Mainstream Weekly

Most recent articles

• Harvard Dumps Subramaniam Swamy

  27 December 2011, by Subhash Gatade

  FREE SPEECH TO HATE SPEECH
  I
  Mr Subramaniam Swamy must not have imagined in his wildest dreams that his alma mater would decide to ‘dump him’
  The Harvard University faculty recently delivered its own ‘slap’ for one of its ex-students who also happened to be its visiting faculty. In its recent meeting for the approval of the 2012 summer school course catalogue, it was decided to exclude Mr Swamy’s Economics S-110 and Economics 1316 from the catalogue thus effectively removing him from (…)

• Goddess Lakshmi and Cultural Traditions of Rice: Implications for Status of Women

  27 December 2011, by Bidyut Mohanty

  WOMEN’S WORLD
  There is a worldwide concern at the falling proportion of the girl child in developing countries, especially in China and India, which are countries making news as rising economies. The recent census figures present an alarming anti-woman trend. In the case of China, the proportion of the male population stood at 110 per every hundred females in 2000 which increased to 118 in 2010 showing an increasing gender gap. India may show a slightly better situation but she too (…)

• More on M.A. Jinnah

  27 December 2011

  COMMUNICATION
  With reference to the rejoinder of Dr Ajeet Jawed published in your esteemed journal dated November 26, 2011, I want to accept that M.A. Jinnah was a secular nationalist and joined the Muslim League on the advice of Gokhale to rescue it from the fanatics. But why did the saint become a sinner?
  Pakistan celebrates its Independence Day on August 14 every year. Why? Because it was born one day before India became independent. They did not want to live even for a day under (…)

• Logjam broken in Parliament, but...

  12 December 2011, by SC

  After several days of deadlock with Parliament unable to transact any business due to Opposition protests on various issues, including and notably FDI in retail, the logjam has finally been broken with the UPA Government giving in to the BJP and Left’s insistence against operationalising FDI in multi-brand retail. The government’s latest decision, spelt out in the Lok Sabha by Leader of the House and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, agrees to keep the original permission granted for 51 per (…)

• About Time Parliament Censures the Executive

  12 December 2011

  by SHOBHA AGGARWAL
  “Sir, I am shocked to see such a brief reply, which is no reply at all. I admit that it is a failure on the part of the Parliament for holding the Government and the Executive accountable for their failure to notify Central Acts for implementation… I feel that the Government and Executive are making a mockery of the Parliament and making a mockery of the legislations.” —Shri D. Raja, MP Rajya Sabha in response to a written reply on Starred Question No. 244 regarding (…)

• West Bengal: First Six Months of Mamata in Power

  12 December 2011, by Barun Das Gupta

  Mamata Banerjee’s firm and principled stand on FDI in retail trade made the Centre blink. The FDI proposal has not been ‘withdrawn’ but ‘kept on hold’. It was a tactical retreat by the Congress for buying time and garner necessary support in Parliament. When the Prime Minisiter telephoned her from Delhi, seeking her support for FDI, the polite but firm Chief Minister told him it was not possible for her to change her stand. “I am sorry,” she said. Earlier, importunities by Pranab Mukherjee (…)

• FDI in Retail Trade — A Decision Most Foul and a Case of Self-goal

  12 December 2011, by Kamal Nayan Kabra

  At long last the cat is out of the bag. By moving heaven and earth over a period of nearly four years and camouflaging the decision by various conditions, more cosmetic than real, to mollify the expected and legitimate opposition to it, the Union Government has decided to welcome 51 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) in over fifty million plus cities (provided the State governments agree).
  It has been also decided that for anyone to set up shops in India, a minimum investment of $ (…)

• FDI in Retail: Federal Deficit in Decision-making

  12 December 2011, by Amna Mirza

  The winter session of Parliament was speculated to be on fire due to debates over the Jan Lokpal Bill and the final outcome of the Team Anna-UPA II Government duel. What emerged surprisingly was the decision to allow foreign direct investment in the retail market. The phenomena saw not only the Opposition coming forward with its sacred exercise of criticising the government but also the key allies of the UPA like the Trinamul Congress and some Congress Members of Parliament expressing (…)

• America is Already Here making Subtle Inroads

  12 December 2011, by Humra Quraishi

  Obstacles staring right in the face. Revolts brewing from different quarters. No I’m not referring to Team Anna, with the Gandhian leader almost set to go fasting once again before the year ends. But the gravest danger comes in the wake of the Central Government giving the okaying nod for Foreign Direct Investment in the retail sector. Quite obviously it’s bound to hit the local retailers and along with them the medium-rung traders, farmers and producers. Reactions could compound as there (…)

• Debate on the Land Acquisition Bill 2011

  12 December 2011, by Ambrose Pinto

  Jairam Ramesh, the Union Minister for Rural Development, is one of the many Ministers in the present government who makes radical statements on behalf of the people and yet has no hesitation in being totally faithful to the norms of neo-liberalism. The Land Acquisition Bill 2011 is a case in point. To cover up the hidden agenda of selling the country to transnational and multinational corporations, there are certain clauses in the Bill which sound revolutionary and yet when analysed are (…)