibility of big dams, the need to recognise ethnic nationalities as minorities and the question of religion and caste.
  On my father’s 100th birth anniversary I would like to share some of the most precious memories of times (…)

• Freedom Day at Amritsar

  8 September 2013, by Nikhil Chakravartty

  From N.C.’s Writings
  Three landmarks to cover in a single day—that was how some of us spent our fiftieth Independence Day.
  The first of the pilgrimage was to the Indo-Pak border post at Wagah to celebrate the anniversary of the freedom at midnight.
  Reaching Amritsar by the Shatabdi Express in the late evening of August 14, about a dozen of us led by the President of the Citizens for Democracy, Kuldip Nayar, we were received by a huge crowd at the Amritsar station itself—which included (…)