Mainstream Weekly

Most recent articles

• Prime Minister’s Tour of Bangladesh

  28 September 2011, by Amitava Mukherjee

  There are more in matters of Indo-Bangladesh relationship than what really meets the eye. Although certain quarters having their own axes to grind are now trying to portray Mamata Banerjee, the West Bengal Chief Minister, as a spoilsport, yet the truth lies in the fact that Mamata has done a great service to the nation by refusing to become party to a pact which would have landed agriculturists in North Bengal in great difficulty. Her refusal to accompany the Prime Minister to Bangladesh has (…)

• Bangladesh: Six Months

  28 September 2011, by Nikhil Chakravartty

  From N.C.’s Writings
  The following Political Notebook by N.C. was written precisely forty years ago on September 27, 1971 and published in the October 2, 1971 issue of Mainstream. This is being reproduced as we steadily approach the fortieth anniversary of the liberation of Bangladesh at the fag end of this year.
  Six months of the Bangladesh struggle has been an unprecedented experience as well as back-breaking strain for both the government and the people of this country. Although (…)

• Revolution, Freedom or Re-colonisation of Libya: An Overview

  28 September 2011, by Arshi Khan

  [The following article was written sometime back but could not be used earlier due to unavoidable reasons. Its contents, however, remain valid in the current situation through which Libya is passing. It is thus being published for the benefit of our readers.]
  International politics is undergoing a very dangerous phase of transition whereby it is faced with those revisionist forces which are moving beyond the theoretical paradigm of ‘structural realism’. Some of the privileged and (…)

• Is Globalisation Going to Devour Literature?

  28 September 2011, by Amiya Dev

  On May 24-26, the Daesan Foundation of Seoul, South Korea held its Third International Forum for Literature, the two previous ones having been held in 2000 and 2005 respectively. The themes for those two were ‘Writing across Boundaries’ and ‘Writing for Peace’. This one’s theme was ‘The Globalising World and the Human Community’. It was approached through the following sub-themes: (1) ‘The Self and the Other in the Age of Multiculturalism’, (2) ‘Writing in the Globalising World’, (3) (…)

• Resolving Differences on Lokpal

  28 September 2011, by Bharat Dogra

  Recently a lot of discussion has taken place about how the differences on the Lokpal legislation can be resolved.
  One possible solution which should be seriously explored as a part of such a sincere process is to prepare a comprehensive ‘umbrella-type’ legislation in which a single bill will have five sub-bills.
  The first of these will set up a Lokpal to deal with high-end corruption (including PM) while at the same time placing a strengthened, improved CVC (Central Vigilance (…)

• Anna and his Critics

  28 September 2011

  by Bagwat Prasad
  Anna and his team are great crusaders against corruption. Maoists want systemic change. Anna’s team aims at intensifying Indian democracy in tune with the spirit of the Constitution, reflected in the Preamble. The Hindu in its editorial (29.8.2011) writes: “In India, unlike in Britain, Parliament is not supreme. Constitution is.” Maoists want to overthrow the Constitution. The Jan Lokapal Bill of Team Anna serves the cause of democratic decentralisation and vigilance by (…)

• Hazare, Indian State and Civil Society

  28 September 2011

  by Umakant
  ‘End justifies the means’ is a Brahmanical fallacy that must be discarded for the sake of logic itself. Fanaticism of all kinds needs to be shunned at all cost or else democracy may be endangered. 43 years, eight Lokpal Bills under seven Prime Minister and no consensus tells us a lot about the level of consciousness in our society on the need to fight corruption of several kinds. The current Lokpal Bill is the ninth attempt and quite interestingly three other versions have (…)

• Interrogating State and Civil Society on Malkangiri Abduction

  28 September 2011, by Kamalakanta Roul

  Introduction
  Corporate socialism and stashed black money are two tentacles of the neo-liberal mascot of the Indian state. It has owed little responsibility in regard to ensuring development for all, especially the poor and marginalised sections. The emergence of the global competitive market economy widens the huge gap between the urban-rural, poor-rich and state-society relations. It escalates the militant menace in the corporate corridors of the mineral-rich Adivasi courtyard. The (…)

• Electoral Results Unlearnt

  28 September 2011, by Sharad Patil

  [The following article had reached us quite sometime back but could not be used earlier due to unavoidable reasons. —Editor]
  The present plight of the communist and Dalit movements brings to mind a Mahabharatan myth. Brhadratha, the king of the rajaka Magadha state, was sonless. He got a fertility fruit from a sage, which he gave to both of his queens. They delivered the halves of an infant. Furiously they were thrown on a dung heap. The mother-goddess Jara saw it and joined them. And (…)

• Afghanistan: Need for Decisive, Collective Action

  28 September 2011, by Mansoor Ali

  One basic aspect of the international approach to Afghanistan has been the tendency to devise strategy, take decisions and organise ground operations in a way that the Afghans perceive to be disrespectful towards them and even on occasions smacking of arrogance. At times they also take legitimate offence at the manner in which their country was being treated—their feeling of Afghanistan being regarded as a no-man’s land and not a sovereign state is not without basis. It is this perceived (…)